In person in Toronto & Virtual across Ontario

Pekhna works with adults, with a particular focus on South Asian, queer and immigrant folks who may be navigating identity, culture, sexuality, family expectations or the experience of belonging to more than one community.

Hear from Pekhna:  You may feel caught between different parts of your identity — wanting to honour your culture or family while also making space for your sexuality, relationships, values or the person you are becoming. The struggles we bring to therapy – procrastination, addiction, depression, relationship issues – are not just problems to be solved, but guides into our hidden parts and complex stories.

I believe our heavy emotions – loneliness, loss, guilt, fear, and the experience of being closeted – require a foundation of safety to be seen and accepted so that we can live a meaningful and full life. 

I am an immigrant, south asian woman, who understands the layered complexities of navigating identity, family expectations, cultural values, and mental health within systems that often fail to see us fully. I aim to build spaces where folks feel both safe and challenged, where healing is not about staying within comfort, but about expanding capacity in a supported and intentional way.

I have a particular interest in working with South Asian men and women who may have had limited space to talk openly about emotion, identity, relationships, trauma or mental health. This includes exploring your relationship with alcohol or substance use, including the cultural and family dynamics that can make these conversations especially difficult within Punjabi and South Asian communities.

You may be a good fit for working with me if:
– You are South Asian and navigating questions about culture, identity or belonging
– You are queer, trans, non-binary, gender-fluid or questioning your sexuality or gender
– You feel caught between cultural or family expectations and the life you want for yourself
– You are a South Asian queer person looking for therapy where you do not have to explain every part of your identity
– Immigration, displacement or adjusting to life in a new country has shaped your sense of belonging
– You are a South Asian man looking for a space to talk more openly about emotions, relationships or mental health
– Past trauma continues to affect your relationships, sense of safety or self-worth
– You are living with the effects of complex trauma or sexual trauma
– You are questioning or concerned about your relationship with alcohol or substances
– You would like to better understand different parts of yourself rather than feeling at war with them
– You are interested in expressive arts or creative approaches to therapy
– You are looking for culturally responsive and queer-affirming care

My work revolves around three pillars: relationality – how we build safety for deeper work, parts work -how we recognize and accept the parts of us that have been hidden, and connection through the arts & body – for understanding ourselves and making changes when we feel stuck. I draw from my training in IFS, EFT and Expressive Arts Therapy.

If you’ve been feeling pulled between different parts of yourself — culture, family, sexuality, identity or the expectations placed on you — therapy can be a space where none of those parts have to be left at the door.

I offer a warm, affirming space to explore who you are, what you’ve experienced and what you want moving forward. You’re welcome to book a free consultation to see if working together feels like the right fit.

If it is a sunny day, you would surely find me at a park sitting on fresh grass with my dog, some desi ghazal music playing in the background, and lots of art supplies to collage for hours.