
Meet Abbass
Canadian Certified Counsellor
Availability:
In-Person, Virtual
Languages
Arabic
English
Pidgin
Abbass offers a warm, client-centred space for people working through life transitions, relationships, and emotional challenges.
🌿 Training & Certifications
Master's in Counselling Psychology
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)
Narrative Therapy
Alberta Teaching Certificate
Trauma Informed Training
Healthy Relationships Workshop Training
Suicide and Crisis Intervention
Navigating Divorce
Life Transitions & Stress Management
Trauma & PTSD
Healing Childhood Trauma
Navigating Single Parenting Dynamics Post Divorce
Anxiety & Depression
Parenting Children with Special Needs
Teenager & Young Adult Issues
Grief, Loss, & Bereavement
Relationship Concerns & Couples Counselling
Work Stress & Work-Life Balance
Family Counselling & Parenting Support
Self-Esteem & Identity
ADHD & Mood Disorders
Emotion Regulation & Coping Skills
Senior Issues
Newcomer Integration & Acculturation Stress
Men's Issues
My therapeutic approach is collaborative, evidence-based, and grounded in a trauma-informed framework, tailored to each client's unique needs, strengths, and goals.
At the heart of my work is one simple belief: change is the only constant in life. Whether change arrives by choice or by circumstance, it often brings uncertainty, anxiety, grief, and questions about who we are. While we cannot always control what happens to us, we can control how we respond.
Using a person-centred foundation, I integrate evidence-based approaches such as Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), Narrative Therapy, Solution-Focused Therapy, Trauma Informed Approaches, alongside psychoeducation to help clients better understand the psychological and neurological effects of stress, trauma, and change. My background as an educator allows me to translate complex psychological concepts into practical, accessible strategies that clients can confidently apply in their daily lives.
Above all, I strive to create a safe, compassionate, and non-judgmental space where clients feel heard, understood, and empowered to develop the resilience and psychological flexibility needed to navigate life's inevitable transitions.
Change is inevitable. Suffering doesn't have to be. Together, we can explore new ways of responding to life's challenges so that change becomes an opportunity for growth rather than a source of lasting distress.
I believe every person possesses an innate capacity for growth, resilience, and healing. My role is not to provide all the answers, but to help clients reconnect with their own strengths and discover solutions that align with their values.
I view mental health through a holistic lens, recognizing that emotional well-being is shaped by our relationships, physical health, culture, environment, and life experiences. Rather than seeing setbacks or life disruptions as defining moments, I view them as opportunities for reflection, learning, and transformation.
I reject the traditional "expert-patient" model. Therapy is a partnership built on curiosity, humility, and trust. You are the expert on your own life; my role is to walk alongside you, offering guidance, evidence-based tools, and a supportive space as we work toward meaningful and lasting change together.
My journey into counselling began in education. After years of supporting students and families, I recognized that many of the challenges people face extend far beyond academics. I witnessed how trauma, chronic stress, loss, and unexpected life transitions could shape confidence, relationships, and overall well-being.
These experiences inspired me to move from supporting groups of learners to working more deeply with individuals. Counselling allows me to help people understand their stories, process difficult experiences, and build the skills necessary to move forward with confidence and purpose.
Ultimately, my goal is to help clients feel seen and heard, and ultimately better equipped for life's inevitable changes. When individuals develop resilience, self-awareness, and psychological flexibility, the benefits extend far beyond the therapy room, strengthening families, workplaces, and communities. My purpose is to help people embrace change with courage, develop resilience through adversity, and discover that even life's most difficult transitions can become powerful opportunities for healing, growth, and transformation.
🌿 Get to Know Abbass
A good therapeutic fit includes more than professional expertise. Here are a few of the things that make Abbass, Abbass.
Family & Pets?
My 12-year-old son and I have a fish. My kid calls him a Fishy. We picked a fish because they are low maintenance and give a calming aesthetic to our home.
Favourite Hobbies?
I am into everything Fitness. Both mental and physical. Coaching sports team is another hobby on mine. I love working with youth and supporting them on their sports journey, observing how they respond to pressure when points down, or the excitement that emerges during a winning streak.
Comfort Watch?
I love the shows *Rookies*, *Outlast*, and *The Sopranos*. These are all shows that deal with the challenge that comes with "change" and the resilience required to deal with it.
Favourite Thing to do in Edmonton?
I love social summer days in the parks with groups of friends.
Favourite Book?
The Republic by Plato. The book deals with the idea of "Truth" and the struggles we face in seeking it. To better ourselves. As an Arab, born and raised in Nigeria who moved to Edmonton at the age 17, I learned that Truth is relative to one's circumstances, experience, age, environment and culture.