Parul Shah

Parul Shah Welcome to the Official page CEO, Founder & Psychotherapist of , Parul Shah!

When heightened by triggers, Our emotions and nervous system dysregulates . Therefore constantly feeling “engarde”. To r...
10/28/2025

When heightened by triggers, Our emotions and nervous system dysregulates . Therefore constantly feeling “engarde”. To reduce triggers, our body must have attention first. So, Where are you holding your hurt and pain? . We begin there.

Humbled and honoured to be in collaboration with Neuropure!Neuropure is a space where they combine decluttering physical...
10/26/2025

Humbled and honoured to be in collaboration with Neuropure!

Neuropure is a space where they combine decluttering physical spaces while realigning our mental capacity.

Embracing Empowerment Counselling Services will be providing Trauma Peer Support , whether it’s before, during or after the physical clutter.

Hoarding & “Clutter chaos” is based on psychological trauma & can happen to anyone, especially in unresolved spaces.

Throwing things away isn’t the answer. Understanding what got us here gets us to understand that “filling the void” can create trauma clusters .

Whether you are a first responder, a public safety professional or in frontline, what happens to us within the uniform, can manifest in our physical spaces.

Crossing any line towards recovery, is unlearning the chaos and rediscovering mental & physical spaces that provides a customized path towards your healing & growth.

To know more about Neuropure, please go to https://www.neuropure.ca

Throwback Thursday Lessons that changed my life.This picture was taken in December 2015, while at my annual childhood fa...
10/23/2025

Throwback Thursday Lessons that changed my life.

This picture was taken in December 2015, while at my annual childhood family vacation of over 40 years.

What you may see is a woman “happy, relaxing and enjoying the sun”

What you don’t see is the havoc , the invisible scars that was eventually spilled out as sanctuary trauma; narcisstic abuse, a toxic workplace.

The shame and guilt I carried myself the following year was only internalized until my body kept a hefty score.

It “forced” me to see my hurt and pain for what it was.

I was not “100 percent” ready but it was going to affect everything I worked so hard for.

In 2024, I relived this, by being the “yes person”

In the beginning of this year, I was called the names for the same reasons I left a space in 2016.

Fast forward to today. I’ve learned & (relearned about 100 times after ) some things about myself after this picture.

1. I’m allowed to place a boundary.

2. I’m allowed to say no.

3. I’m allowed to keep things sacred.

4. I’m allowed to be transparent. Brutally transparent.

5. I’m allowed to share.

6. I’m allowed to say no to my people pleasing.

7. I’m allowed to be a processor, an observer.

8. I’m allowed to be loud. Loudness has a misconception. I like to debunk it. Loudness doesn’t mean the person is toxic or harassing. It means their patience threshold is bursting as they weren’t seen as valued, understood , respected as a teacher, as a mentor. Teachers/Leaders in any form often get blamed for the things they were not the primary cause . Loudness arrives when they had enough . You can’t build someone up while undermining your intelligence. Building our predecessors means being okay to hear the hard stuff. It’s not always sunshine and rainbows.

9. I’m allowed to wear anything that makes me feel good.

10. I’m allowed to say no more.

11. I’m allowed to walk away.

12. I’m allowed to Listen to my gut

13. I’m allowed to heal.

14. Im allowed to heal.

15. Im allowed to heal.

Moral of my story is: NO ONE is owning your story line. It is up to you how you want to see this play out. As scary and terrifying as it is, you must save yourself first before you are there for someone else.

My people pleasing creeps it’s little head from time to time , like a Halloween scary movie - yet for me to understand my reaction is not trauma itself, it’s the response my nervous system is sharing from what happened to me.

Yet, no one should be dragged across social media with a narrative that doesn’t make sense.

Own your story. You will ruffle feathers.

It’s okay to not be okay sometimes.

Reach outs are extremely difficult yet so rewarding for your soul.

Be safe out there. Listen to your gut. And follow that path .

Thank you all for the beautiful well wishes of being part of my regulated college for over 23 years!I started in Child p...
10/17/2025

Thank you all for the beautiful well wishes of being part of my regulated college for over 23 years!

I started in Child protection and ended up building a private practice .

But it is the in between that taught me a lot about myself.

I’ve been through the trenches from being the “yes” person. I was used for knowledge, thrown in the trash and came out with much strength and resilience.

This year was no exception.

From receiving a cease and desist from a former mentee, it shared a lot about them than about me.

I took it with stride , humility and used their harsh words as a place of self- forgiveness .

