Trauma-Focused ACT
With Russ Harris, in progress.
20+Years in counselling
Komal Pithava
Registered Psychotherapist, C.S. Counselling & Consulting Services
Counselling in English, Hindi, and Gujarati
Coping is not the same as being alright.
Plenty of people arrive at therapy functioning perfectly well on paper. They are holding down the job, running the household, and answering the messages. What they have lost is any sense of why, and somewhere along the way the whole thing became something to get through rather than something they are in.
Komal's work often starts there. Not by removing a feeling, but by working out what matters to you and why it has become so hard to act on it.
About Komal
Komal holds a master's degree in counselling psychology from SNDT Women's University in Mumbai and has over six years of experience in counselling, school settings, and behavioural therapy.
She is registered with the College of Registered Psychotherapists of Ontario as a Registered Psychotherapist and is a member of the Association for Contextual Behavioural Science.
- Professional Designation
- Registered Psychotherapist (Qualifying), RP (Qualifying)
- Registration
- College of Registered Psychotherapists of Ontario (CRPO), registration number 21875
- Professional Membership
- Association for Contextual Behavioural Science (ACBS)
- Education
- Master's degree in Counselling Psychology, SNDT Women's University, Mumbai (Maniben Nanavati Women's College)
- Professional Experience
- Over 6 years
- Populations Served
- Teenagers, adults, and families
- Languages
- English, Hindi, Gujarati
- Location
- Brampton, Ontario
- Availability
- In person and online. Evening appointments Monday, Friday, and Saturday
- Currently accepting new clients
- Yes
Additional Training
Komal continues to build specialist training alongside her clinical work.
Trauma-Informed Psychological Interventions
CORE, 2025.
Psychological First Aid
Johns Hopkins University, 2022.
Respect Ethnic and Racial Differences
Completed in 2024.
In Her Own Words
“I take a warm, collaborative, and compassionate approach to therapy, creating a safe space where clients can feel heard, understood, and supported without judgment. I draw from ACT, trauma-informed practice, mindfulness, and CBT-informed strategies to help clients better understand their experiences, connect with what matters to them, and develop practical ways of responding to life's challenges with greater awareness and flexibility.”
What “Qualifying” Means
A recognized stage of professional registration.
Komal is registered with CRPO in the qualifying category. This is a recognized stage of registration for psychotherapists who have completed their core training and are building supervised practice hours toward full registration.
She is regulated by the same college and held to the same professional and ethical standards as any other registrant.
Her registration can be verified through the CRPO public register.
What You Can Talk About With Komal
Depending on your needs and her professional scope, counselling with Komal may cover:
Anxiety and panic
Depression
Stress and emotional overwhelm
Emotional regulation
Trauma and trauma-related concerns
Burnout
Self-esteem and self-exploration
Interpersonal and relationship concerns
Life transitions and adjustment
Neurodivergence
She works with teenagers, adults, and families.
Burnout, and the People Who Do Not Notice They Are In It
Burnout rarely announces itself. It accumulates, and by the time someone recognizes it, they have usually been running on very little for months.
It also tends to affect people who are managing. That is part of why it goes unaddressed for so long. Nothing has visibly collapsed. The work is still getting done. What has gone is the capacity to enjoy any of it and often the ability to rest without feeling that rest needs to be earned.
The useful question is generally not how to push through more efficiently. It is what has drained the tank and what has quietly been given up in order to keep going.
Working in Hindi and Gujarati
You can be entirely fluent in English and still find it is not the language your feelings live in.
People often describe something painful in English and notice the account comes out flat, correct, and somehow not true. Certain words exist in one language and have no real equivalent in another, and the near-translation loses whatever made it worth saying.
Komal works in English, Hindi, and Gujarati. Clients are not asked to pick one and stay there. Many people work mostly in English and move into another language when something matters.
If it would help to speak in Hindi or Gujarati, mention it when you get in touch.
Her Approach
Komal works in an integrative way, drawing on several approaches depending on what a person needs.
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)
Focuses less on eliminating difficult thoughts and feelings and more on reducing their grip, so you can act on what matters while they are present. Komal is an ACBS member and is completing Trauma-Focused ACT training with Russ Harris.
Trauma-informed practice
The work is paced and structured with an awareness of how difficult experiences affect a person, rather than pushing for disclosure or moving faster than is useful.
Client-centred therapy
In client-centred and person-centred therapy, you lead the direction of the work.
Compassion-focused approaches
Address the harsh internal commentary that often accompanies anxiety, burnout, and low self-worth.
CBT-informed strategies
Examine the links between thoughts, feelings, and behaviours.
Mindfulness and emotional regulation
Mindfulness-based interventions, grounding, and emotional regulation techniques build the ability to notice a reaction arriving before it takes over.
Values-based interventions
Clarify what actually matters to you, as distinct from what you think should matter.
Expressive arts-based techniques
Where appropriate, these offer a route to material that is difficult to reach in conversation.
Where Her Experience Comes From
Before joining C.S. Counselling, Komal worked at Aim Pediatric Therapy, where she provided behavioural and ABA therapy for children and young people on the autism spectrum. She has also worked in school counselling, too.
Both shape how she works. Behavioural experience creates a habit of asking what a behaviour is achieving for someone before deciding it needs to stop. School counselling means familiarity with academic pressure and with how much of it comes from outside the classroom.
Is Komal the Right Therapist for Me?
She may be a good fit if you are looking for someone who brings:
- Sessions in Hindi or Gujarati as well as English
- Training in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, including trauma-focused ACT
- A trauma-informed, carefully paced approach
- Experience with burnout, emotional regulation, and neurodivergence
- Experience with teenagers as well as adults
- Evening appointments on Monday, Friday, or Saturday, which suit people who cannot attend during working hours
- A warm, collaborative style rather than a directive one
If you are unsure, the free 30-minute consultation is a conversation about what has been happening rather than a commitment, and working out who is the right fit is part of its purpose.
Professional Registration and Verification
Komal is registered with the College of Registered Psychotherapists of Ontario as a Registered Psychotherapist (Qualifying), registration number 21875. Registration can be verified through the college's public register.
She is also a member of the Association for Contextual Behavioural Science.
Start With a Conversation With Komal
You do not need a diagnosis, a referral, or the right words to begin.
Tell us what has been happening, and we will see if Komal or another team member is the right place to start.
C.S. Counselling & Consulting Services2250 Bovaird Drive E, Suite 408
Brampton, ON L6R 0W3
Brampton, ON L6R 0W3
If you are in immediate danger or distress, please contact emergency services or a local crisis line. Ongoing counselling is not an emergency service.