Meet the therapists

Nisha Damani

Clinical Supervisor & Therapist

MSW, RSW (she/her)

Nisha is a Masters Level Registered Social Worker and Clinical Supervisor at Ashay Therapy, specializing in supporting adults and teens navigating anxiety, depression, grief, trauma, self-esteem, and relationship challenges. With a deep understanding of BIPOC mental health, she offers therapy in both English, Urdu, and Hindi, creating a space that is inclusive, culturally aware, and rooted in compassion.

As a South Asian and Muslim therapist born and raised in Toronto, Nisha understands the complexities of balancing multiple cultural identities and the unique pressures that come with it. She is passionate about reducing stigma around mental health within her community and helping clients feel seen, understood, and empowered to heal.

Drawing from evidence-based approaches such as Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), Somatic approaches, Dialectical Behavioural Therapy (DBT), Narrative Therapy, and Motivational Interviewing, Nisha helps clients strengthen their emotional resilience and build healthier, more fulfilling relationships.

Clients often describe Nisha as warm, genuine, and non-judgmental. Her collaborative style helps people feel safe to share parts of themselves they may not express elsewhere, making therapy a space for authentic growth and connection.

When she’s not working, you can find Nisha adding new things to her bucket list or exploring hidden gems around Calgary, her new home.

(Accepting new clients virtually in Alberta & Ontario, and in-person in Calgary)

Husainat Bakare

Registered Psychotherapist (RP) and Canadian Certified Counsellor (CCC)

RP, CCC (she/her)

Husainat is a Registered Psychotherapist (RP) and Canadian Certified Counsellor (CCC) who works with individuals and couples to build stronger relationships with themselves and with others. She specializes in helping clients navigate boundaries, self-esteem, trauma, anxiety, depression, and addiction.

As a Nigerian therapist, Husainat is deeply passionate about creating inclusive, affirming, and culturally responsive spaces for BIPOC, immigrant, and minority communities. Her work is grounded in advocacy and an anti-oppressive, intersectional lens, ensuring that therapy feels accessible, empowering, and free from judgment.

Husainat’s therapeutic style is warm, compassionate, and collaborative. She believes that clients are the experts of their own lives and that her role is to walk alongside them as they make meaningful and lasting change. Her approach integrates Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT) to support emotional regulation and mindfulness, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) to help clients live in alignment with their values, Person-Centred Therapy to ensure they feel deeply seen and understood, and the Gottman Method to strengthen connection and communication in relationships.

She provides a 2SLGBTQIA+ affirming, trauma-informed, and culturally grounded space where every client feels safe to explore, heal, and grow.

(Not Accepting new clients)

Tong Tong

Canadian Certified Counsellor, Registered Psychotherapist (Qualifying) 

CCC, RP(Q) (she/her)

Tong is a Canadian Certified Counsellor (CCC & RP(Q)) with a Master of Arts in Counselling Psychology (MACP). She provides affirming, culturally responsive, and client-centred counselling to individuals and couples across the lifespan. Tong offers therapy in both English and Mandarin, and is dedicated to creating a space where clients feel safe, understood, and supported throughout their healing journey.

Tong works with individuals navigating a range of concerns, including anxiety, depression, emotional overwhelm, trauma, relationship stress, life transitions, and identity-related challenges. She is especially mindful of how cultural background, family dynamics, and lived experiences can shape the ways people understand themselves and their relationships.

Tong’s therapeutic style is warm, collaborative, and non-judgmental. She believes that clients are the experts of their own experiences and that therapy is most effective when it moves at a pace that feels respectful, supportive, and empowering. Her role is to walk alongside clients as they build insight, develop practical coping strategies, and create meaningful change in their lives.

Her approach integrates evidence-based modalities, including Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT), and Solution-Focused Brief Therapy (SFBT). When working with couples, Tong incorporates Gottman Method–informed approaches to support communication, deepen connection, and foster healthier relationship patterns.

Tong is committed to providing care that honours each client’s story, cultural context, and personal strengths. She believes therapy should be a space where people feel genuinely seen, supported, and empowered as they move toward greater balance, clarity, and well-being.

(Accepting new clients — In person in Calgary & virtually across Canada)

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Favour Okelana

Cultural Content Strategist

(She/her)

Favour is the Creative Strategist and Cultural Consultant at Ashay Therapy, bringing a unique blend of research, storytelling, and cultural insight to support the practice’s content and community engagement. Born in Nigeria and raised in Canada, she uses her lived experience as a multilingual Gen Z creative to help ensure Ashay’s messaging resonates with diverse audiences especially BIPOC and bilingual communities.

Currently pursuing her Bachelor of Arts in Human Geography at the University of Alberta, Favour specializes in inclusive city design and is studying French as her third language. At Ashay Therapy, she supports trend research, campaign development, and creative direction, helping shape content that is culturally attuned, community-centered, and reflective of the audiences we serve.

Outside of her role, Favour is a campus changemaker through the ABEEL Foundation and enjoys expressing herself through music, dance, and various artistic mediums.

