I.
Anxiety and overthinking
Less arguing with anxious thoughts, more choosing what you do while they're there.
ACT · Online across Ontario · English & فارسی
ACT Therapy in Markham
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, for when fighting your thoughts has become its own exhausting job. With Roya, you learn to make room for what you feel and move toward what matters to you. Online for clients in Markham and across Ontario.
Free 15-minute consultation, in English or Farsi.
What ACT Can Help With
When your mind keeps having the last word.
II.
Low mood and self-worth
Noticing the stories you tell about yourself, and loosening their grip on your days.
III.
Grief and life transitions
Making room for loss and change without letting them decide everything that comes next.
IV.
Building a life somewhere new
Getting clear on what matters to you here, while honouring what you carried with you.
How Roya Uses ACT
Acceptance, values and small steps, in Roya's words.
Roya Dadollahi Sarab, RP
I'm Roya, a Registered Psychotherapist, and I've worked in the mental health field for over 10 years. I'm trained in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, and it is one of my primary approaches. ACT combines acceptance and mindfulness skills with commitment to your own values. I use it alongside CBT, DBT and mindfulness-based work, and I adjust the mix to you.
When a worry or a harsh thought keeps coming back, ACT offers a different way in. Instead of asking "How do I get rid of this thought?" it asks "Can I notice it and still do what matters to me?"
Here's an everyday example. It's made up, not a client's story. You need to call a friend you've been avoiding, and a thought shows up sounding like a fact: they'll think it's strange I've gone quiet, do it later. In ACT we practise a small shift, from "they'll think it's strange" to "I'm noticing the thought that they'll think it's strange." The thought doesn't have to leave. You still make the call, because the friendship is something you've said matters to you. The aim isn't to feel no discomfort; it's to stop discomfort running your life.
Sometimes life can feel like being stuck in a deep pit. I hold the rope steady; you take each step out. Progress doesn't have to be perfect, and you don't need to have it all figured out before we begin.
What a Session Looks Like
From the first call to what happens between sessions.
Bring the thought that keeps hooking you, or the step you keep putting off. That's enough to begin with, and what you bring shapes the rest.
I.
A free 15-minute call
You book it with me online through Jane, the secure booking system the practice uses, and we talk by video or phone. You can say a little about what's bringing you here and ask whatever questions you have, and we both get a sense of whether working together feels right.
II.
The first session
It's a conversation, not an interview. We talk about what's brought you here, what you're hoping for and a bit about your life, and I explain how confidentiality works, including its limits. In ACT, a first session can turn to two questions: what do you keep getting pulled into, and what would you rather be moving toward? There's no pressure to share everything at once.
III.
A typical session
Sessions are 60 minutes, by secure video, in English, Farsi or a mix of both. A session might take one thought or feeling that hooked you since we last met, practise noticing it with a little distance instead of arguing with it, and name one small step toward something that matters to you, small enough to take before you feel ready.
IV.
Between sessions
The practice might be that small step, a short mindfulness exercise, or a note about the thought that came along while you took it. If you don't get to it, that isn't failure: whatever got in the way becomes what we look at next.
V.
Your pace
You don't sign up for a set number of sessions, and you can pause or stop whenever you choose. From time to time we look back at how things are going and set the pace together.
An Honest Fit
Who ACT suits, and who it doesn't.
It may suit you if
- You're tired of waiting to feel better before you live the way you want to, and you'd like to start from what matters to you now.
- You're open to noticing a hard thought or feeling and making room for it, instead of trying to get rid of it first.
- Something has happened that can't be undone, like a loss, a move or a change you didn't choose, and you want to find a way to live alongside it.
- You've noticed you put things off or avoid them, like a call, a plan or a conversation, because of how they might make you feel, and you'd like that feeling to stop making the decision.
- You're willing to try small steps and short mindfulness practices between sessions, even before you feel ready.
Something else may fit better if
- You're in crisis or in immediate danger right now. Therapy is for ongoing support, not emergencies. If you are in immediate danger, call 911. If you are in crisis, call or text 988, the Suicide Crisis Helpline, available 24/7.
