Built from
lived experience.
Grounded in care.
Rubiks Counselling was founded in 2016 by two Registered Psychotherapists who understood what it meant to seek help in a system that wasn't built with you in mind.
Wala'a Farahat & Samiyah Zawawi
Registered Psychotherapists · CRPO · Ottawa, ON
Born from lived
experience.
Rubiks Counselling Services was founded by Wala'a Farahat and Samiyah Zawawi — two Registered Psychotherapists who understand, firsthand, what it means to navigate life between cultures.
As daughters of immigrant families, they experienced the invisible wall that too often stands between communities of colour and mental health care: the wall built from language barriers, cultural misunderstanding, stigma, and a system that wasn't designed with them in mind.
So they built something new. A practice grounded in cultural humility, clinical excellence, and the belief that healing is most powerful when it speaks your full truth — in your language, from your worldview.
“Healing isn't a destination — it's learning to breathe differently inside the life you already have.”
Today, Rubiks is a trusted name across Ottawa and beyond — partnering with federal agencies, universities, community organizations, and serving clients in four languages across Ontario.
Made for communities
often left out.
If you've ever felt unseen in a therapist's office, this practice was built for you.
Immigrant & Refugee Communities
Navigating a new country while managing grief, loss, and displacement. We understand this journey from the inside.
BIPOC Individuals & Families
Racism and microaggressions are real mental health stressors. You don't need to justify them before we begin.
Children, Youth & Families
From play therapy for young children to adolescent anxiety and family systems — we speak every age's language.
Muslim & Arab Communities
Wala'a is fluent in Arabic and brings deep cultural understanding — no cultural translation required.
Organizations & Workplaces
DEI training for schools, government agencies, healthcare teams, and organizations ready to do the real work.
Therapists in Supervision
Clinical supervision rooted in cultural humility, anti-oppressive practice, and genuine commitment to your growth.
Not one-size-fits-all.
Never was.
We draw from a range of evidence-based modalities — tailored to the person in front of us, not a checklist. Your history, culture, and nervous system inform every therapeutic decision we make together.
Somatic & Body-Based
Trauma is stored in the body. Somatic approaches help reconnect mind and body to process what words alone cannot reach.
Narrative Therapy
We separate people from their problems. Your story belongs to you — we help you rewrite the chapters that no longer serve you.
Acceptance & Commitment (ACT)
Values-driven therapy that builds psychological flexibility — especially useful for anxiety, depression, and life transitions.
Play Therapy
For children who aren't yet ready or able to use words. Play is a child's first language — we speak it fluently.
Anti-Oppressive Framework
All of our work is filtered through an understanding of systemic racism, colonialism, and how power shapes mental health.
Four principles
guide everything.
These aren't just words on a wall. They shape how we greet you, how we work, and what we hold ourselves accountable to — every single session.
01
Cultural Humility
Your identity, faith, language, and heritage belong in the room — not as context, but as the foundation of every session.
02
Trauma-Informed
Every modality we use honours how trauma lives in the body and shapes how we feel, move, and connect with the world around us.
03
Equity in Access
Sliding scale fees and services in 4 languages — because your financial situation should never determine whether you get to heal.
04
Community First
We build belonging not just in the therapy room, but in the organizations, schools, and communities our clients call home.
Ready to begin
your healing journey?
You don't need to have it all figured out before you reach out. A free 20-minute consultation is all it takes to find out if we're the right fit for you — no pressure, no commitment.
Let's start the
conversation.
Whether you have a question about services, language availability, or just want to know if we're the right fit — we're here.
Ready to start your journey?
Book a free 15-minute consultation. No commitment, no pressure — just a conversation to see if we're the right fit for you.