New to Grow
I’m Dr. Zoya, a psychotherapist and counselor educator specializing in trauma, women’s mental health, and reproductive and perinatal mental health. I support individuals navigating anxiety, depression, infertility, pregnancy loss, postpartum adjustment, and the emotional weight that often comes with major life transitions. Many of my clients also carry trauma related to relational experiences, including histories of emotional abuse, physical abuse, sexual abuse, or difficult family dynamics. My approach is warm, culturally responsive, and collaborative. I integrate evidence-based practices such as CBT, mindfulness-based approaches, and narrative therapy, while also incorporating somatic strategies that support emotional regulation and mind-body healing. I believe therapy should be a space where you feel safe, understood, and empowered—not judged or rushed. Whether you are trying to rebuild after a painful experience, strengthen your relationships, or reconnect with your sense of self, I will work alongside you to develop practical tools, deepen self-awareness, and support meaningful, lasting change. My goal is to help you move forward with greater clarity, confidence, and emotional freedom.
In our first session together, here's what you can expect
In your first session with me, you can expect a warm and supportive space where you feel heard, seen, and respected. I understand that starting therapy can feel nerve-wracking, so I focus on helping you feel comfortable rather than overwhelming you with a long list of questions. We will begin by creating space for you to share what brought you to counseling, what you’ve been experiencing emotionally, and what you hope to gain from therapy. I invite you to tell your story at your own pace. As we move forward, we may begin to gently explore past experiences and patterns that may be connected to what you are navigating today, but this process is always collaborative and never rushed. My goal in the first session is to build trust, understand your needs, and begin identifying what support will feel most helpful for you moving forward.
The biggest strengths that I bring into our sessions
What stands out most about my therapeutic approach is that I combine clinical expertise with a deeply human, culturally responsive style of care. I create a space where clients feel emotionally safe, seen, and supported—especially those who have spent years carrying pain silently or feeling misunderstood in other spaces. My work is grounded in trauma-informed care and reproductive mental health, which allows me to support clients navigating infertility, pregnancy loss, postpartum adjustment, and identity shifts with both compassion and specialized understanding. I use evidence-based methods such as CBT, mindfulness-based approaches, narrative therapy, and relational work, while also integrating somatic strategies to support nervous system regulation and healing in the body. I don’t believe in “quick fixes,” but I do believe in practical tools that clients can use in real life. Clients often share that they leave therapy with greater clarity, improved emotional regulation, stronger boundaries, deeper self-trust, and a renewed sense of confidence in themselves and their relationships.
The clients I'm best positioned to serve
I am best positioned to support men and women navigating anxiety, depression, trauma, and major life transitions, particularly birthing persons or women impacted by infertility, pregnancy loss, postpartum adjustment, and the emotional weight of reproductive challenges. I also work with many clients healing from trauma related to relational wounds, including histories of physical abuse, sexual abuse, or emotionally unsafe relationships. I am a strong fit for clients who feel overwhelmed, stuck, or disconnected from themselves and are ready to rebuild emotional safety, self-trust, and healthier relationship patterns.
Cognitive Behavioral (CBT)
I am trained in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and use it as a practical, client-centered approach to help clients understand the connection between their thoughts, emotions, and behaviors. CBT can be especially helpful during periods of anxiety, depression, overwhelm, or major life transitions. In my work, I use CBT to identify unhelpful thinking patterns, challenge self-critical beliefs, and develop coping strategies that support emotional regulation and long-term resilience. I often blend CBT with trauma-informed, somatic, and narrative approaches, particularly when working with clients navigating infertility, pregnancy loss, perinatal mental health concerns, or long-standing relational and identity-based stressors. Sessions are collaborative and paced, with attention to safety, cultural context, and the body’s responses to stress. My goal is to help clients develop insight, self-compassion, and tools they can use beyond therapy to support lasting change.
Narrative
I use Narrative Therapy as a culturally responsive and empowering approach that helps clients explore the stories they have learned about themselves, their relationships, and their lives. Many people carry internalized narratives shaped by trauma, family roles, systemic oppression, or painful experiences that can create shame, self-doubt, or emotional stuckness. Narrative Therapy creates space to separate the person from the problem, identify strengths, and reconnect with personal meaning and identity. In my practice, I use narrative work to help clients re-author their stories in ways that support healing, agency, and self-compassion—especially when navigating infertility, pregnancy loss, motherhood transitions, relationship stress, and identity-related concerns. I often incorporate reflective questioning, values-based exploration, and cultural and generational context to help clients reclaim their voice and build a more grounded sense of self. The goal is not to erase what someone has endured, but to help them develop a story that honors their resilience and supports emotional freedom.
Mindfulness-Based Therapy
I integrate Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) into my work as a supportive approach for clients managing anxiety, depression, chronic stress, and emotional overwhelm. MBCT combines cognitive strategies with mindfulness practices to help clients notice their thoughts and emotions without becoming consumed by them. This approach is especially helpful for clients who experience racing thoughts, rumination, or cycles of self-criticism. In my practice, I use MBCT to help clients build greater awareness of emotional triggers, develop skills for grounding and nervous system regulation, and strengthen their ability to respond rather than react. Mindfulness practices may include breathwork, guided reflection, body-based awareness, and learning how to observe thought patterns with compassion. I often incorporate MBCT when supporting clients navigating fertility challenges, pregnancy loss, perinatal mental health concerns, or trauma-related stress, as it can support both emotional healing and a stronger connection to the present moment.
Relational
I use Relational Therapy as a foundational approach in my work, recognizing that many emotional challenges are shaped by our relationships, attachment experiences, and the ways we have learned to connect, cope, and protect ourselves. Relational Therapy helps clients explore patterns in communication, boundaries, trust, and emotional safety, while also examining how past relationships may still influence present-day feelings and behaviors. In my practice, I use relational work to support clients in building healthier connections with partners, family members, and themselves. This may include exploring attachment needs, identifying recurring relationship dynamics, improving communication skills, and processing experiences of betrayal, abandonment, grief, or unmet emotional support. I often incorporate relational therapy when working with clients navigating infertility, pregnancy loss, postpartum changes, and relationship stress, as these experiences can deeply impact identity and intimacy. My goal is to create a therapeutic space that feels safe, collaborative, and healing, where clients can strengthen self-awareness and build more fulfilling relationships.