Yumna Baqai

Many of my clients feel everything deeply and strive to understand how to manage that part of themselves. They feel everything deeply and are trying to reconnect with who they are beneath it all. For Highly Sensitive individuals or those navigating ADHD, AuDHD, or trauma, the world can feel overwhelming: too loud, too fast, and emotionally intense. They may feel stuck in cycles of burnout, overthinking, or emotional exhaustion, often wondering why things feel harder for them than they seem to for others. They can also have a hard time separating who they are from the roles they play in their career and personal life (identity diffusion).

I take a compassionate, trauma-informed, and neurodivergent-affirming approach to therapy. Rather than trying to “fix” my clients, I work collaboratively with them to understand how their mind works and make sense of the behavioural patterns they’ve developed. I strive to create harmony within the client’s internal world by understanding the inner world, building insight, and developing tools that are aligned with the nervous system and not against it.

I strive to create a space where clients feel deeply understood and where they can begin to regulate their emotions, understand and trust themselves, learn to set healthier boundaries and move through life with more clarity, confidence, and ease.

Experience

Yumna is a Registered Psychotherapist (Qualifying) and a Yorkville University graduate with a Master’s degree in Counselling Psychology. She also holds an Addictions and Mental Health Certification from Durham College and a BSc in Psychology from University of Toronto. She brings over six years of experience in mental health and addictions at YWCA Toronto, supporting individuals navigating trauma, anxiety, depression, personality disorders and neurodivergence, including ADHD and autism. Yumna has worked with frontline workers, students, actors, writers, teachers, and individuals navigating emotionally demanding roles, identity-related stress, and complex inner experiences.

Client Focus

Teenagers (16+), Adults

Types Of Therapy

Schema Therapy, Gestalt Therapy, Narrative Therapy, Person-Centred Therapy, Solution Focused Brief Therapy, Internal Family Systems (IFS), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)

Areas Of Focus

Anxiety, Depression, Trauma and PTSD, Highly Sensitive Persons (HSP), Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), ADHD & AuDHD, Burnout, Attachment Issues, Identify Diffusion, Creative Professionals and Performers

More Than Just My Work

I find joy and meaning in creating (painting, writing, and performance) as well as in movement (dance, swimming, squash, and more recently, strength training). Creative work helps me express my inner world beyond words, while movement helps me stay connected to myself. I love Improv! I am an Improv student at Second City and enroll whenever I get a chance. I have had the privilege of doing Improv under Hypnosis with Colin Mochrie. I also deeply value connecting with people and learning from their unique experiences.