Positive change often begins with an open heart
Meet Our Team
Batool Al-Shaar, M.A., Resident in Counseling
I believe therapy should be a collaborative and nonjudgmental space where you feel empowered to take an active role in your own healing. My goal is to meet you where you are, walk alongside you through the challenges you are facing, and help you identify the changes you want to make.
As human beings, we all encounter moments that challenge the coping strategies, behavioral patterns, and mindsets we have relied on. These experiences can feel overwhelming, but they can also create opportunities for growth, insight, and meaningful change, especially when we have the right support.
Rukhsar Chhipa, Marriage and Family Therapist Intern
As a Marriage and Family Therapist Intern, my approach is systemic at its core. I believe the struggles we carry rarely exist in isolation, but are shaped by the relationships and patterns around us. I try to bring empathy and understanding to my work with women, having navigated many of the same roles myself as a mother, daughter, and wife, along with the societal, cultural, and external pressures that come with them. I also love working with families, because there is something beautiful about uncovering the connection that lives underneath the struggle and helping that connection surface in session. And I find deep meaning in working with couples: the highs and lows, the willingness two people show when they choose to keep showing up for one another, and even the courage it takes to recognize when a relationship may need a different path, all of it moving toward contentment.
Valia Shoja, LPC
I take a collaborative and integrative approach in assisting clients in personal healing and transformation. We will work together to understand your life journey, process complex feelings, and develop skills needed in order to break negative patterns and habits. My primary counseling areas include anxiety disorders, mood disorders, trauma, multicultural issues, adjustment issues, and relationship issues.
I have had various volunteer assignments with different agencies such as IRC working closely with refugees. As an immigrant, I strongly believe in addressing socioeconomic and multicultural factors. I provide counseling in English and Persian.
Fatima Mirza, Ph.D., LCSW
I enjoy working with clients who are looking for meaning and healing in their lives. This means that I endeavor to get a sense of your worldview and your goals and then work with you to build a life that gives you joy. I have experience working with adult survivors of direct and indirect trauma (relational, emotional, physical, sexual, spiritual, and racial) from a variety of backgrounds and religious traditions.
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I enjoy supporting moms of young children, older teens (16+), young adults, members of the clergy, and families of clergy members. I use a variety of theoretical orientations, pulling heavily from attachment theories, body-based interventions, art methods, and action methods.
Salma Abugideiri, LPC
I have been practicing as a counselor since 1995, serving individuals and families from diverse backgrounds. I have experience working in non-profit agencies, as well as in private practice. I also provide supervision, training and consultation.
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I use a strength-based approach that combines my knowledge and experience working with a variety of counseling models. I prefer to focus on each person's strengths and capacity to find solutions that fit each unique situation.
Tori Belanger
I have worked in healthcare for over twenty years, supporting busy physicians and clinicians of all kinds! I love helping solve problems and do not give up until I've found a solution.
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As the Care Coordinator here at Wellness Through Counseling, I will be your first point of contact! I wear many hats and will be here to ensure you are matched with the best fit therapist for your needs.
