Our Services

Mental Health Support

You've carried a lot. It's time to stop carrying it alone.

Support for anxiety, body image, trauma, disordered eating, and the emotional impact of chronic illness — from therapists who understand the complexity of what you're navigating.

Maybe you’re here because your life and body has changed in ways you didn’t expect. Maybe you’re navigating chronic illness, body image struggles, anxiety, relationship changes or a season of life that feels heavier than expected. Whatever brought you here, you don’t have to figure it out alone.

At Nest & Nurture, our mental health team offers compassionate, trauma-informed care for people navigating complex relationships with themselves, their bodies, their health, and their lives.

Book a Free Meet and Greet

Direct billing available

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Direct billing available ✦

How We Help

You don’t need a single diagnosis or a perfectly defined problem to belong here. We’re comfortable with complexity and work collaboratively with your existing healthcare providers when needed.

When Your Relationship With Yourself Feels Hard

Support for:

  • Anxiety, overwhelm, and racing thoughts

  • Low self-worth and self-criticism

  • Body image struggles

  • Difficulty trusting yourself or your decisions

  • Shame, perfectionism, and feeling like you’re “never doing enough”

Support for:

  • Restriction, binge eating, or compulsive eating

  • The emotional impact of chronic illness

  • Adjusting to changes in your body

  • The mental load of managing symptoms, appointments and healthcare decisions

When Food, Health, or Your Body Feel Complicated

Support for:

  • Adverse life events

  • Mood disorders and emotional regulation challenges

  • Life transitions

  • Relationship and family stress

  • Co-occurring mental health concerns

When Life Experiences Feel Heavy to Carry Alone

Affirming, Inclusive Care

We recognize that your identity and lived experiences shape how you move through the world. We provide affirming care that respects your cultural background, gender identity, lived experiences, values, and the communities you’re part of.

We also support clients navigating the impact of stigma, discrimination, or feeling unseen and misunderstood.

Book a Free Meet and Greet

Therapy Can Help You Develop:

A deeper understanding of your emotions, patterns, and triggers

Tools to navigate anxiety and difficult moments

A more compassionate relationship with yourself and your body

Greater confidence in setting boundaries and expressing your needs

Less shame around your experiences

Stronger coping strategies for life transitions and stress

A sense of support instead of managing everything alone

Meet our Therapists

Tamana Azizi, BSW, MSW, RSW

  • Hi, I’m Tamana! I’m a therapist and social worker who has deep experience supporting individuals across health and mental health settings, with a particular focus on emotional eating, body image, chronic health conditions, anxiety, stress, and life transitions.

    Living with a chronic health condition can affect so much more than your physical health. It can impact your relationship with your body, your confidence, your identity, and your overall well-being. My philosophy of practice is rooted in creating a warm, collaborative, trauma-informed, and non-judgmental space where clients feel seen, heard, and supported.

    I recognize that every person’s health journey is unique, and I strive to honour each individual’s values, culture, and lived experiences.

    My work focuses on supporting individuals navigating the emotional impact of metabolic, hormonal and reproductive health concerns, alongside body image, emotional eating, stress, anxiety and major life transitions.

    Having worked within an interdisciplinary healthcare team alongside physicians, nurses, and dietitians, I understand the complex relationship between physical and emotional health.

    I aim to help clients better understand themselves, strengthen their relationship with themselves, and move toward lasting change in ways that honour their unique experiences and values.

    My therapeutic approach is person-centred and trauma-informed, drawing from Cognitive Behavioural

    Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT), Solution-Focused Therapy, mindfulness-based interventions, and Motivational Interviewing. Together, we will work toward developing supportive coping strategies while building greater self-compassion and resilience.

    As a woman of colour, I also understand the importance of culturally responsive care and recognize how culture, identity, family, and lived experiences shape our relationship with both our mental and physical health. I am passionate about creating an inclusive space where clients feel safe bringing their whole selves into therapy.

    Wherever you are in your journey, I look forward to supporting you with compassion, curiosity, and care.

  • Master of Social Work, University of Toronto
    Bachelor of Social Work, York University
    DBT Essentials (In progress)
    Eating Disorder Sensitive: Education for Mental Health Care Providers, Body Brave
    Mental Health First Aid, Mental Health Commission of Canada
    Suicide Prevention, Risk Assessment & Management (SPRAM), Alberta Health Services

Maria Gaydarova, MSW, RSW

  • Hi! My name is Maria Gaydarova (she/her), and I am a Registered Social Worker (BSc, MSW, RSW). I support individuals navigating anxiety, depression, trauma, life transitions, relationship challenges, emotion regulation difficulties, and concerns related to self-esteem, body image, and eating disorders. While I work with a range of concerns, I have specialized experience supporting individuals navigating body image concerns and eating disorders. My goal is to create a warm, collaborative space where you feel heard and understood while gaining insight into your experiences and developing practical tools for lasting change.