- You'd like to meet in person. I work online only, by secure video, anywhere in Ontario.
- You'd rather work on changing an unhelpful thought itself (that's CBT), or what you need most is a way through feelings that go from calm to overwhelming before you can think (that's where DBT skills come in). I offer both, and we can start there instead. If ADHD or sleep is part of what you're dealing with, Tina Abadi, RP, may be the better fit: she works with both, using CBT.
- You'd like to work on your relationship together, as a couple. That's a different kind of session; I see couples too, using Emotionally Focused Therapy. You'll find its page among the links below.
- You'd like to understand where a long-standing pattern began, not only how to live alongside it. That is the work of schema therapy, which at NoorMinds is offered by Ghazal Sheikhtaheri, RP (Qualifying), currently booking by waitlist (3–4 weeks). You can book with her from the Schema Therapy in Ontario page, linked below.
Somewhere in between? That's what the free consultation is for: we can talk it through, and if another approach or another therapist would suit you better, I'll tell you. If you are in immediate danger, call 911. If you are in crisis, call or text 988, the Suicide Crisis Helpline, available 24/7. You can ask 988 for an interpreter. میتوانید از ۹۸۸ درخواست مترجم کنید.
ACT in Farsi
درمان مبتنی بر پذیرش و تعهد، به فارسی
من رویا هستم، رواندرمانگر ثبتشده. در درمان مبتنی بر پذیرش و تعهد آموزش دیدهام و این یکی از رویکردهای اصلی کار من است. گاهی جنگیدن با فکرهای خودمان به کاری خستهکننده تبدیل میشود. در این شیوه قرار نیست فکرهای سخت را پاک کنیم؛ یاد میگیریم آنها را ببینیم، برایشان جا باز کنیم و همچنان به سمت چیزی برویم که برایمان مهم است.
در جلسهها میتوانیم با هم روشن کنیم چه چیزی برایتان واقعا مهم است و قدمهای کوچکی پیدا کنیم که بتوانید به سمت آن بردارید، حتی پیش از آنکه احساس کنید آمادهاید. اگر تازه مهاجرت کردهاید، به این هم فکر میکنیم که در زندگی جدیدتان چه چیزی برایتان ارزش دارد، و در عین حال به آنچه با خود آوردهاید احترام میگذاریم. جلسهها فقط بهصورت آنلاین و به فارسی، انگلیسی یا ترکیبی از هر دو برگزار میشوند و از هر جای انتاریو میتوانید شرکت کنید. لازم نیست پیشرفت بینقص باشد و لازم نیست پیش از شروع، همهچیز برایتان روشن باشد. اولین قدم میتواند یک مشاورهی رایگان ۱۵ دقیقهای با من باشد.
Also at NoorMinds
Prefer a more structured, skills-first approach? Tina Abadi, RP offers CBT, in English and فارسی.
Related Care
Explore related care
CBT Therapy in Ontario
If you'd rather change an unhelpful thought directly, in a structured, practical way: CBT with Tina or Roya.
DBT Therapy in Ontario
If your emotions arrive fast and stay loud, and you want something to reach for in those moments: DBT skills with Roya, within individual therapy.
Meet Roya
To get to know Roya before the free call: her training, her approach and the rest of her work, in her own words.
Anxiety Therapy in Ontario
When worry won't switch off: overthinking, social anxiety and a body that stays braced for the next thing.
Depression Therapy in Ontario
When the heaviness won't lift: persistent low mood, numbness or loss of interest.
Therapy for Immigrants in Ontario
If settling into a new country is the main thing you want help with: culture shock and settlement stress, in English or Farsi.
Emotionally Focused Therapy for Couples in Ontario
If what you want to work on is the relationship itself, together as a couple: Emotionally Focused Therapy.
Schema Therapy in Ontario
For long-standing patterns you want to trace back to where they began.
Therapy Cost & Insurance in Ontario
Fees, receipts, and what to ask your insurer before you start.
