Balpreet Nijjer

What do you do at Shift?

I am a Registered Provisional Psychologist and I offer counselling services for children, adolescence and adults from a variety of different backgrounds and abilities.

What are your academic credentials?

I graduated with my undergraduate degree from Mount Royal University with a Bachelor of Arts Major Psychology and went on to do my Master's of Counselling Psychology through Athabasca University.

Why did you decide to become a therapist?

I had always wanted to be in a profession where I would be able to help people. Going into the psychology field was very interesting to me as I have always been interested in human behaviour and mental health. While I was growing up watching people's actions, behaviours, listening to their thought process was intriguing and then growing up and learning the theories behind those examples helped me to connect the pieces. I enjoyed learning about different mental health diagnosis and watching people's stories as they learn to live with those diagnosis'.

What do you bring to your therapy sessions, and what are some goals?

I believe it is really important to create therapeutic rapport with the client. I am friendly, calm and easy to talk to in the therapy sessions. My goal is for the client to be comfortable in the counselling sessions. I use Cognitive Behaviour Therapy, Dialectal Behaviour Therapy, Solution-Focused Therapy and Existential Therapy. I also like to use mindfulness in the sessions as well. I can do therapy sessions in English and Punjabi.

My goals for the counselling sessions would be for clients to develop healthy coping skills they are able to use outside of sessions and becoming aware of their thoughts, behaviours and emotions so that they are able to make the positive changes they would like to.

Who do you work with?

I work with adults, adolescence and children aged 10 and up.

Why are you passionate about what you do?

I am passionate about supporting clients from different backgrounds and with various abilities in helping them to see their potential as well as to address their mental health concerns. Being able to use different therapy models with different clients helps me to continue to learn and build stronger rapport with clients. I enjoy reading books that help me to learn different therapy models and incorporating those techniques and skills into the sessions is always exciting for me as I see positive reactions from the clients.

What do you do in your spare time?

I like to spend time with family and friends as well as do activities that keep me active. I enjoy going to the gym, hot yoga and long walks in the summer. I like to spend time with my husband and also like play with our little puppy. I enjoy shopping and travelling. I have currently become interested in knitting again and I am learning to knit socks. I enjoy watching TV shows and movies as well as making TikTok's. I like to do meditation daily as this helps me to gain energy in the morning and to unwind in the evening.

What is a skill that you are currently working on?

I am currently working on deepening my learning in the field of psychology by reading the latest research articles and understanding the latest developments made in the field of counselling psychology. I enjoy learning the latest interventions that have been successful with certain groups of people and what has not worked. Understanding what is a successful intervention helps me to understand what I can use in the counselling sessions.

What motivates or inspires you?

Working with clients inspires me. When I see the clients making positive changes the way they would like to, it is very motivating for me. The work helps me to keep going and continue to become more knowledgeable for the clients. I am also intrigued in the latest knowledge in the psychology that helps me to grow as a professional in the field. The clients are inspiring, the will power to come to counselling to work on their goals is very motivating for me as well. Hearing the clients positive feedback is great motivation.

Available for:

Anxiety-related symptoms (GAD, Phobia, Panic, Social, etc.) | Immigration, acculturation and adjustment issues | Depression | Exposure Therapy | Inter-generational trauma | Grief and Loss | Building boundaries | Attachment concerns | PTSD | Self Esteem | Stress and Burnout | Boundary Adherence | Life Changes | Grief | Stress & Burnout | and much more...