Virtual Therapy in Arabic · Across British Columbia
Arabic-Speaking Therapist in British Columbia
Yes. TEO Counselling Services offers therapy in Arabic across British Columbia. Sessions are led by Mohamad Shabib, a Canadian Certified Counsellor (CCC) who speaks Arabic as a first language and works with trauma, PTSD, couples, and the specific pressures of building a life in a new country. All sessions are virtual, so it doesn't matter whether you're in Vancouver, Surrey, Burnaby, Victoria, Nanaimo, or a town with no Arabic-speaking therapist for hours in any direction.
Book a free 15-minute consultation →Why language matters more in therapy than almost anywhere else
You can be completely fluent in English and still find that therapy in English doesn't quite reach. Most people's earliest and hardest memories are encoded in their first language. The fear, the shame, the words someone said to you when you were nine — those live in Arabic. Translating them into English on the way out of your mouth adds a step, and that step does something: it flattens them. You end up reporting the memory instead of feeling it.
There's also everything that doesn't translate cleanly. Concepts around family obligation, honour, shame, what is owed to parents, what may or may not be said aloud about a marriage — English has approximations, not equivalents. Explaining the context costs half the session. In Arabic, you skip all of that. You can say the thing the way you'd actually say it.
What we work with
- →Trauma and PTSD, including war, displacement, and the parts of leaving that don't get talked about.
- →Complex trauma (CPTSD) from prolonged or repeated experiences.
- →Refugee and resettlement stress — the grief, guilt, and disorientation that often arrive after the crisis is over, not during it.
- →Couples and marriage counselling, including couples navigating different levels of cultural adaptation between partners or generations.
- →Anxiety, depression, burnout, and anger.
- →Intergenerational and family conflict, particularly between parents raised elsewhere and children raised here.
We use EMDR and Internal Family Systems for trauma, and the Gottman Method for couples. These are evidence-based approaches — not culturally generic ones. They adapt well to working across languages because they don't depend on narrating everything in detail.
Spiritually integrated therapy — if you want it
We offer spiritually integrated therapy, which means your spiritual or religious life can be part of the clinical work rather than something you leave at the door. For some people that matters a great deal. Meaning, purpose, moral injury, guilt, questions about why something was allowed to happen — these are not separate from mental health, and being told to park them until later doesn't help.
It's optional. Some clients want spirituality woven through the work. Others want it left entirely out. You decide, and you can change your mind. Either way, you won't have to explain what Ramadan is, why a decision involves your whole family, or why “just set a boundary with your mother” isn't straightforward advice in every culture. That context is already understood. Nothing gets pathologised for being unfamiliar.
To be clear about scope: this is psychotherapy delivered with spiritual sensitivity, not religious instruction. We don't issue religious rulings or act as scholars.
If you are Muslim and looking for a therapist who understands that context specifically, see our therapy for Muslim clients in BC page.
Is therapy confidential? Will anyone in the community find out?
This is one of the most common hesitations, and it deserves a direct answer. Sessions are confidential and protected under BC privacy law and the ethical standards of the Canadian Counselling and Psychotherapy Association. Nothing is shared with family members, community members, employers, or anyone else without your written consent — with narrow legal exceptions (risk of serious harm to you or someone else, or a court order), which we explain clearly before you start.
Because sessions are virtual, there's also no waiting room. Nobody sees you arrive. For people from tight-knit communities where everyone knows everyone, this matters. It's a legitimate concern, not paranoia, and it's one reason virtual therapy suits this work well.
Who you'll be working with
Mohamad Shabib — MACP, CCC, RP(q)
Founder & Lead Therapist · TEO Counselling Services
Arabic is his first language. Trained in EMDR, Internal Family Systems, and the Gottman Method, with clinical experience in trauma, addiction, and work alongside refugee and First Nations communities. Registered with the Canadian Counselling and Psychotherapy Association (CCPA).
Alison Shaji — MA Clinical Psychology, RCC
Offers sessions in English, Hindi, and Malayalam.
العلاج النفسي بالعربية في كولومبيا البريطانية
نقدّم جلسات علاج نفسي باللغة العربية في جميع أنحاء مقاطعة كولومبيا البريطانية، عن بُعد.
المعالج: محمد شبيب، مستشار كندي معتمد (CCC)، اللغة العربية لغته الأم. متخصص في الصدمات النفسية واضطراب ما بعد الصدمة، والعلاج الزوجي، وتجارب اللجوء والانتقال.
الجلسات سرّية تماماً ومحمية بموجب القوانين الكندية. الاستشارة الأولى مجانية ومدتها ١٥ دقيقة.
Sessions and fees
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Initial consultation | Free, 15 minutes |
| Individual session | $150 |
| Couples session | $175 |
| Language | Arabic or English — your choice, and you can switch mid-session |
| Format | Virtual, anywhere in BC |
| Sliding scale | Available, ask during your consultation |
| Insurance | Most extended health plans covering CCC or RCC |
Newcomers to Canada often don't yet have extended health coverage. If cost is the barrier, say so during the consultation — sliding-scale spots exist for exactly this reason.
Frequently asked questions
Is there an Arabic-speaking therapist in BC?
Yes. TEO Counselling Services provides therapy in Arabic across British Columbia, led by Mohamad Shabib, a Canadian Certified Counsellor whose first language is Arabic. Sessions are virtual and available province-wide, including in areas with no local Arabic-speaking mental health providers.
Can I do therapy in Arabic online?
Yes, and for most Arabic speakers in BC it's the only practical option — Arabic-speaking registered counsellors are concentrated in a few urban areas, if they're available at all. Virtual sessions remove that constraint entirely.
Do I have to choose between Arabic and English?
No. Many clients move between both, often without noticing — English for the day-to-day, Arabic when something lands harder. You don't have to decide in advance.
Is what I say kept private from my family and community?
Yes. Sessions are confidential under BC law and CCPA ethical standards. Nothing is disclosed to family, community members, or anyone else without your written consent, apart from narrow legal exceptions we explain upfront. Virtual sessions also mean there's no waiting room where you might be seen.
Do you offer spiritually integrated therapy?
Yes. Spiritually integrated therapy means your spiritual or religious life can be included in the clinical work — questions of meaning, purpose, moral injury, or guilt are treated as part of mental health rather than separate from it. It's entirely optional: some clients want it central, others prefer it left out. This is psychotherapy delivered with spiritual sensitivity, not religious instruction — we don't offer religious rulings or act as scholars.
How much does therapy cost, and is it covered?
Individual sessions are $150 and couples sessions are $175, with a free 15-minute consultation first. Most extended health plans covering Canadian Certified Counsellors reimburse sessions. Sliding-scale rates are available if cost is a barrier — this comes up often with newcomers who don't yet have benefits.
Book a free 15-minute consultation
A short conversation, in Arabic or English, about what's going on and whether this is the right fit. No assessment, no commitment.
Book a free 15-minute consultation →Written by Mohamad Shabib, MACP, CCC, RP(q) — Founder & Lead Therapist, TEO Counselling Services. Member, Canadian Counselling and Psychotherapy Association (CCPA).