George Wahba

What is your name/nickname?

My full name is George Raouf Saad Wahba, quite the mouthful you can call me George.
Fun Fact: I was born in Prince George BC, lets just say my parents aren’t the creative type.

What do you do at Shift?

I am a Registered Provisional Psychologist at Shiftgrit, I tailor my interventions to meet the specific needs and goals of each individual. I provide a safe and non-judgmental space for clients to explore their thoughts, emotions, and experiences. By utilizing a combination of the shift protocol & therapeutic approaches, I aim to help clients gain insight, develop coping strategies, and ultimately improve their mental health and overall well-being.

What are your academic credentials?

I hold a BA. in Psychology from the University of Lethbridge, a Masters of Counselling Psychology from the University of Yorkville, alongside a certificate for Psychedelic Assisted Psychotherapy from ATMA.

Why did you decide to become a therapist?

I became a therapist because I have always had a deep passion for helping others and a strong belief in the power of human resilience. From a young age, I was drawn to understanding the complexities of the human mind and the ways in which our thoughts, emotions, and experiences shape our lives. Basically I set out to understand why do people do the things that they do, the good, the bad, and the ugly.

Growing up, I was always that guy who friends and family would come talk with when facing issues in their life. I witnessed the impact of mental health issues on individuals and their families. I saw the pain, confusion, and isolation that often accompanied these struggles. This inspired me to pursue a career in psychology, with the goal of providing support, guidance, and healing to those in need.

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

In our therapy sessions, you can expect a safe and non-judgmental space where you can openly explore your thoughts, emotions, and experiences. I bring empathy, compassion, and a genuine desire to help you navigate through your challenges to find healing and growth.

Through our work together, you can expect to gain insight into your thoughts and behaviors, develop effective coping strategies, and build resilience. We will focus on helping you process and resolve any traumatic experiences, challenge negative thought patterns, cultivate mindfulness and acceptance, release stored emotional energy, and discover meaning and purpose in your life.

I believe in empowering you to take an active role in your healing journey. You can expect to learn practical skills and techniques that you can apply outside of our sessions to manage distress, improve your mental health, and enhance your overall well-being.

Ultimately, my goal is for you to leave our sessions with a greater sense of self-awareness, increased coping skills, and a deeper understanding of yourself. Together, we will work towards alleviating your symptoms, improving your mental health, and helping you live a more fulfilling and meaningful life.

Please know that therapy is a collaborative process, and I am here to support you every step of the way. I am committed to providing you with a therapeutic experience that is respectful, validating, and tailored to your unique needs and goals.

Who do you work with?

I work with individuals and couples from the age of 13 and upwards

Why are you passionate about what you do?

Throughout my life and clinical experience, I have witnessed the transformative power of therapy. I have seen individuals overcome trauma, break free from destructive thought patterns, and find the strength to make positive changes in their lives. Witnessing these transformations has been incredibly rewarding and has solidified my belief in the efficacy of therapy as a tool for healing and growth.

Moreover, I am deeply committed to destigmatizing mental health and promoting overall well-being. I believe that everyone deserves access to quality mental health care, and I am dedicated to providing a safe and non-judgmental space for individuals to explore their thoughts, emotions, and experiences.

What do you do in your spare time?

You can usually find me in one of three places, the kitchen, playing a video game, or being out in nature. I love to go camping when the weather cooperates and nothing beats catching a fish or two for dinner. When the weather doesn’t play nice, I will usually cook up a lil something something and either fall down a Wikipedia rabbit hole, or indulge in some video games.

Joining me for most of these activities would be my wife Pri, and our little doggo Jefe. When we can we like to travel to obscure places in the world, the top of my wife's list right now is Uzbekistan.

What is a skill that you are currently working on?

At the moment my focus has been on collaborating and developing plans to foster mental health awareness and accessibility of counselling in Egypt. This has been a particularly challenging endeavor as the notion of mental health as we know it here, is practically non-existent in that region of the world. Despite the obstacles in our path, this journey is near and dear to me and has been immensely rewarding and insightful, the best part of it is we are just getting started.

What motivates or inspires you?

What motivates me is knowledge, nothing is more fulfilling to me than learning something new. I have always held the notion knowledge is power, the more we know about something the better we become at using it for our advantage. I have dedicated my life to this pursuit of knowledge, specifically towards human behaviour.

What inspires me is human perseverance, that despite the cards we are dealt we all strive to better ourselves and those we care for. I am fortunate that I get to be a part of this journey and witness this perseverance everyday with my clients.

Available for:

Anxiety-related symptoms (GAD, Phobia, Panic, Social, etc.) | Addictions | Relationship Issues | Existential Crisis | Depression | Exposure Therapy | Self-awareness & Value exploration | Trauma Informed Care | Self-Worth | Gambling | PTSD | Stress & Burnout | Assertiveness Training | Anger Management | Self Esteem | and much more...