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I was born and raised in British Columbia, Canada. As a settler I am very fortunate to live and work on the traditional, ancestral and unceded territories of the Coast Salish peoples -- the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), and sə̓lílwətaʔɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations who lovingly cared for the land that we now call Vancouver, BC.
I've spent the majority of my adult life working in healthcare as my passion from a very young age has always been to help others in some capacity. When I was young, I always dreamt of becoming a ‘Spiritual Counsellor’, not entirely sure what that meant, but just knowing that how I hoped to help others would be from a holistic approach. This concept came from my own journey, which has been the driving force for wanting to help and support others in releasing and processing pain, fears and overcoming challenges. Ultimately, my goal is to inspire others to embrace themselves and their lives wholeheartedly without judgments so that we can all live from a place of peace, joy, gratitude, love, and acceptance and therefore reach our highest potential and live our greatest destiny here on earth. Ok, I know that sounds really cheesy... but it's true! More about my journey below... Knowing other is wisdom, knowing yourself is enlightenment. ~ Lao Tzu |
Designations
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Change is possible
Each one of us has a unique story of how we got to where we are today. I find it fascinating and a true privilege to learn about others life experiences. When we start to share our stories more often than not there are commonalities that unite us in ways that we might have previously felt alone in.
I also noticed that we habitually define ourselves based on the past, but very rarely do we define ourselves on who we want or think we can become. I believe there is great benefit from embracing our past and recognizing its gifts and lessons but often this is where we get stuck. We’d much rather judge ourselves, our past or blame others for the circumstances that we went through. For so long I defined myself this way and therefore was limiting my future. This was before I realized it could be different.
I've been blessed with a very loving and supportive family. However, nevertheless negative experiences can still happen. I had very early incidents of emotional and physical trauma that set in motion a grossly skewed perception of myself and the world. As I grew into adolescence my family experienced more trauma and loss that, for me, perpetuated the destructive beliefs I already had and developed further into severe depression, anxiety, self-harm and suicidal ideation. For the first half of my life I felt the opposite of self-love, I felt hate and it ran very deep in my mind. By the age of 17, the state of my mental health was very concerning to my family and teachers so they strongly encouraged me to seek therapy. Which guided me towards more traditional forms such as; clinical counsellors, psychologists, self-harm specialists and a psychiatrist with, quite frankly, very little progress at healing or changing my state (with the exception of one grief counsellor, who was very lovely).
It was the longing from my soul to want to be of service and help others that seemed to continue to push me forward. It kept me from never fully giving up and to keep going even when honestly, at that time, I had very little outward motivation to do so. However, I knew, that if I ever actually wanted to help others some day I couldn’t possibly do so if I couldn’t help myself first.
I decided to broaden my scope and began working with energy healers, holistic counsellors, intuitive coaches and hypnotherapists. Finally! I started to feel heard and seen for the first time. I was able to learn to process pain, change limiting beliefs, overcome my negative thought patterns, and create a healthier perception and mindset about myself. The change didn't happen overnight, but my commitment to healing brought me permanent changes and the ability to see my life and experiences with fresh eyes.
I discovered that so much of my own suffering was something I could control with my mind. This doesn’t mean that we don’t still experience tragedy and not to minimize all that I went through or what any of us go through, but rather to heal those wounds so that they no longer dictate our present or our future.
After deeply healing my past I was able to come to a place of gratitude and understanding that all was necessary for me to become the person I am today.
I learned how to take pain and turn it into strength, how to take shame and turn it into acceptance.
I also noticed that we habitually define ourselves based on the past, but very rarely do we define ourselves on who we want or think we can become. I believe there is great benefit from embracing our past and recognizing its gifts and lessons but often this is where we get stuck. We’d much rather judge ourselves, our past or blame others for the circumstances that we went through. For so long I defined myself this way and therefore was limiting my future. This was before I realized it could be different.
