Meet the team

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.

(Accepting new clients — Virtual Only across Canada)

Tonya Ngo

Intern Therapist

MACP (in progress) (she/her)

Tonya is an intern therapist completing her Master of Counselling at City University (Calgary Campus). As a Chinese-Vietnamese Canadian, she is passionate about providing accessible, culturally competent, and inclusive care. Having personally experienced the stigmatization of mental health within ethnic communities, Tonya is dedicated to breaking those cycles and creating safe, compassionate spaces for healing and growth.

Tonya takes an integrative and collaborative approach, shaping therapy around each client’s culture, values, and goals. She strives to meet clients where they are, helping them co-create strategies that foster meaningful and sustainable change. Her work is informed by evidence-based approaches including Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Solution-Focused Therapy, and Emotion-Focused Therapy (EFT).

She is especially committed to supporting marginalized communities and advocating for the mental health of BIPOC individuals. Tonya works with clients navigating identity, self-esteem, stress, life transitions, grief, anxiety, depression, and trauma.

When she’s not working, Tonya enjoys travelling, thrifting, creating art, and spending time with loved ones.

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

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.