Niwa Therapy Centre
Therapy for First Nations and Inuit clients
Niwa Therapy Centre is an enrolled NIHB Mental Health Counselling provider offering virtual psychotherapy to adults anywhere in Ontario. Eligible First Nations and Inuit clients pay nothing at any point — we bill Express Scripts Canada directly, and no physician referral is required.
$0
cost to client
22 hrs
per calendar year
Phone or video
anywhere in Ontario
When you connect someone
Here's exactly what happens after you send someone our way.
We reply within one business day
Your office hears back from us within one business day of the referral.
A free consultation within one week
We follow up with the client and offer a free consultation within one week.
No silent waitlists
If our schedule is full, you hear the same week — so you can connect the client elsewhere without losing time.
Consent before anything comes back
Nothing returns to your office — not even confirmation that intake happened — without the client's written consent (PHIPA).
How it works
Billing is handled directly.
We bill Express Scripts Canada. There are no forms for the client, no reimbursement to chase, and no money discussed between us and the client.
No physician referral is required.
A client can call us themselves, or your office can connect them. Self-referral is welcome.
Sessions work by phone or video.
Video where internet allows, phone where it doesn't. Both are covered the same way, and both work for clients in remote communities.
Clients choose their therapist.
If it isn't the right fit, we say so plainly and help the client find a better match.
Language and interpreters.
Our clinicians work in English, French, and Farsi. Clients are welcome to bring their own interpreter, and we'll work with them.
Prefer something to print or keep on file?
A one-page summary of everything here — ready to print or hand to a client.
Our clinicians
Pouya Bakhshaei, MD, Registered Psychotherapist (CRPO #15729) — English, Farsi
Sara Gharibi, Registered Psychotherapist (CRPO #9902) — English, French, Farsi
Both Pouya and Sara are enrolled NIHB providers, and Pouya already works with First Nations clients.
We're opening capacity, not closing it.
As our team grows, we're bringing on clinicians with training in intergenerational trauma.
How we work with Indigenous clients
We'd rather be honest about where we are than overstate it. Here is how we approach this work, and what a client can expect to have room for.
Trauma that has roots
Our clinicians work with intergenerational trauma, and we build our growing team around training in this area.
Elders and traditional healing
If a client wants to work alongside an Elder or traditional healing, we welcome it and work with it — therapy doesn't have to replace what already helps.
Bring someone with you
A client is welcome to bring a support person — family, a friend, or a worker from your organization — to the first conversation or beyond.
Privacy where it's hardest to find
In a small community, walking into a local office is its own announcement. Virtual and phone sessions mean a client can do this work without being seen doing it — from their own home, on their own terms, with no waiting room and no one to run into.
What we work with
Adults 18 and over.
We are not a crisis service. Someone who needs support right now can call or text 9-8-8, or reach the Hope for Wellness Help Line at 1-855-242-3310 — available 24/7, with support in Cree, Ojibway and Inuktitut.
To connect a client
Send us the client's name and a phone number — or give the client our number directly.
An online referral form via Jane App is coming soon.
Or reach us directly
A note on Métis clients
NIHB currently covers eligible First Nations and Inuit clients; Métis citizens are generally not eligible. Extended health benefits may apply, our sliding-scale spots are open, and Métis Nation of Ontario health supports may offer guidance. We work through coverage with the client before any cost is discussed, so nobody is surprised by a bill.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does the client pay anything for NIHB counselling?+
No. We bill Express Scripts Canada directly. There is no cost to the client at any stage.
How many sessions does NIHB cover?+
Up to 22 hours of mental health counselling per client per calendar year.
Does the client need a doctor's referral?+
No. NIHB mental health counselling requires no physician referral — clients can contact us directly.
Can clients in remote communities attend?+
Yes. Sessions are virtual anywhere in Ontario and run fully by phone where internet is limited.
How do I connect a client?+
Send us the client's name and contact details — by email, fax, or our online referral — or point the client to us directly. Self-referral is welcome.
What languages are available?+
Sessions run in English, French, and Farsi, and clients are welcome to bring their own interpreter.
What do you work with?+
Adults 18+: anxiety and stress, depression and low mood, grief and loss, trauma and PTSD, relationships, burnout, and OCD. We are not a crisis service — someone who needs support right now can call or text 9-8-8, or the Hope for Wellness Help Line at 1-855-242-3310 (24/7, with support in Cree, Ojibway and Inuktitut).
Are Métis clients covered by NIHB?+
Generally no — NIHB covers eligible First Nations and Inuit clients. For Métis clients we help explore benefits, sliding-scale options, or Métis Nation of Ontario supports before any cost is discussed.
What if your schedule is full?+
You hear back the same week, so you can connect the client elsewhere without losing time.
Connect a client to care
A free consultation within one week, no cost to the client, and no referral needed to start.