    My experience across hospital, community, and specialized eating disorder settings has taught me that there is no one-size-fits-all approach to therapy. Every person's story is unique, and meaningful change begins with understanding your experiences, strengths, and goals.

    I believe that our thoughts, emotions, and behaviours often make sense in the context of our experiences, relationships, and environment. Together, we will work to better understand these patterns while building practical skills that support meaningful and lasting change. 

    My practice is grounded in client-centred, trauma-informed, weight-neutral, strengths-based, and anti-oppressive perspectives. I draw from Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT), and mindfulness-based approaches while tailoring therapy to your goals, values, and lived experiences. I strive to create an LGBTQIA+ and neurodiversity-affirming space where clients feel safe bringing their authentic selves to therapy. My hope is that therapy becomes a place where you not only develop new coping strategies, but also deepen your self-understanding, cultivate self-compassion, and build confidence in navigating life's challenges.

     Outside of work, I enjoy spending time with my cat, Willow, dancing, going to concerts, and trying new baking recipes.

    I know that finding the right therapist is an important decision, and I am excited to connect with you during a free 15-minute meet-and-greet so we can explore whether working together feels like a good fit.

  • Master of Social Work, University of Toronto
    HBSc (Psychology, Neuroscience and Behaviour), McMaster University
    DBT Certification, PESI Canada
    Eating Disorder Sensitive: Education for Mental Health Care Providers, Body Brave
    Suicide First Aid, LivingWorks ASIST
    Non-Violent Crisis Intervention, Crisis Prevention Institute
    Cognitive Behavioural Theories and Clinical Social Work PracticeAdvanced Social Work, University of Toronto
    Practice with Couples, University of Toronto
    Social Work and Disability Practice: A Client and Family Centred Approach, University of Toronto

Book a Free Meet and Greet

Frequently Asked Questions

  • Absolutely. Starting therapy can feel vulnerable, especially if it's your first time or you've had difficult experiences with healthcare in the past. Our goal is to create a space where you feel heard, respected, and able to move at a pace that feels right for you.

  • No. You can book directly with one of our mental health clinicians — no referral, diagnosis, or previous experience with therapy is required.

  • Our Registered Social Workers' services are covered by many extended health benefit plans under Registered Social Worker (RSW). Because every insurance plan is different, we recommend checking with your provider to confirm your specific benefits. The service may also be eligible under a Health Spending Account.

  • Finding the right therapist matters. Your free 15-minute consultation is a chance to connect with your potential therapist, share what you’re looking for support with, and learn more about how they work. It’s an opportunity to see whether their approach, experience, and personality feel aligned with what you need.

    You don’t need to have everything figured out before booking. The goal is simply to start the conversation and see if it feels like the right fit.

  • No. You do not need a diagnosis or a clear label for what you’re experiencing to seek support. Many people come to therapy because they feel overwhelmed, disconnected, stuck, or simply want support navigating a difficult season of life.

    You deserve support even if you don’t have the perfect words to explain what you’re going through.

  • Yes. Many of our clients choose to combine mental health support with nutrition counselling or nurse practitioner care as part of a more connected approach to their wellbeing.

    We recognize that mental health, food, hormones, physical health, and life experiences often overlap. Having support from different members of our team can help you feel more supported from different angles while still respecting your individual goals and needs.

    Mental health support can also be accessed as a standalone service — you do not need to be a current Nest & Nurture nutrition or medical client to book.

  • No. Our mental health services are not designed for urgent crisis or emergency situations. If you are experiencing an immediate safety concern or mental health crisis, please contact emergency services or visit your nearest emergency department.

  • The frequency of sessions depends on your goals, needs, and what feels supportive for you. Many clients begin with weekly or bi-weekly sessions and adjust over time as their needs change.

    Your therapist will work with you to create a plan that feels appropriate and sustainable.

Direct Billing Available for Therapy in Ontario

You may be eligible for direct billing with most major Canadian insurance providers.

That means:

  • $0 upfront for eligible, covered sessions

  • No large prepayments

  • No financial barriers before you even start

Available for: Sunlife, Canada Life, iA Financial Group, Desjardins, Equitable, Johnston group, The Public Services Health Care Plan, UV Insurance, MDM Insurance Services, Claimsecure, Beneva, SSQ Insurance