Kajal Sohal MACP (Student Counsellor)

Hi, I’m Kajal,

Maybe you’ve gotten very good at looking like you’re managing while privately feeling overwhelmed, anxious, self-critical, or unsure of yourself. You might find that your mind rarely seems to switch off, that relationships or social situations take more energy than they seem to for other people, or that you’re constantly trying to meet expectations while figuring out who you actually are.

I especially enjoy supporting preteens, teens, and adults navigating anxiety, ADHD and neurodivergence, self-esteem, peer and relationship difficulties, identity, and major life transitions. You don’t need to arrive with a diagnosis or even know exactly what is wrong. Sometimes the starting point is simply knowing that the way things are going isn’t working anymore.

As a South Asian, Sikh, and neurodivergent counsellor, I also have a particular appreciation for the ways culture, family, community, identity, and neurodivergence can intersect. There can be a lot to carry when you’re trying to honour the people and communities that matter to you while also figuring out what feels right for you. Therapy can be a place where those different parts of your experience are welcomed rather than something you have to explain away.

Before beginning my counselling practicum, I spent more than seven years supporting children and adults with diverse needs as a Behavioural Interventionist and Community Support Worker. That experience taught me to look beyond labels and assumptions and to understand each person in the context of their strengths, challenges, relationships, environment, and individual way of experiencing the world.

My approach is warm, gentle, and collaborative. We might work on understanding patterns that leave you feeling stuck, finding practical ways to manage anxiety or overwhelm, strengthening confidence and self-understanding, navigating relationships and boundaries, or learning how to work with your brain rather than constantly feeling as though you are fighting against it.

Depending on your needs, I may draw from Person-Centered Therapy, Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), Narrative Therapy, Adlerian Therapy, and Experiential Therapy while incorporating culturally responsive and neurodivergent-affirming care. Therapy is not about turning you into somebody else. My goal is to help you better understand yourself, develop tools that actually fit your life, and feel more confident making choices that are meaningful to you.

I am currently completing my Master of Arts in Counselling Psychology at Yorkville University and my clinical placement with Grigore Counselling & Associates. My clinical work is supported through ongoing supervision with Lacey Poltorasky, MA, RCC, CCC.

You don’t need to have everything figured out before reaching out. We can start with where you are.

More Than Just My Work

One of my favourite quotes comes from Mary Oliver’s Wild Geese:

“You do not have to be good. / You do not have to walk on your knees / for a hundred miles through the desert, repenting. / You only have to let the soft animal of your body / love what it loves.”

Languages Spoken: English, Punjabi.