It takes guts to overcome the coercion, manipulation , or as we call , betrayal trauma.

I’ve relearned that I’m not everyone’s cup of tea.

I’ve relearned others have a right to their opinion.

It’s how I react & respond that changes the course of my life.

Since then, my business has built, exponentially.

From event planning, to hosting my first solo event, to sponsorships of local and provincial events, I am grateful for those hardships.

It made me fight more for what I’m worth.

As I’ve been nominated for Canadian Choice Award, I believe regardless of being a finalists or not, it’s not the win that matters.

It’s knowing I have made it after each darkness.

My worth isn’t defined by number of clients, awards, or constant accolades . It’s defined by what I believe in the inside.

My flaws and rawness makes me a better human and a better psychotherapist.

None of us have our s..t together.

Yet, how we own it, allows others to understand boundary setting; what’s ours to own and what never ours to begin with.

As I get ready going into a DECADE in private practice, I continue to welcome the uncomfortable conversations:

Suicidal ideation
Mental and moral injury
Betrayal trauma
Sanctuary trauma
Cyber bullying
PTSD
Complex trauma
Workplace Trauma from an employee to an employer perspective.

It’s time we get comfortable with the uncomfortable.

Alive. Grateful. Blessed

Let’s chat about what is not tolerable. As humans we will always fumble regardless of a task, an event, a stage, an outc...
10/16/2025

Let’s chat about what is not tolerable. As humans we will always fumble regardless of a task, an event, a stage, an outcome. Yet, many who see you not succeed to where you want to be , or misuse your kindness ,will use your downfalls as a space to put you down or take advantage of your vulnerability . In trauma space, we may not recognize this yet, in trauma recovery we carry the heaviness of that outcome. Know, you do not need to tolerate someone , anyone, to treat you poorly based on the roadblocks or struggles you face. No one deserves to be mistreated. No one.

Trauma has many faces. Yet the one face we often ignore is the steps we took to overcome the hurt and pain. Gratitude i...
10/13/2025

Trauma has many faces. Yet the one face we often ignore is the steps we took to overcome the hurt and pain. Gratitude isn’t a natural process for those who have endured trauma. It takes courage , bravery and guts to shed the things that chained us down without diminishing who we are.

Always mindful that in the first responder world, many of their families are gathering without their loved one. Some hav...
10/11/2025

Always mindful that in the first responder world, many of their families are gathering without their loved one. Some have lost loved ones through unimaginable tragedies. Some may not get along with family members. And some are living in the despair of loneliness. Be gentle with the ones around you. You never know what they may carry . Kindness opens hearts that the mind can’t share.

In every corner of every city , every province, every country, someone is struggling to see their worth. It often takes ...
10/10/2025

In every corner of every city , every province, every country, someone is struggling to see their worth.

It often takes only one person to change the trajectory of someone else’s life.

Challenge coins are not just gifts, it is an absolute honour when you do receive one.

Last week at the event I hosted, I was presented with a challenge coin.

Challenge coins offer a historical perspective from both a military and a first responder standpoint.

On this , sometimes even in the midst of a crisis, it is in the non verbal cues that can mean much more than what you say to someone.

Sometimes, in the most chaotic spaces, nonverbal gestures can bring back clarity , even for that moment.

In every corner of every city , every province, every country, someone is struggling to see their worth. It often takes ...
10/10/2025

In every corner of every city , every province, every country, someone is struggling to see their worth.

It often takes only one person to change the trajectory of someone else’s life.

Challenge coins are not just gifts, it is an absolute honour when you do receive one.

Last week at the event I hosted, I was presented with a challenge coin.

Challenge coins offer a historical perspective from both a military and a first responder standpoint.

On this , sometimes even in the midst of a crisis, it is in the non verbal cues that can mean much more than what you say to someone.

Sometimes, in the most chaotic spaces, nonverbal gestures can bring back clarity , even for that moment.



Behind every hustle there is a person who is vulnerable.Vulnerability may seem powerful from the outside, but it is pret...
10/09/2025

Behind every hustle there is a person who is vulnerable.

Vulnerability may seem powerful from the outside, but it is pretty terrifying on the inside.

Will I be liked?

Will my message mean anything for them?

Will I be mocked?

Will anyone believe me?

Will I fail?

Will someone carry a different narrative about me?

In the era of technology , relevancy become pronounced.

You are “yesterday “ news if you don’t post something.

But are you really a past when all you are trying to do is share a message?

No. You Are not yesterday’s news.