Fees
Straightforward and stated upfront
Free15-min consultation
$180Individual · 60 min
Insurance receipts provided after every session. Roya Dadollahi Sarab is a fully Registered Psychotherapist (CRPO #008767), and many extended health plans in Canada cover psychotherapy with a Registered Psychotherapist; please confirm the details with your insurer.
Questions
Common questions
What is Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)?
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) is an approach to therapy that aims to stop difficult thoughts and feelings running your life, without waiting for them to go away first. It has two halves. Acceptance means using mindfulness skills to notice hard thoughts and feelings and let them be there, rather than arguing with them or pushing them away. Commitment means getting clear on what matters to you and taking small steps toward it, even while the hard thought or feeling is still there.
How is ACT different from CBT?
CBT works on changing unhelpful thoughts. ACT works on changing your relationship with them: noticing them, making room for them, and acting on your values anyway. Roya uses both, and you can talk through which suits you in the free consultation. If emotions that arrive fast and stay loud are the bigger problem, DBT skills, which Roya also uses, may be the better place to start.
Does acceptance mean giving up, or putting up with things?
No. In ACT, acceptance means making room for thoughts and feelings you can't simply switch off, instead of spending all your energy fighting them. It doesn't mean deciding that a situation is fine or that nothing can change: the commitment half of ACT is about acting on what matters to you.
How many sessions will I need?
It depends on what you're working on. You and Roya review progress together and decide on the pace. There's no set number of sessions, and you're free to pause or stop whenever you choose.
Can I do ACT in Farsi?
Yes. Roya works in English and Farsi (فارسی), online across Ontario.
Do I need a referral or a diagnosis, and how soon can I start?
You don't need a referral or a diagnosis to start ACT with Roya. If you want an assessment or medication, your physician is the person to ask, since a Registered Psychotherapist doesn't diagnose medical conditions or prescribe medication. One thing to check with your insurer: some plans only reimburse once a physician has made a referral. As for timing, Roya is accepting new clients, and the quickest way to see her actual times is to book a free 15-minute consultation with Roya: her calendar is live on Jane. If you message first, you'll hear back within one business day.
How much does it cost, and is it covered?
$180 for a 60-minute individual session, after a free 15-minute consultation. Roya is a Registered Psychotherapist (CRPO #008767), and many extended health plans cover psychotherapy with a Registered Psychotherapist. Receipts are provided after every session; check your plan. Psychotherapy with a Registered Psychotherapist in private practice is not covered by OHIP. NoorMinds does not currently offer direct insurance billing. You pay for the session and submit your receipt for reimbursement.
What if I'm in crisis?
Therapy is for ongoing support, not emergencies, and calls and messages to NoorMinds aren’t monitored for emergencies. If you are in immediate danger, call 911. If you are in crisis, call or text 988, the Suicide Crisis Helpline, available 24/7.
Next Step
Make room for what matters.
Book a free 15-minute consultation with Roya. No commitment, no pressure.
Book with RoyaOr call (647) 699-5142 · WhatsApp · Email
Calls and messages aren’t monitored for emergencies. If you are in immediate danger, call 911. If you are in crisis, call or text 988, the Suicide Crisis Helpline, available 24/7.
ACT Therapy Across Ontario
NoorMinds provides online Acceptance and Commitment Therapy throughout Ontario. Select your city to learn more:
Markham
ACT and life in Markham
Over tea at a friend's place, someone asks which country feels like home now. Every guest came to Canada from somewhere else, as most Markham residents did, and the answers going round this table do not match. When your turn comes, the mind answers first: neither, because you left one and never quite arrived in the other. Nothing in ACT asks you to settle the question or prove the thought wrong. Instead the sentence is seen as words the mind is producing, something you might hold as I'm having the thought that I belong nowhere, and the ache that comes with it is given room to stay. Then attention moves to what you care about in both places. That might mean a regular call with a sister who stayed behind, keeping the dishes you grew up with on your own table, or learning the names of the children next door. None of these waits for the thought to go quiet. Each is a small step, taken while the thought keeps talking in the background.