Ryan & Shaheen
Therapy and Counselling
Maria Shaheen, MSW, RSW
Maria obtained a Master of Social Work (MSW) from the University of Toronto, specializing in mental health and health. With over ten years of experience, she offers therapy and counselling to individuals of all ages, including children, youth, families, and adults. As a Registered Social Worker (RSW) with the Nova Scotia College of Social Workers, she brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to our practice.
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Maria is trained in cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), dialectical behavior therapy (DBT), and exposure response prevention (ERP). She works with clients dealing with anxiety, depression, obsessive compulsive disorder (ERP), personality disorders, and other mental health challenges. Her approach is person-centered, warm, and non-judgmental, focusing on empowering clients to identify strengths and overcome barriers for a fulfilling life.
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Recognizing the vital role parents play in their child's mental health, Maria also offers dedicated parent counselling sessions. These sessions provide valuable education and skills to parents, enabling them to support their children's mental well-being effectively.
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Maria is truly passionate about making a positive impact on the lives of her clients. Through her expertise, empathy, and unwavering commitment, she strives to help individuals and families navigate their mental health challenges with resilience and find lasting solutions for a brighter future.
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Conor Ryan, MSW, RSW
Conor obtained a Master of Social Work degree (MSW) from Memorial University specializing in mental health. With over thirty years of experience, he offers counselling and therapy, including individual and couples counselling to adults. Conor is a Registered Social Worker (RSW) with the Nova Scotia College of Social Workers. He has worked in a variety of settings, including child and youth mental health services, in the educational system, in the health care system and as both a clinician and in a leadership role in the public mental health system. Currently Conor is working as both a clinician and Clinical Team Lead at the Nova Scotia Operational Stress Injury Clinic where he provides general mental health care and intensive Trauma Focused Treatment for Veterans of the Canadian Armed Forces and the RCMP.
Conor provides individual counselling for a variety of mental health conditions including anxiety, depression, difficulties in emotional regulation, addictions, as well as trauma. He also provides couples therapy for those who are struggling in their relationship with their intimate partners. Conor is trained in cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) for a variety of Mental Health conditions, dialectical behavior therapy (DBT), community reinforcement approach (CRA) for addictions, motivational interviewing (MI), as well as prolonged exposure (PE) therapy and cognitive processing therapy (CPT), both for trauma including PTSD. Conor uses emotionally focused couples therapy (EFCT) for couples’ treatment with intimate partners and also draws from the Gottman approach to marital therapy as well as Family Systems approach to therapy.
Conor’s therapeutic approach is client-centered and empathetic. Informed by evidence-based practice, he strives to create a non-judgmental environment where clients are empowered to find their own solutions to their difficulties. Conor believes strongly in the inherent ability of each individual to realize their full potential through learning to overcome the obstacles that they face.
Andréa Shaheen, MSW, RSW
Andréa obtained a Master of Social Work (MSW) from the University of Toronto, specializing in mental health and health. She has over five years experience and is a Registered Social Worker (RSW) with the Nova Scotia College of Social Workers, and currently in her Doctorate of Social Work (PhD) at Memorial University.
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With a focus on individual therapy and counselling, Andréa offers her expertise to adolescents and adults facing various mental health and emotional challenges. She has a particular interest in supporting first responders and has prior experience working in Child and Adolescent Mental Health as well as an Operational Stress Injury Clinic serving veterans and RCMP.
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Drawing from evidence-based approaches, Andréa is skilled in addressing anxiety, depression, grief, loss, stress, self-harm, trauma (specifically PTSD), and emotion dysregulation. She warmly welcomes clients who are currently navigating adjustment difficulties or facing challenges in their lives. Andréa has training in cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), dialectical behavior therapy (DBT), emotion-focused therapy (EFT), prolonged exposure (PE), and cognitive processing therapy (CPT), and eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR).
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Andréa's therapeutic philosophy centers on meeting clients where they are and creating a supportive, empathetic, and non-judgmental environment. She places great importance on ensuring clients feel respected and understood throughout the therapeutic journey. Andréa encourages clients to explore their emotions, challenge unhelpful beliefs, and embrace dialectical thinking as part of their transformative process.