Tina Borsa, Intern Counsellor

Let’s embrace our wonderful weirdness!  I’m Tina. I am passionate about helping people on their journey through life’s challenges by empowering my clients to recognize their strengths, experience growth, and build resiliency. Motivating  you while making sure you never feel judged for struggling is something I aim to provide. The world is a tricky place, and for those of us that fall outside the norm sometimes those challenges can leave us feeling othered, stigmatized and down on ourselves. 

My family moved to Canada from Iran as refugees when I was two and it was challenging for me to cope, fit in with cultural expectations, gender norms, and sexuality norms. I faced a lot of difficulty as a result. I recognize that it’s sometimes challenging to know who your authentic self is. Sometimes we miss out on this time of self discovery and that can leave us feeling confused in adulthood. Counselling is one of the places that I have found helped me discover more about myself and to overcome some of the deep wounds that made life feel frightening.

 I have been married for many years now, and in my partnership authenticity and honest communication have helped us  develop a greater sense of who we are as individuals. Relationships can be tricky, particularly if they don’t fit in with traditional norms. I can provide relationship therapy to foster better understanding, communication, and connection between partners.

Adolescence is a time of self discovery. As a former teacher, guiding adolescents through challenging life circumstances is one of the ways I became interested in the counseling field. Youth often struggle with self-esteem, body image, gender identity, and sexuality. Working through those challenges alone can be challenging for any adolescent. 

If you are neurodiverse, I hope to work with you and help you highlight your unique strengths while also helping you to develop greater capacity to overcome the challenges you are facing. I recognize that the world is not always forgiving of us but by building self confidence and skills we can use our strengths to overcome challenges unique to a neurodivergent life. 

Sometimes our lived experiences as marginalized people create additional barriers and traumas that leave us feeling wounded and helpless. Exploring and making meaning of these experiences can be hugely beneficial in creating resiliency and recognizing the strength we already possess. Regardless of where we are at, our story is precious and we have the ability to shape them. I’d love to be by your side helping you to find the shape that feels most authentic to you.