Rashida
She/her
About Rashida
Rashida Symonds is a counselling therapist, educator, and writer. She started her work by connecting with youth in her community, teaching about history, culture, and self awareness. She later expanded her efforts to include working with adults individually and through group empowerment sessions. Rashida has worked as a faculty member at the Nova Scotia Community College and does community outreach through her organization Reach One Collective. Rashida completed a BA in English at Saint Mary’s University, a B.Ed. in secondary education from Mount Saint Vincent University, and an M.Ed. in Counselling through Acadia University. She grew up in Nova Scotia, as a Historic Black Nova Scotian who also has Indigenous ancestry.
Rashida’s approach to counselling is person-centered, holistic, collaborative, and trauma informed. Her goal is to create a supportive environment for individuals or groups to explore various mental health resources as they decide what works best for them. She emphasizes fostering connections and encourages individuals to explore their own strengths and resilience while building a path to personal growth.
Rashida is drawn to narrative therapy, Internal Family Systems, solution and emotion focused approaches, as well as cognitive behavioural therapy. She recognizes that every individual has a unique story, and that the mental, emotional, and physical aspects of a person work collectively to form a complete dynamic whole. Her work is inclusive and intersectional. She believes that great transform can occur when we are made aware of the tools required for healing. Sometimes our tools are self made, and sometimes our tools are presented to us through endearing members of our support system.
