About Dr. Taslim Alani-Verjee

Dr. Taslim Alani-Verjee is a Clinical Psychologist, Keynote Speaker, and Instructor. She believes that people are much more than the problems with which they present. People are resilient and complex. She does not assume to know what is best for an individual, organization or community. She listens, learns, and applies what she knows to help solve problems and foster growth.

Dr. Taslim recognizes that we live in societies where there are injustices. Not everyone has equal opportunities and not everyone, unfortunately, is seen to have the same value. She uses a social justice, trauma-informed and culturally humble approach in the work that she does. She understands how power and privilege can show up, and how it can affect each of us in every part of our lives. She notices, and she seeks to address and correct this through her community and advocacy work. Dr. Taslim pairs her passion for inclusivity with her knowledge of mental health to make sustainable change in the communities with whom she works.

Dr. Taslim is the Founder and Director of Silm Centre for Mental Health, a community- and social justice-oriented practice that seeks to make mental health services more accessible and equitable. She is a keynote speaker and workshop facilitatory. She teaches and supervises future psychotherapists and psychologists. She has affiliations at Lakehead University and Adler Graduate Professional School.

Areas of Expertise for Speaking Engagement and Workshops

• Inclusivity in the Workplace
• Promoting Mental Health
• Decreasing Mental Health Stigma
• Addressing Oppression
• The Value of Cultural Humility in the Workplace
• Culturally-Grounded Adaptations to Therapy (including Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Dialectical Behaviour Therapy, and Cognitive Behavioural Therapy)
• Anti-Oppressive Leadership
• Self-Care and Burnout
• Anxiety and Stress Management
• Building Cohesive and Healthy Teams
• De-Escalation Training

Dr. Taslim’s approach to consultation and workshops varies based on the needs of the group with whom she is working. She will seek to gain a deep understanding of the needs of the group, and then tailor her approaches according to these needs. She does not take a one-size-fits-all approach, as she recognizes that this often leads to unsustainable and ineffective results.

Education

Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology, Lakehead University, 2016
M.A. in Clinical Psychology with Specialization in Women’s Studies, Lakehead University, 2012
M.A. in International Development Studies, Dalhousie University, 2010
B.A. Honours Specialization in Psychology, University of Western Ontario, 2009