Welcome to my website!
I’m Payvand, a PhD candidate in clinical psychology and a psychoanalytic psychotherapist based in Toronto, Ontario. I work with individuals with a wide range of emotional and relational challenges, including anxiety, depression, identity questions, and the complex inner lives of immigrants and those living between cultures. I offer both online and in-person sessions.
I have over 11 years of experience working in private practice with late adolescents and young adults. As a psychoanalytic therapist, I actively update my knowledge and refine my skills through a commitment to the triad of training, supervision, and personal psychotherapy.
My Practice
My practice (online and in-person) is more inclined toward psychoanalytic and psychodynamic therapies. It's grounded in curiosity, depth, and respect. I am committed to an anti-oppressive, culturally sensitive, and trauma-informed practice. I welcome all parts of you into the room, including those shaped by migration, marginalization, or oppression.
In therapy, we learn to slow down and listen closely—not only to what is spoken, but to what emerges in repetition, in conflict, in dreams. Over time, this process can create space for greater clarity, freedom, and emotional truth. If you feel ready to begin—or even unsure but curious—I would be honored to accompany you.
About Psychotherapy
In the 'Read more' page, you can find some basic information about the premises and process of psychoanalytic and psychodynamic therapy. I’ve tried to draw a roughly accurate picture of what you may expect from therapy, though in practice no two individuals will share the same journey. Your experience will be unique to you and your therapist—and that is the beauty of it. I hope the information here helps you make a more informed decision, but I encourage you to approach therapy as an experiential challenge: one that can strengthen and expand your boundaries, bring greater clarity to your mind, and, hopefully, touch your heart deeply.