I've been blessed with a very loving and supportive family. However, nevertheless negative experiences can still happen. I had very early incidents of emotional and physical trauma that set in motion a grossly skewed perception of myself and the world. As I grew into adolescence my family experienced more trauma and loss that, for me, perpetuated the destructive beliefs I already had and developed further into severe depression, anxiety, self-harm and suicidal ideation. For the first half of my life I felt the opposite of self-love, I felt hate and it ran very deep in my mind. By the age of 17, the state of my mental health was very concerning to my family and teachers so they strongly encouraged me to seek therapy. Which guided me towards more traditional forms such as; clinical counsellors, psychologists, self-harm specialists and a psychiatrist with, quite frankly, very little progress at healing or changing my state (with the exception of one grief counsellor, who was very lovely).
It was the longing from my soul to want to be of service and help others that seemed to continue to push me forward. It kept me from never fully giving up and to keep going even when honestly, at that time, I had very little outward motivation to do so. However, I knew, that if I ever actually wanted to help others some day I couldn’t possibly do so if I couldn’t help myself first.
I decided to broaden my scope and began working with energy healers, holistic counsellors, intuitive coaches and hypnotherapists. Finally! I started to feel heard and seen for the first time. I was able to learn to process pain, change limiting beliefs, overcome my negative thought patterns, and create a healthier perception and mindset about myself. The change didn't happen overnight, but my commitment to healing brought me permanent changes and the ability to see my life and experiences with fresh eyes.
I discovered that so much of my own suffering was something I could control with my mind. This doesn’t mean that we don’t still experience tragedy and not to minimize all that I went through or what any of us go through, but rather to heal those wounds so that they no longer dictate our present or our future.
After deeply healing my past I was able to come to a place of gratitude and understanding that all was necessary for me to become the person I am today.
I learned how to take pain and turn it into strength, how to take shame and turn it into acceptance.
Jaisalmer, India
These alternative modalities solidified for me the type of ‘helper’ I knew I wanted to be. I began my studies and became a Certified Clinical Hypnotherapist in 2008. I went on to complete intuitive training's, energy healing certification, a diploma of professional counselling and life coaching certification. Through my experience and training I’ve developed a sound understanding of how the mind and energy systems work in order to safely assist others on their journey of healing, change and creating the life they want.
I believe this work is an ongoing quest and I am still committed to my continued learning and growth. As it turns out my biggest hobby in life is self-improvement and empowering others to do the same.
I call myself a spiritual investigator (of the mind and cosmos), a seeker of truth, a joy advocate and a champion for pursing our dreams! I bring humanness, curiosity, intuition, experience, humor and my empathetic heart when working with my clients.
I believe this work is an ongoing quest and I am still committed to my continued learning and growth. As it turns out my biggest hobby in life is self-improvement and empowering others to do the same.
I call myself a spiritual investigator (of the mind and cosmos), a seeker of truth, a joy advocate and a champion for pursing our dreams! I bring humanness, curiosity, intuition, experience, humor and my empathetic heart when working with my clients.
Aside from my passion of helping others; I also enjoy dance, horses, travel, singing, writing, photography, laughter and spending time with my amazing family and friends.
Let's make your dream life a reality
You are programmed to find your destiny, and if you pay attention, you will. ~ The Life Coach School
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"Saira has a safe and gentle approach to therapy that allowed me to explore different healing pathways at a speed of my own choosing. I came into the first session with complete trust in Saira. That said, unconscious road blocks still popped up as she led me into a deep inner state. Saira was supportive and gave me full reign to go at my own pace. I never felt out of control during the session, only more introspective.
Afterwards, the session continued to reverberate within me for several weeks. The insights gleaned gradually evolved into a deeper understanding of who I am today and the path I am on. Her work is a gentle simmer of healing that continues to work its magic long after the session is over. I highly recommend Saira." J. Svensson. BodyMind Therapist and Writer, Vancouver Island, BC |
“I definitely have been noticing positive changes! I feel a lot better in general, and things in my life just all seem to be working. Thanks so much for everything and if any other issues come up I'll be sure to come back to you! Just as a side note I just want to say thank you for being someone who genuinely wants to help people. I just feel that you are doing what you're doing out of love and genuine concern to help people and allow them to be happy and create amazing lives for themselves. So I acknowledge you for that and thanks again!”
Yassmin, North Vancouver, BC |