Therapy in Ajax, Ontario

Therapist in Ajax, Ontario

I offer virtual therapy sessions by video or phone for Ajax residents, with the full range of issues people bring to therapy handled properly and without rush. For those who'd rather meet in person, my office is in nearby Whitby, a short drive along the 401.

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Licence #19673 Bengali & Englishsessions available Virtual across Canada MA Counselling Psychology, Yorkville University (2025)
Syeda Zohora, therapist, Whitby
Ajax, Durham Region

Therapy that fits your life in Ajax, not around it

Ajax sits in the middle of Durham Region's commuter belt, which means a lot of the people who live here are spending significant parts of their day in a car or on a train. Adding a therapy appointment that requires driving somewhere, finding parking, and sitting in a waiting room is one reason people put it off for months or years. I work with Ajax clients entirely by video or phone, which means sessions happen from wherever you actually are: a parked car, a spare bedroom, a lunch break. The logistics are yours to arrange. The session itself is mine.

I'm a Registered Psychotherapist (Qualifying), Licence #19673, with an MA in Counselling Psychology from Yorkville University (2025). I work with anxiety, depression, burnout, trauma, relationship difficulties, identity questions, and the kind of low-grade exhaustion that doesn't have a clean label but makes everything harder. Ajax has a substantial South Asian and Bangladeshi community, and I'm Bangladeshi myself. I grew up in Bangladesh and lived there for more than thirty years before immigrating to Canada as a single mother. That background isn't a credential I list to appear relatable. It's the actual reason I understand certain pressures without needing them explained, including the weight of family expectations, the loneliness of immigration, and the particular difficulty of asking for help in a culture that still treats mental health as something to manage privately.

Sessions are available Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday from 3 to 9pm, and on Wednesdays from noon to 5pm. Those evening hours exist because most people can't take a 2pm appointment on a Tuesday. If video doesn't work for you, phone sessions are available with no compromise in how the work gets done. For clients who prefer to meet in person, my office at 519 Dundas Street East in Whitby is accessible from Ajax via the 401 or Highway 2, and in-person appointments are available there. Either way, the first step is a free 15-minute consultation so you can decide whether working with me makes sense before committing to anything.

What I help with

What people in Ajax come to me for

Syeda Zohora
About Syeda

What I bring to clients in Ajax

I'm a Registered Psychotherapist (Qualifying), Licence #19673, and I hold an MA in Counselling Psychology from Yorkville University (2025) alongside a Diploma in Behavioural Science from Seneca College (2022). I'm a member of the Canadian Counselling and Psychotherapy Association, and I practise under supervision as required at the Qualifying stage, which is a college regulatory requirement rather than a reflection of experience or capability.

I'm Bengali and Bangladeshi. I grew up in Bangladesh, spent more than thirty years there, and immigrated to Canada as a single mother. That sequence of facts shapes every session I have with clients who are navigating immigration grief, intergenerational family conflict, identity questions across cultures, or simply the exhaustion of trying to hold two different worlds together at once. I offer sessions in English and Bengali, and I also speak Hindi. The Bengali sessions aren't a translation service. They're a space where the language you grew up in and the feelings you can't quite say in English are both welcome.

My therapeutic approach draws on CBT, Emotionally Focused Therapy, Internal Family Systems, DBT, Psychodynamic and Narrative approaches, Solution Focused therapy, and trauma-focused methods. I work with the model that fits what you're carrying, not the one that's most convenient to apply.

Read more about my background and approach →
Where I work

In-person in Whitby, virtual across Canada

Ajax clients access my practice virtually, by video or phone, from wherever they are in the province. For those in Durham Region who'd rather meet face-to-face, my office at 519 Dundas Street East in Whitby is a short drive from Ajax along the 401 or Highway 2. I also work with clients across Ontario and the rest of Canada through virtual sessions. The areas I serve include the following communities.

Whitby Oshawa Pickering Bowmanville Scarborough All of Ontario online
Client experiences

What clients say

Common questions

Frequently asked questions

What to know

A guide for Ajax residents considering therapy

What should I look for when choosing a therapist in Ajax?

