About Negin Naraghi
A key piece in any kind of healing work is finding the right person to work with. The type of support you need is unique to you, and finding a person that you feel comfortable with is so important. Below are a few things that may be helpful for you to know about me. These experiences have shaped the way I navigate the world, and continue to guide my therapeutic approach.
Hi, I’m Negin
(pronounced Neh-geen) and I use she/her pronouns.
Born and raised in Israel to an Iranian father and an American mother, I spent much of my life navigating diverse spaces that left me feeling connected to multiple countries, languages, values and belief systems. As a teenager, I immigrated to Canada and also spent some time living in Tonga. My grandparents and their children had to seek refuge in other countries after the Iranian revolution, and so I have family spread across the world. My family’s history, in combination with my own personal experience of growing up in a bicultural household, and migration as a teenager, all had a tremendous impact on my sense of identity, my interests and my career. I grew up fascinated by the way we construct the narrative of our identity and curious about the impact that our environment and history have on our behavior, relationships and beliefs . I knew early on that I wanted to study Psychology and eventually decided to work specifically with people navigating migration, major transitions and loss.
I received my training in Counseling Psychology from the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, Canada. In addition to my work as a therapist, I have spent the past twelve years working in the non profit sector with people who are refugees or immigrants and who are navigating all that a transition of that magnitude brings. I focused my masters dissertation on adolescent migration and explored, with newcomer youth, what services and supports were most valuable to them as they built a life in a new country. I continue to try and implement the wisdom they shared with me into the work I do. My passion has always been creating spaces where people know that they matter and can connect with each other in supportive ways. I have designed, facilitated and run many programs and groups both within the community and within the high school system. Within my private practice, I offer support to people who are experiencing loss and transition of all kinds, and have also specifically worked with people who have moved here from other countries.
Over the last few years, I have had some pivotal experiences that impacted the way in which I now practice as a therapist. Most significant of all was my journey through a cancer diagnosis. I offer this part of my story here because of the ways in which it has shifted what I know to be true about healing from trauma. As part of my healing, I was introduced to Somatic Experiencing® (SE™), which is a body-oriented trauma healing model that focuses on resolving trauma in the body and regulating the nervous system. In addition to traditional talk therapy, the incorporation of SE work into my care provided me with tools that helped me regulate my nervous system and expand my capacity to better attend to all the feelings, thoughts and physical states I encountered along the way. In order to extend this support to those I work with, I began studying SE. I am currently completing the final module in a three year certification process, and incorporate this trauma healing model into my work with people, when it is helpful. In addition to this, my work is highly relationship focused, person-centered and incorporates mindfulness psychology (specifically trauma-sensitive mindfulness) and existential therapy.
In my time away from work, I love going into the forest or heading to the coast with my husband and our dog. I find that I can always rely on nature for perspective and ease. I also love getting lost in stories, be it a good book or a film. It’s probably why I find us humans so incredibly fascinating. Our stories are endless, often so full of resilience and tenderness. I find joy in playfulness, friendship, writing, hiking, cooking and art. I have learned that little moments of beauty and connection are the moments I most look forward to in life, and I am consistently grateful to be here to experience them.