Yasa Ibragimova (she/her)
Occupational Therapist , Psychotherapist
My experiences in family life, sport, and academics plunged me into challenges that felt debilitating at the time. These experiences and the people I met along the way made me fall in love with our shared capacity for growth. Humans (even when we’re not aware of it!) have immense resilience. It is my goal to help you tap into yours and levy your unique strengths to cope with whichever challenge you currently face.
I attended McMaster University, earning a Bachelor of Arts and Science with a minor in Cognitive and Social Psychology followed by a Master of Science in Occupational Therapy. I am trained in therapeutic ideologies including Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, Dialectical Behaviour Therapy, Solution Focused Therapy, and mindfulness and relaxation strategies. I work with individuals experiencing anxiety, depression, eating disorders, family trauma, interpersonal issues, self-esteem challenges, and the feeling that things are “off” or “something isn’t right”.
"I’ve worked in various settings supporting clients from all walks of life and believe that allowing the space to be ourselves lets us uncover what we truly need. I aim to facilitate my clients’ capacity for change by creating a warm, supportive, and non-judgmental environment."
Yasa started with us in September of 2023. Like many of the other team members here at CCP, Yasa was highly recommended to us from a trusted friend. After Yasa connected with our current and cherished Occupational Therapist /Psychotherapist Rebekah, we were introduced and the rest is history.
Yasa shares a passion for client care that is centred around the human experience. Her bright and warm spirit along with her ability to critically reflect on the shortcomings of our current mental healthcare system, made her the perfect fit for us here.
Having another Occupational Therapist, Psychotherapist on the team allows us to continue to collaborate with various skill sets and professional backgrounds.
Yasa is working with us both in person and online and is currently accepting clients for her wait list.
What areas of practice and populations do you enjoy working with?
Life is messy—when things get tough, we often experience multiple overlapping issues. Many of my clients describe features of several mental health challenges, such as anxiety, depression, perfectionism, and eating disorder symptoms. I enjoy working with clients going through transitions and while I am comfortable with all age groups, I excel at working with those in their late teens and twenties.
What prevents people from coming in and doing this work?
When I wanted to reach out for help, I was sidelined for a long time by anxiety around the therapy process: What if we don’t get along? What am I supposed to talk about? How often are we supposed to meet? Should I be doing homework? Many people new to therapy express the same fears and questions, and because of this, I want to make therapy straightforward by guiding new clients through the basics before we begin our work. I also strive to be transparent in the purpose of the interventions we use and let clients know right away that I am generally an open book. There is certainly no such thing as a dumb question—it has likely been asked before by me or another client in their shoes!
What modalities do you use? How would you describe your approach/style to this work?
My approach is to truly hear what you’re going through, meet you where you’re at, and equip you with skills to make progress. You can show up heartbroken, ecstatic, so stressed that you can’t think straight, or anywhere in between, and it will be okay. Whatever you bring to our sessions, I promise that we will find a way to work through it together.
How do you know you're the right fit for a client?
They feel comfortable expressing themselves with you, and eventually, grow to trust you to help them navigate the challenges in their lives.
"Above all, I aim to be flexible. I don’t walk into sessions with a plan of what to discuss; instead, I connect the themes in the client’s current experience to their overall goals while being transparent about the strategies that I use."
What Made you want to work with CCP?
Hands down, the community environment! While I sometimes try and fight my nature, I am a highly social person that feeds off the energy of others. I feel incredibly privileged to have the opportunity to work and grow alongside a community of skilled clinicians.
What is the most rewarding part of your job as a therapist?
I’ve always been fascinated by stories—fact or fiction, the feelings they evoke make them a powerful mode of communication. One of the most intimate parts of an individual’s experience is the stories we tell about ourselves. I feel honoured for the trust my clients grant me to hear their story, walk alongside as they discover new elements, and rewrite a script that may no longer serve them.
What’s the most surprising thing about you?
I enjoy failure. Well, after the fact, anyway!
Success is lovely icing on the cake, but hardship allows us to build meaningful skills and learn about ourselves. When we fail, reflect on what happened, and change what is in our control, we end up growing—something we all have the potential for.
My love for athletics provides me with ample opportunity to fail. By accepting where I am and trusting the process, I have tackled challenges I originally believed to be insurmountable. This mindset has informed my therapeutic style over the years, where I strive to empower my clients to face whatever meaningful challenges they encounter.
On a lighter note, I spend far too much time on Facebook Marketplace sprucing up my space with used or free furniture.
What phrases or sayings have people used to describe their work with you?
My clients have told me they appreciate my understanding, openness, and sense of humour. They value the space I cultivate to foster their growth and enjoy the that I incorporate education about psychology into our sessions, as it helps make sense of their experiences and better understand human behaviour, themselves, and ultimately, their place in the world.
Why are you in this field of work?
I have always been fascinated by humans and how our life experiences shape us. I benefitted a great deal from therapy and self-reflection, particularly in my 20s. Frankly, I don’t know what else I would possibly do for work; in my other life roles and jobs I always found myself talking to people about their lives and challenges and drawing on the skills I use in my work as a therapist: empathy, curiosity, and warmth. I am grateful to have a job that (despite how cheesy it may sound to say this!) truly feels like a calling.
What approach do you take when treating anxiety?
When clients struggle with anxiety, I start by helping them identify what anxiety feels like in their mind and body, along with their triggers. I include education on how anxiety functions and provide a variety of tools to manage it based on their strengths. Anxiety makes us feel like there is “just too much” in our heads, so I help clients explore what they can let go of and the potential consequences.
How do you help people who are not sure what to talk about in therapy?
Sometimes, clients have an idea of what they want their lives to look like and may even know the barriers, but not always! In such cases, we work together to reflect upon and explore parts of themselves and their experience that they may not always take the time to address. Clients often express that the sessions for which they didn’t have a plan ended up being the most impactful.
When treating someone with an eating disorder, what do you feel they need most?
The reassurance that they are not alone in their struggles, along with the reminder that life awaits them on the other side of recovery. It is certainly scary to walk that path, but they are strong enough to do it and the world opens up when they do.
