Accessing Counselling on Your Own Terms with Farzana Doctor
In this episode, we talk about attending to the impacts of trauma and exploring counselling with Farzana Doctor. You get to determine how you want to heal. One of the tools that you can access is counselling. It can help you understand the impacts of harm, build an understanding of what trauma is and explore tools for care. Counselling can sometimes sound like a magic bullet however it is one tool of many. It is really important to find a counsellor that is a good fit for you and also be prepared to do that work in counselling.
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Although there are no descriptions of sexual violence or other forms of gender-based violence in this podcast series, there is mention of female genital mutilation in this episode. This can bring big feelings and be hard to hear. Listen in a way that feels safer for you. You get to choose. Please access our resource page for support. You are not alone.
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Seven by Farzana Doctor
Six Meters of Pavement by Farzana Doctor
You Still Look the Same by Farzana Doctor
“Turning a compassionate gaze to the child inside of us that survived in that way, I think, is the first step. So often, we will judge ourselves and pathologize for all of the child-like protective responses we have to trauma. And instead, we want to see that all those responses were helpful at the time. They might not be helpful anymore, but they were helpful at the time.”
-Farzana Doctor
About Our Guest
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Farzana Doctor is a Tkaronto-based author, activist and Registered Social Worker Psychotherapist. She has published four critically acclaimed novels, including Seven, which Ms. Magazine described as “fully feminist and ambitiously bold”, and was shortlisted for the Trillium and Evergreen Awards. Her new poetry collection, You Still Look The Same, which Quill & Quire has called “a powerful and necessary collection that breaks silences” was just released in May 2022.
In her private practice, she works with individuals and couples and provides clinical consultation to other therapists. A founding member of WeSpeakOut and the End FGM Canada Network, she is also the Maasi behind Dear Maasi, a new sex and relationships column for FGM/C survivors. www.Linktr.ee/farzanadoctor
