Adijat Adekunle is a Registered Social Worker and earned her Master of Social Work from Dalhousie University, following a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from the University of Saskatchewan and a Bachelor of Social Work from the University of Regina. Adijat has spent her career creating spaces for people to heal. She strongly believes in starting discourses on how mental health is deeply influenced by systemic inequities and the trauma of oppression, especially on the well-being of Black, Indigenous, and People of Colour (BIPOC).
Adijat is equipped to support those with experiences of addiction, intergenerational trauma, intercultural challenges, gender and sexual diversity, (dis)ability and other mental health issues, as well as providing clinical services to children, youths and adults. She is trained in Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT) motivational interviewing, trauma-informed care, play therapy, systems theory, and her person-centred approach is deeply informed by lived experience.
Adijat’s therapeutic and educational approach is committed to solidarity work that effectively addresses inequities based on race, gender, class, ability, gender identity and sexual orientation and strives to decolonize mental health. Sitting down with her in therapy or participating in a learning experience means a safe place of nonjudgement, acceptance and patience, where she will work as a partner to help identify your strengths, reach your goals, and empower yourself not only in your own life, but in your community and beyond.
Adijat is passionate about social justice work and never stops thinking about the deeper root causes of mental and emotional health, and professional and personal ‘successes’ and ‘failures’ that can be mostly beyond our control. As a person with many intersecting identities, she is particularly tuned into unique issues, strengths and gifts of diverse communities, and knows how important it is to honour those identities. You are not just one thing, and neither is she.
Adijat co-founded Heartfire to learn, teach, guide and support our community members in resistance to oppression, be it in the clinic, classroom, or halls of power.
You can reach Adijat at 306-384-3473 or the website: heartfire.ca/team