About Twish
More than a name, Twish is an invitation. Therapy With Shimul, but also a twinkle, a gentle shift, a spark of hope. The quiet light that grows when you finally feel seen.
A sanctuary for those who live between worlds. Between cultures, identities, and life's many transitions. Here, you will find space to breathe, clarity to move forward, and the confidence to embrace your journey exactly as it is.
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Shimul Rajput
Registered Psychotherapist (Qualifying) • MACP, Yorkville University
Shimul Rajput is a Registered Psychotherapist (Qualifying) with the College of Registered Psychotherapists of Ontario (CRPO Registration #18680) and an active member of the Canadian Counselling and Psychotherapy Association (CCPA). She holds a Master of Arts in Counselling Psychology from Yorkville University, along with a double major in Psychology and Sociology and an Honours Bachelor of Science in Public Health and Biology from the University of Toronto.
With over four years of dedicated clinical experience spanning private practice, hospital-based mental health support, addiction counselling, and culturally responsive psychotherapy, Shimul brings both depth and genuine compassion to every client she works with.
Her path into psychotherapy was deeply personal. She witnessed how many people, particularly those navigating the intersection of cultural expectations and personal struggles, carried their pain in silence. Quietly, invisibly, convinced that asking for help was a sign of weakness. That realization became her calling. Shimul built Twish to be the space she wished had existed: a place where you can finally put down what you have been carrying.
Sessions are available in English, Hindi, and Punjabi, in-person at both her Mississauga and Markham locations, and virtually across Canada.
Therapy that fits you, not the other way around
Shimul's therapeutic style is integrative and deeply personalized. She does not believe in applying a single rigid framework to every person. Instead, she draws from a wide range of evidence-based approaches and shapes each session around the individual in front of her, their personality, culture, values, and life story.
At the heart of her work is a commitment to what she calls decolonizing therapy. To her, this means moving beyond rigid Western clinical models to create a space that genuinely honours each client's cultural background, family systems, generational experiences, spirituality, and personal values. Therapy should never feel foreign or one-size-fits-all. It should feel like it was built for you.
She is especially passionate about helping people navigate the tension between collectivistic and individualistic worlds: the weight of family expectations alongside personal ambition, cultural values alongside individual identity, tradition alongside the need to grow. These are not problems to be solved. They are experiences to be understood, held, and worked through with care.
On Decolonizing Therapy
For me, decolonizing therapy means moving beyond rigid Western clinical models to create a space that truly honours each client's cultural background, family systems, generational experiences, spirituality, and personal values. It means adapting therapy to the person in front of me, making it feel human, relevant, and safe rather than clinical or one-size-fits-all. Your story does not need to be translated to fit a framework that was never built for you.
On the First Session
I want every client to leave their first session feeling genuinely safe, seen, and respected. Starting therapy can feel vulnerable, especially when you have carried your emotions alone for years. My priority is to create a warm, non-judgmental space where you can begin opening up at your own pace. There is no script, no test, and no expectation. You set the direction entirely.
On What Makes Her Approach Different
My strength lies in bridging collectivistic and individualistic worlds. I deeply understand the tensions many people face between family expectations, cultural values, personal ambition, and emotional needs. I help clients process their experiences within their real-life cultural and relational context, while blending emotional depth with practical tools for meaningful, everyday change. Therapy should never feel like it belongs to someone else's life.
On Why She Does This Work
My path into psychotherapy was deeply personal. I witnessed how many people, including those close to me, carried silent burdens. Unresolved trauma, emotional pain, and mental health struggles they felt unsafe to voice. My involvement in mental health advocacy during university showed me that awareness alone was not enough. People needed warm, judgment-free spaces where they could finally be heard and heal. That realization became my calling and Twish became my answer.
Grounded in evidence, guided by empathy
Every method Shimul uses is chosen intentionally for the person in front of her. Here is what that looks like in practice.
CBT and DBT
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy and Dialectical Behaviour Therapy help you challenge unhelpful thought patterns, regulate difficult emotions, and build practical coping skills for everyday life. Especially effective for anxiety, depression, and emotional dysregulation.
EFCT for Couples
Emotionally Focused Couples Therapy identifies the negative interaction cycles that keep partners feeling disconnected. Shimul helps couples move from conflict and distance toward a more secure, trusting emotional bond.
Narrative Therapy
You are not your problems. Narrative therapy helps you separate your identity from the struggles you face, reauthor your story, and reconnect with your own strengths, values, and sense of agency.
Mindfulness and Regulation
Present-moment awareness practices to reduce anxiety, process difficult emotions without being overwhelmed, and develop a steadier, more compassionate relationship with yourself and your inner world.
Trauma-Informed Care
Every session is held with deep awareness of how past experiences shape the present. Safety, trust, and pacing are never negotiable. Healing happens at your pace, not on a clinical schedule.
Cultural Sensitivity
Therapy that honours your cultural background, immigration journey, intergenerational dynamics, family systems, and the spiritual frameworks that shape who you are. Your culture is not a barrier. It is part of the work.
What to expect when you reach out
Starting therapy can feel daunting, especially if you have never done it before. Shimul wants you to know exactly what the process looks like so there are no surprises.
Book your free 15-minute consult
A no-pressure conversation to see if you and Shimul are a good fit. You can ask questions, share what brought you here, and get a feel for how she works. No commitment required.
Your first full session
Shimul will listen without judgment. She will ask thoughtful questions to understand your story, your goals, and what kind of support would feel most helpful. You set the pace entirely.
Your personalized plan
Together you will define what you want to work toward, how often to meet, and which approaches feel right. Nothing is imposed. Everything is collaborative and tailored to you.
Two locations, one commitment
In-person sessions in Mississauga and Markham, and virtual sessions available across Canada.
Mississauga
365 Prince of Wales Dr, Mississauga, ON L5B 0G6. Conveniently located and accessible, with flexible appointment times including evenings.
Wed 10am to 8pm, Thu 12pm to 9pm, Fri 10am to 6pm
Markham
10 Villa Ada Drive, Markham, Ontario. Serving clients across the York Region with the same warmth, care, and confidentiality as every Twish session.
virtual sessions available across Canada
The foundation of Shimul's expertise
Master of Arts in Counselling Psychology (MACP)
Yorkville University, December 2024. Shimul's graduate training equipped her with advanced competencies in evidence-based psychotherapy modalities, clinical assessment, ethical practice, and culturally responsive care. Her master's program included extensive supervised clinical hours working directly with diverse client populations across a range of mental health presentations.
Honours Bachelor of Science, University of Toronto
Double major in Psychology and Sociology (2019), plus an Honours BSc with High Distinction in Public Health and Biology. This interdisciplinary academic foundation allows Shimul to understand mental health through both psychological and holistic lenses, considering the mind-body connection, social determinants of health, and the broader environmental factors that shape our experiences.
Advanced Clinical Training
Beyond her formal degrees, Shimul has completed specialized training in Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, Dialectical Behaviour Therapy, and Emotionally Focused Couples Therapy. She continuously invests in professional development to ensure her clients receive care that reflects the most current, effective clinical evidence available.
Clinical Experience
Over four years of clinical practice spanning private practice psychotherapy, hospital-based mental health support programs, addiction counselling services, and culturally responsive community therapy. This breadth of real-world experience across diverse settings and client populations gives Shimul a depth of practical insight that formal training alone cannot provide.
You don't need to have it all figured out
Reaching out is the hardest part. Shimul is here to meet you exactly where you are, without judgment, without pressure, and without expectations.
Book Free 15-Min Consult