Registration matters first. In Ontario, psychotherapists are regulated by the College of Registered Psychotherapists of Ontario (CRPO). You can look up any therapist's registration number on the CRPO public register. Beyond that, the practical question is whether the therapist has worked with what you're actually carrying. Broad experience lists are less useful than specific background. If your presenting issue is connected to immigration, family pressure, or cultural identity, a therapist who shares or deeply understands that context will be better placed to work with it than one who has completed a diversity module. The free consultation most therapists offer exists precisely for this kind of matching.

Is online therapy as effective as in-person for most clients?

The research published over the past decade, and particularly the substantial body of evidence gathered during and after the pandemic period, consistently shows that virtual therapy produces comparable outcomes to in-person sessions for the majority of presenting issues, including anxiety, depression, trauma, and relationship difficulties. The therapeutic relationship, which is the factor most consistently associated with positive outcomes in psychotherapy research, can be established and maintained over video. There are some specific circumstances where in-person is preferable, such as certain trauma-processing work or situations where a client has no reliable private space at home. Those cases are worth discussing directly. For most Ajax residents, the convenience and accessibility of virtual sessions are genuine advantages.

What is the South Asian community like in Ajax and Durham Region?

Durham Region, which includes Ajax, Pickering, Whitby, Oshawa, and Clarington, has seen significant growth in its South Asian population over the past two decades. The Bangladeshi community in particular has grown substantially in the Ajax and Pickering corridor. For many families, Durham Region represents the second stage of immigration, moving east from Scarborough and Brampton as communities establish themselves and housing costs shift. That pattern carries its own set of pressures, including the gap between first and second generation expectations, the maintenance of cultural ties alongside integration, and the particular isolation of living in a suburb where your community is present but dispersed rather than concentrated in one neighbourhood.

What is the difference between a psychotherapist and a counsellor in Ontario?

In Ontario, "Registered Psychotherapist" is a protected title regulated by the College of Registered Psychotherapists of Ontario. Registration requires meeting specific educational and supervisory standards, and all registrants are publicly listed and subject to professional accountability. The title "counsellor" is not regulated in Ontario, meaning anyone can use it without meeting any specific standard. When looking for a therapist, checking the CRPO register directly is the most reliable way to verify that the person you're seeing holds a valid registration. My registration is Licence #19673, which you can verify on the CRPO public register.

How do I get started with online therapy as a first-timer?

The main things you'll need are a private space where you won't be interrupted for about an hour, a device with a camera and microphone (a smartphone works fine), and a reasonably stable internet connection. Most clients feel some degree of strangeness in the first session, particularly if they've never spoken to a therapist before, and that's entirely normal. I don't expect you to arrive knowing what to say or how to organise what you're feeling. Part of the first session is figuring that out together. The free 15-minute consultation before the first full appointment is a good way to test the technology and get a sense of whether the format feels manageable before committing to a full session.

What mental health support is available in Ajax?

Ajax residents have access to a mix of public and private mental health services. Durham Mental Health Services offers community-based support, and Ontario Shores Centre for Mental Health Sciences is located in Whitby and provides more intensive services. For private psychotherapy, the virtual model has significantly expanded the range of practitioners accessible to Ajax residents beyond those physically located in Durham Region. Employee Assistance Programs through employers often include a limited number of free sessions and are worth checking. For clients without extended health benefits, the sliding scale I offer at $135 per hour is designed to keep private therapy accessible rather than treating it as exclusively available to those with workplace coverage.

What clients say

From people who've worked with me

Questions

Common questions about this

What clients say

From people who've worked with me

"Finding a therapist who speaks Bengali and actually understands what that means culturally is harder than it sounds. I spent years putting this off because I didn't think I'd find someone who got it. Within a few sessions I was covering things I hadn't been able to talk about in English. I recommend Syeda to anyone in the Bengali community who's been sitting on this."

Farida H. · Mississauga

"I'd tried two other therapists before this. Syeda is the first one where I felt like we were actually getting somewhere rather than just talking around things. Three months in, I sleep better than I have in years. The online sessions worked out much better than I expected."

Michael T. · Ajax

"I came in thinking I needed to talk about my relationship. What we actually worked on turned out to be older than that. Six weeks in, things had already shifted. Syeda doesn't rush you but she also doesn't let you go in circles. I hadn't expected to feel any different this quickly."

