Hi! I’m Suad (sue-add)

I’m a Registered Clinical Counsellor and the founder of Connected Counselling, an online-based therapy practice in Vancouver & Across BC that specializes in providing AEDP therapy to adults with a desire for change.

Please hear me when I say:

You don’t have to carry this all on your own.

Choosing to work with me means partnering with someone who truly understands the frustrations, fears, and uncertainties you might be facing as you reach out for support. Learn more about my story here.

I bring both professional expertise and personal empathy to our sessions. This dual perspective of client and therapist enables me to provide compassionate, effective support tailored to your unique situation.

Based on my values and how my clients describe me

Here’s what you can expect when working with me as your therapist:

  • I believe there is nothing "too big/small" or "weird" that can't be talked about in therapy, so long as you feel safe enough to do so. I provide a space where you can bring all parts of yourself; not only the parts you approve of or the parts you present for others to see.

    All Of You Is Welcome Here.

  • I believe we are all born with the ability to heal and transform. I see it every day in my practice. No matter how long you have been feeling the way you have, or how unsure or skeptical you may feel, we can work together to uncover your inner resources. You are not alone.

  • The biggest predictor of success in therapy is the relationship between you and me. I do therapy with you, not to you. Therapy with me means that we create a new experience together. You bring yourself and what’s going on in your life, and I bring my skills, advanced training, and experience to guide the process.

    I am an actively engaged therapist, which means I will not just passively listen as you share your experiences; I work actively with you in session using the power of connection, empathy, and our shared human experience to facilitate emotional growth and transformation. Healing Through Connection.

  • I show up the way I want you to show up- as my whole and authentic self. My unique life experiences and share of struggles have allowed me to have a deep sense of curiosity, compassion, and understanding of suffering and, more importantly, healing. I don’t claim to know it all or have it all figured out, but I have dedicated my life to continuous learning, and I deeply believe in and practice the things I encourage you to do (even the admittedly hard or annoying stuff that works). We’re in This Together!

  • Therapy isn’t only about decreasing the negative stuff. There is more to you and your life than what is not going right. I delight in finding, expanding on, and celebrating the good stuff too.  We Will Laugh Together! 

How I work

At the core of my approach to therapy is a belief that we heal in connection.

“Rarely, if ever, are any of us healed in isolation. Healing is an act of communion”- bell hooks

Therapy with me is…

  • Doing something new is hard, even impossible, when we feel too anxious. I recognize that starting therapy can feel scary and downright terrifying—even if you have tried it before.

    Together, we will co-create a safe relationship in therapy that models what healthy, secure attachment feels like. This attachment relationship is the foundation from which we’ll explore and do therapy together.

  • Our emotions serve as our internal navigation system. Emotions tell us about our needs, values, and priorities. They also motivate us to take action, alert us to potential threats, and give us feedback about ourselves, past experiences, relationships, and our environments.

    There are many reasons why we become out of tune with our emotions, but when we can’t feel, ignore, or override our emotions, we often end up feeling anxious, depressed, bad about ourselves, and generally unhappy.

    In our work together, we will prioritize your emotions, and I will help you connect to, learn about, and process them. By tuning into your emotions, you can learn to regulate and better manage them, navigating life's twists and turns with greater ease and resilience.

  • Learning and change happen through experience. For example, studying for your learner’s license teaches you important rules of the road and “how” to drive, but the actual experience of driving a car is where the real learning happens.

    This is possible to do in therapy as well. Instead of just talking about your feelings and experiences, I will engage you in activities and exercises that help you experience those feelings directly in the session. By engaging in these activities, you're able to access emotions and memories in a more direct and impactful way, helping you uncover, address, and heal deeper issues that might be difficult to reach through talk therapy alone.

  • There is a significant connection between your mind and body. Talk therapy can be very mind-focused, but the body is where emotions, memories, and experiences are stored. The body also has a natural capacity for healing—think broken bones, cuts, and wounds.

    I guide you to safely reconnect with this healing capacity by helping you pay attention to your body’s physical sensations, movements, and postures as they happen in session. This is not to “fix” or control the body but instead to reconnect with the body and its sensations to develop a deeper sense of self-awareness and healing.

Professional Background & Qualifications

    • Masters in Counselling Psychology, Simon Fraser University, British Columbia 

    • Registered Clinical Counsellor, British Columbia Association of Clinical Counsellors

    • Approved Clinical Supervisor, British Columbia Association of Clinical Counsellors 

    • Level 3 AEDP Therapist, AEDP Institute

    • Certified EFFT Therapist and Workshop Facilitator, International Institute for Emotion-Focused Family Therapy 

  • I began my work in this field in 2007. Since that time, I have held a variety of roles and had the privilege of working with people of various ages and backgrounds. For over 15 years, I have worked in the following areas:

    • Non-profit program that offers support to women and children affected by violence in relationships

    • Outpatient treatment program providing group counselling support to adults struggling with substance use 

    • Child and Youth Mental Health program providing individual (ages 5-19), family, and group counselling services

    • Outpatient Eating Disorders program providing individual and group counselling to adolescents, adults, and their families 

    • Group private practice providing individual, couples, family, and group therapy

    • Clinical supervision and consultation to practicum students, new grads, and experienced counsellors in individual, group, and organizational settings (ongoing)

    • Teaching, workshops, and guest presentations for government and non-profit organizations as well as universities such as UBC and SFU (ongoing)


  • Individual therapy 

    • Accelerated Experiential Dynamic Psychotherapy (AEDP- Level 3 Therapist), AEDP Institute

    • Internal Family Systems (IFS), IFS Institute

    • Sensorimotor Psychotherapy (SPI), SP Institute

    • Narrative Therapy (NT- Advanced Practice Certificate), Vancouver School of Narrative Therapy

    • Lifespan Integration (LI)


    Relationship therapy

    • Emotion-Focused Therapy for couples and individuals (EFT)

    • Gottman Method Couples Therapy (GM- Level 2)

    • Relational Life Therapy (RLT)

    • Emotion-Focused Family Therapy (EFFT- Certified Therapist and Workshop Facilitator) 

You are not alone.

You are not alone.

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