As salamu alaykum, dear sister.
My name is Zaynab. It’s really nice to meet you. I’m a Canadian Registered Psychotherapist, Expressive Arts Therapist, and the founder of Muslimah Therapy. I love this work. It is my life’s mission to hold the hearts of the women and girls of the ummah of Rasul Allah ﷺ.
During his Farewell Pilgrimage, our beloved Prophet ﷺ said: “Indeed, I enjoin you to treat women well.”
Although he was speaking to the men, I believe women also have a special place in caring for one another. This feels especially important at a time when so many of us no longer have a village to gather around us and help carry what was never meant to be carried alone. We need women in our communities who are willing to listen without judgment, to help us hold what hurts, and to stand with us through the experiences that have left us feeling lost, overwhelmed, hopeless, or alone.
It is a profound honour to be trusted with my sisters’ hopes, fears, and struggles. To witness the vulnerability, courage, and determination it takes to seek support and begin the sacred work of healing and growth is a privilege I hold close to my heart. I am here to remind you that you are never alone, that Allah’s mercy is always near, and that there is always hope. In shaa Allah, you will get through this, and I am here to walk alongside you.
Islam Is Our Shared Foundation
The therapy I provide is deeply rooted in the shared values Allah has so generously gifted us through Islam, including integrity, honesty, sincerity, kindness, compassion, purpose, and trust. These are not simply values I bring into my work. They are part of how I strive to live and who I hope to be for every woman I support.
Your deen and relationship with Allah are held with the utmost care. We work together to ensure that your faith is never shaken through the therapeutic process, and we strive to strengthen your relationship with Allah along the way so that your healing, growth, and transformation can reach every part of your life: emotional, physical, spiritual, and relational, in shaa Allah.
I approach every therapeutic relationship with humility, curiosity, and respect. My role is to listen closely, to understand what you have lived through, and to offer a space where you feel seen, respected, and genuinely cared for.
What Led Me Here
My journey into this work grew from my own experiences as a neurodivergent woman living with complex intergenerational trauma and searching for ways to heal without abandoning any part of who I am.
Over the course of many years, I experienced both the possibilities and the limitations of therapy. I learned how life changing it can be to feel deeply understood, and how painful it can be when the care we receive does not recognize the complexity of what we have lived through.
Creative expression, especially poetry, became an important part of finding my voice and making space for experiences I could not yet explain. It offered me ways to approach pain with curiosity, express what words alone could not hold, and reconnect with parts of myself that had become buried beneath survival.
That journey eventually led me to become an Expressive Arts Therapist and continues to shape the therapist I am today.
My lived experience does not mean I assume your story is the same as mine. It reminds me that every woman’s story deserves to be understood on its own terms and that I must never lose sight of the human being sharing her story with me.
My Experience and Training
Alhamdulillah, I bring more than 15 years of therapeutic experience across private, community, and institutional settings to Muslimah Therapy, the private practice I founded in January 2021.
My training includes Trauma Informed Care, Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction, Motivational Interviewing, Mental Health First Aid, Cultural Awareness and Sensitivity in Psychotherapeutic Practice, Nonviolent Crisis Intervention, and Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training.
My work is also informed by more than two decades of Islamic education and a lifelong commitment to growing in my understanding and practice of this beautiful deen.
I am a member in good standing with the College of Registered Psychotherapists of Ontario and the Ontario Expressive Arts Therapy Association.
I remain committed to ongoing learning, professional consultation and supervision, and tending to my own healing and growth so I can meet the women I support with care, integrity, and presence.
On a Personal Note
I am half Canadian and half Egyptian. I was born and raised in Canada and have also lived in Egypt throughout different seasons of my life. Alhamdulillah, I speak Arabic fluently. I’m a mom to three boys, a writer, an artist, and I have five cats that keep me on my toes, ma shaa Allah.
I spend my free time sipping sunlight, writing poetry, enjoying my favourite whipped iced coffee, and noticing the extraordinary in the world around me. I am happiest outdoors, spending time on the lake, admiring the wildflowers, making friends with our neighbourhood chipmunk, Chipotle, and watching for Blue Heron and Mama Duck and her babies to come by for a visit.
Allah’s creation fills me with so much awe and wonder, and I am forever grateful for every chance to pause and marvel at the beauty He has placed all around us.
I also love being in the company of women who are willing to be real. Women who want to understand themselves more deeply, who are finding their way through the messiness of being human, and who long to feel more connected, hopeful, and alive.