Meet Polly
Polly Sidher is the Founder and Psychotherapist of Moksha Counselling, Therapy & Consulting Services. She has been involved with non-profit organizations, various social causes, and as a Social Worker collectively for over fifteen years.
Polly’s education consists of a Degree in Arts, a Bachelor Degree and a Masters Degree in Social Work. With these work and educational qualifications, she fuels her passion to therapeutically help others by compassionately supporting, informing and empowering individuals, couples, and families.
Personal Quote
“I believe that I am a compassionate, proactive and resilient human being and I look forward to combining my educational, work and personal life experiences to making a difference in YOUR life! ”
Her Journey’s Beginnings
While completing her Degree in Arts, she was volunteering for Riverview Hospital and working for the Surrey Memorial Hospital Foundation.
During this time, Polly became intrigued with the true giving nature of the ‘helping professions’. It was these early roles as a volunteer, employee, and active community member that the career of Social Work began to resonate with her spirit.
As a Youth Community Action Program (YCAP) participant, Summer Career Placement student, a Youth Board Member and as a Summer Recreation Worker (for Surrey Parks Recreation and Culture together with the Surrey Association for Community Living), Polly decided to further her Social Work related experience.
A Fork in Polly’s Road
Things however, took a turn during Polly’s last year of completing her Degree at the University of British Columbia. She began to suffer from complex medical symptoms and after visiting many specialists; she was eventually diagnosed with an Autoimmune Disorder and a Congenital Heart Condition. Since her diagnosis, she has successfully undergone heart surgery several years ago and has recovered well.
Polly has also struggled with anxiety as a child and suffered from a major bout of depression during her teenage years. And she continues to apply techniques in her own life to balance these chronic conditions. Some of these techniques include: Mindfulness, Meditation and Yoga which she actively incorporates in her work with her clients. Polly understands the debilitating nature of chronic conditions such as anxiety and depression in one’s life and uses her personal struggles and educational knowledge to compassionately support others impacted by these conditions.
Polly continues to use her formal education coupled with her own health challenges within the areas of medical social work by practicing treatment modalities such as Mindfulness, CBT, the ACT Model and new life changing research on neuroplasticity with her clients. In her free time, Polly has been practicing Yoga for over ten years, enjoys kick-boxing, and in the summer she loves attending live outdoor concerts and music festivals.
Finally, Polly values her chance to build a healthier and more balanced quality of life which has been pivotal towards re-aligning with her life purpose. She looks forward to assisting her clients to also re-align with aspects of themselves and their lives to live healthier, happier, peaceful, joyous, harmonious, meaningful more balanced and loving lives!
The Rest of Polly’s Professional Journey
After completing her Bachelor Degree in Social Work, Polly travelled to the United Kingdom for some life and work experience. There she worked as a Social Worker in the Hounslow Children with Disabilities, Hounslow Family Placement, and the Ealing Leaving Care Teams. She has also worked on the Ivybridge Family Support Project for the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC) and on the Child Protection and Family Support Teams in Hammersmith and Fulham Children’s Social Services in London.
Since returning from the United Kingdom, Polly has been employed by many agencies such as U.N.I.T.E.D. [United Network of Indo-Canadians for Togetherness Through Education & Discussion]; a youth-based South Asian organization. She has also worked for a Transition house, and a Shelter for women and children and she has been employed by the Ministry of Children and Family Development on an Aboriginal team. She is currently the Founder of Moksha Counselling, Therapy & Consulting Services.
Since completing her Master’s in Social Work, Polly was employed by a Family Health Team in Kingston, Ontario. This experience has been so profound for Polly, that she has continued to focus on diversifying within the area of medical social work while re-fuelling her passion for working in the areas of counselling and psychotherapy for individuals, couples and families all. Moksha Counselling, Therapy & Consulting Services caters to significant community needs within Toronto and surrounding Greater Toronto areas, close to Mississauga, Ontario.
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