Priya S. · Scarborough
Questions

Common questions about this

Do you see clients in person in Ajax?

I don't have an office in Ajax itself. My in-person practice is based at 519 Dundas Street East in Whitby, which is a short drive west along Highway 2 or the 401 for most Ajax residents. For anyone who prefers to meet face-to-face rather than online, that Whitby location is genuinely accessible. That said, the majority of my Ajax clients work with me virtually, by video or phone, and find it works well for the kinds of things they're bringing to sessions. If you're unsure which format would suit you better, the free consultation is a good time to talk it through.

How do online therapy sessions work for Ajax clients?

I use a secure, PIPEDA-compliant video platform. Before your first session I'll send you a link along with a brief intake form and the consent documentation. At the scheduled time you click the link and we're connected. You'll need a private space and a stable internet connection. Sessions run for 50 minutes. Phone sessions are also available if video isn't comfortable or practical for any reason. Most clients find the virtual format easier to fit around work, childcare, and commuting, which matters a lot if you're in Ajax dealing with the kind of schedule that makes getting to an office feel like one more task on top of everything else.

Do you work with the South Asian community in Ajax?

Yes, and this is something I care about specifically, not generically. Ajax and Durham Region have a significant South Asian population, including a large Bangladeshi community. I'm Bengali and Bangladeshi myself. I grew up in Bangladesh and lived there for more than thirty years before immigrating to Canada. That means I understand the family dynamics, the intergenerational pressures, the immigration grief, and the way mental health is often framed or quietly avoided in our communities from the inside, not from a cultural competency training session. If you're South Asian and looking for a therapist who won't need the cultural context explained, I'd encourage you to book a free consultation and see if working together feels right.

Are sessions available in Bengali as well as English?

Yes. I offer sessions in Bengali and English, and I also speak Hindi. For many clients, being able to speak Bengali in a therapy session changes what's possible. There are things that don't translate cleanly, feelings and family concepts and cultural frames that require the original language to land properly. I grew up speaking Bengali, it's the language I think in when it comes to family and home, so this isn't a second-language service with hesitations and gaps. If you'd like to work partly or entirely in Bengali, mention it when you book and we'll set that up from the first session.

What issues do you most commonly work with for clients in Ajax?

The themes I see most often with Ajax clients reflect the specific pressures of life in Durham Region. Anxiety connected to work, parenting, and financial stress comes up frequently. Depression that has built quietly over time, sometimes for years before someone decides to talk to anyone, is also common. Burnout is a recurring theme, particularly among people in demanding jobs who've been running on empty longer than they'd admit. For South Asian clients specifically, I often work with identity questions around immigration and belonging, intergenerational family conflict, and the particular exhaustion of holding two cultural worlds at once. I also work with trauma, relationship difficulties, and the life transitions that feel destabilising even when they're expected.

How much do sessions cost?

Individual and couples sessions are $150 per hour. I offer a sliding scale rate of $135 per hour for clients where cost is a genuine barrier. I don't bill insurance directly, but I provide receipts that you can submit to most extended health plans that cover Registered Psychotherapist services. Payment can be made by cash, cheque, Visa, Mastercard, or PayPal. The free 15-minute consultation is exactly that: free, with no obligation. If you'd like to talk about fees before booking your first session, mention it when you reach out and we can address it directly.

How do I book a session?

The easiest starting point is a free 15-minute consultation. It's a short call where you can tell me what's going on, ask any questions you have, and decide whether you'd like to work together. There's no pressure and no obligation attached to it. From there, if it feels like a good fit, we'll schedule your first full session and I'll send through the intake paperwork. You can book through the consultation page on this site, or call me directly. I hold availability on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday from 3 to 9pm, and on Wednesdays from noon to 5pm, which covers most working schedules including those with long commute days.

Syeda Zohora, Registered Psychotherapist, Whitby Ontario

Let's find out if we're a good fit

The free 15-minute consultation is a no-pressure call. You tell me what's going on. I tell you how I work. We both decide whether it makes sense to continue. Ajax clients work with me by video or phone, from wherever suits them. The Whitby office is there if you'd rather meet in person.

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