Rameen Siqqui

Operations & Marketing Coordinator, MEng

(She/her)

Rameen is the Operations and Marketing Coordinator at Ashay Therapy, bringing a strong background in healthcare operations and clinical research. Born in Pakistan and raised in Canada, she brings an interdisciplinary and culturally grounded perspective to building systems that are both efficient and people-centred.

Rameen is currently pursuing a Master of Engineering in Biomedical Engineering, where her training focuses on healthcare systems, data-driven decision making, and process design. This academic background complements her professional experience and informs her thoughtful, detail-oriented approach to supporting both clients and clinicians.

At Ashay Therapy, Rameen is often the initial point of contact for clients and is here to help make the therapy process feel clear, welcoming, and well-supported. She works closely behind the scenes to ensure smooth coordination, timely communication, and organized internal systems, allowing therapists to focus fully on client care. Whether supporting inquiries, coordinating next steps, or keeping things running seamlessly in the background, she is always happy to assist clients throughout their journey at Ashay Therapy.

Outside of work, she enjoys exploring new cafés, staying active, and spending time with her two cats.

Email: 

Buu Dao

Canadian Certified Counsellor (CCC) & Registered Psychotherapist (Qualifying)

CCC, RP(Q) (she/her)

Buu is a Canadian Certified Counsellor (CCC) and Registered Psychotherapist (Qualifying) who provides therapy to individuals and couples across Canada in both English and Vietnamese.

Having moved to Canada during her early teens, Buu understands firsthand the challenges of navigating multiple cultures, balancing expectations, and finding a sense of belonging. As a Vietnamese therapist, she brings a culturally responsive lens to her work and is passionate about helping clients feel seen without having to leave important parts of their identity behind.

Buu works with individuals navigating perfectionism, people-pleasing, burnout, ADHD, Autism, anxiety, depression, relationship challenges, and the pressure of always trying to hold it all together. Many of her clients are high-achieving and deeply caring, but often find themselves putting everyone else's needs ahead of their own.

As a neurodivergent therapist herself, Buu integrates evidence-based and trauma-informed approaches including EMDR, Internal Family Systems (IFS), Somatic Therapy, Coherence Therapy and attachment-based interventions to help clients better understand themselves, strengthen their relationships, and build a life that feels more aligned with their values and needs.

She is committed to creating a space where clients feel seen, understood, and supported as they move toward greater self-acceptance, connection, and well-being.

(ACCEPTING NEW CLIENTS — IN PERSON IN CALGARY & VIRTUALLY ACROSS CANADA)

Janina Guerra

Canadian Certified Counsellor (CCC) 

CCC (she/her)

Janina is a Canadian Certified Counsellor (CCC) with a Master of Counselling from City University of Seattle who provides trauma-informed, culturally responsive therapy to kids, teens and adults across Canada in both English and Tagalog.

As a Filipino first-generation immigrant, Janina understands firsthand the complexity of navigating multiple cultures, family expectations, and questions of identity and belonging. She brings this lived experience into her work with warmth, curiosity, and cultural humility, creating a space where clients feel seen without needing to explain every part of who they are.

Janina works with individuals navigating anxiety, burnout, complex and intergenerational trauma, emotional overwhelm, relationship challenges, self-esteem, and identity concerns. She has a particular passion for supporting youth, newcomers, immigrants, and BIPOC communities. Many of her clients have spent years being strong for everyone else, only to find themselves feeling exhausted, disconnected, or unsure of who they are beneath the expectations they've carried.

Janina integrates evidence-based and trauma-informed approaches including Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), Solution-Focused Brief Therapy (SFBT), Narrative Therapy, Play and Expressive Therapy, and Internal Family Systems (IFS)-informed interventions. She also incorporates somatic-informed approaches to help clients reconnect with themselves, regulate their nervous systems, and build healthier relationships with themselves and others.

(Accepting new clients — In person in Calgary & virtually across Canada)

Derrick Kusi

Intern Therapist

RSW (he/him)

Derrick is a Registered Social Worker (RSW) and Master of Social Work (MSW) candidate at the University of Calgary who provides compassionate, culturally responsive therapy to youth and adults. Currently completing his clinical practicum at Ashay Therapy while receiving ongoing supervision to provide high-quality, evidence-informed care.

Born and raised in Calgary and of Ghanaian descent, Derrick understands the unique experience of balancing multiple identities, navigating cultural expectations, and carrying responsibilities within family and community. He brings this perspective into his work with warmth, authenticity, and genuine curiosity, creating a space where clients feel heard without judgment.

Derrick works with individuals navigating anxiety, stress, emotional overwhelm, life transitions, self-esteem, cultural identity, relationship challenges, and crisis recovery. He has a particular passion for supporting Black, African, and BIPOC communities, while welcoming clients from all backgrounds. Many of his clients have spent so much time holding everything together that they've had little opportunity to slow down, process their experiences, and focus on their own wellbeing.

Derrick integrates evidence-based approaches including Motivational Interviewing, Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT) skills, particularly Distress Tolerance, and strengths-based interventions. He meets clients where they are, helping them better understand themselves, build effective coping strategies, and move toward meaningful change at their own pace.

(Accepting new clients — In person in Calgary & virtually in Alberta )