Behind every hustle is a human trying do provide guidance, support.

Behind every hustle is a human trying to make it in this world while trying to make a difference.

This means more to me than just being a psychotherapist or a doctoral candidate. Accessibility to services in crisis are not as accessible. And sometimes when they are, there are fine prints not visible to the public that don’t match the outside message.

I’ve been that parent who saw first hand the rejection of help for their child and been told “ your injury is not serious enough, go home”

I’ve been that spouse who sees insurance companies dumb down , manipulate and even coerce that the mental & moral injury you carry is not real, so they don’t have to pay up what is much deserved.

I’ve been that person who was ridiculed & bullied by so called friends because I was feeling “off”.

I’ve been that CEO person in business when the going gets tough, the people who had once idolized you, project and narrate that they were the victim and you being the villain.

Accessibility in crisis starts somewhere but not only when our society is in crisis.

We need proactive measures that reduces the ongoing crisis . Crisis happens when you are pushed out through every angle and the “no choices” are made. Su***de is very real but so is passive suicidal ideation. Crisis management needs to be revamped . The person needs to be heard, seen and valued over being told that they cannot be helped.

I’ve lived this experience. I am trained in this experience but every human deserves much more than “being handled”.

We are not a statistic, or a number. We have feelings. Even when we are terrified to be vulnerable.

Stigma still exists in every corner of mental and moral injuries.

De-stigmatizing it requires us not to band-aid it. No more quick fixes. As the struggle will continue to resurface. Mental illness is NOT fixable. It’s managing our emotions, our triggers and regulating them ,is the guidance we need & deserve so that we can go from surviving to thriving.

Being vulnerable is extremely hard. And when someone is , let’s not take advantage of their stories to gain something from it. Humanize the struggle.

Behind every hustle there is someone just trying to make it in this chaotic, messy world.

Be mindful, kind, compassionate to the human behind every brand, behind every voice, behind every uniform, behind every post.



For those who live, breathe 911, many of us have learned through various services that when our loved ones head into a s...
10/09/2025

For those who live, breathe 911, many of us have learned through various services that when our loved ones head into a shift, our porch lights are left on.

An significant cue, to share that when they had a heavy shift , they know that someone is thinking of them; they know they aren’t alone; they know they have a safe place to return to; they know their way home.

As it’s , sharing that anyone in the 911 family can carry a heavy mental & psychological load that still has a hefty stigma sticker on it and it can trickle down to family members.

Our porch light is significant knowing there is a safe space to land, no words in that moment needs to be exchanged. So, Our porch lights are left on.

Personal story: when my husband was in HPS ( Hamilton) , spouses got together and initiated this analogy . And we just knew, that someone out there is waiting for their spouse’s mental & physical safe return.


The sadness surrounding mental health care is the rarity of continuity of care. There appears to be no consistency in na...
10/07/2025

The sadness surrounding mental health care is the rarity of continuity of care. There appears to be no consistency in navigating the health and mental health system. Anyone struggling will be asked the same questions by different professionals, making it daunting for anyone, including for first responders, public safety professionals when considering seeking help to take the first step.

What can become even more daunting is the belief that one does not deserve a care team. The perception of seeking guidance or support is often viewed as weak, unable to do the job, yet in reality, it is the opposite. Everyone deserves a care team that can include a doctor, psychologist, registered social worker, psychotherapist, mental health nurse and legal.

Mental health recovery requires a team. You deserve a team that provides a consistent level of transparency in care.

It’s time we support those who protect, serve our communities.



Address

Ottawa, ON

Opening Hours

Monday 8am - 8pm
Wednesday 8am - 8pm
Thursday 8am - 8pm
Saturday 9am - 3pm
Sunday 9am - 3pm

Telephone

+16139866737

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Parul Shah MSP, RSW

Parul Shah has over 20 years of experience in the Mental Health Field. Parul Shah is a privately owned Psychotherapist in the Ottawa area, focusing mainly on frontline personnel dealing with PTSD, anxiety, depression or anyone dealing with various traumas. The true understanding of frontline trauma often results either from self-experience or from living with someone who has a Mental Health Injury. Parul Shah continues to be a Clinical Support for A Peer Family based group called First Responders Family Resiliency Support Group Ottawa . She is also a Board Member for First Eyes, a Proactive Mental Health Program for Frontline and their families.

Parul Shah is also known for her public speaking and her daily inspiring posts and poems. Parul Shah has publicized a few of her poems over the span of 34 years.