Amanee Elchehimi

About me

My name is Amanee Elchehimi, and I am the founder of Sila Wellness. I’m so glad you’re here and truly looking forward to working together! I have had the privilege of growing, learning, and working in different communities from a young age - from the Canadian prairies to the islands of Haida Gwaii to a small suburb in Louisiana to a hustling and bustling city on the Southern coast of BC. It’s truly been an education in life itself and a common theme across these experiences has been quite defining personally and professionally: being a stranger among the many. As a practicing Muslim woman who is racialized and dons a hijab, it’s unsurprising that I often stand out physically. When people get to know me, I tend to stand out even more with my perspectives and values that are seemingly at odds with mainstream society. This isn’t unique to me. It’s an experience that many folks from racialized, cultural, or religious communities can relate to. The feeling of being strange isn’t so much the problem, but rather the active efforts of a dominant culture to make people feel less than and inferior due to their worldview, appearance, and ideas. What began as a journey in my own Muslim community at local masajid and Islamic organizations has blossomed into a fulsome career in senior non-profit leadership roles, community advocacy, and as a direct service provider as a therapist. I have been actively involved in Islamically-rooted community work for the last 15 years, developing and leading programs for children, youth, women, and families. My focus now centers on Islamic Psychology and mental health for Muslim and racialized communities. Sila Wellness has been created in an effort to elevate faith and culture - both of which are generally afterthoughts at best, though more commonly are actively disregarded and suppressed. Education & Professional Background I graduated from Simon Fraser University with two graduate degrees, a Masters in Public Health and a Masters of Arts in Counselling Psychology. I am a Registered Clinical Counsellor, as well as a certified Mental Health First Aid Instructor. I have completed additional training in Dialectical Behavioural Therapy (DBT), Emotion Focused Family Therapy (EFFT), Trauma-focused Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (TF-CBT), expressive art and play therapy, and other modalities. I am currently the Clinical Director with Ruh Care, a first-of-its-kind online mental health platform for Muslims that offers therapy in line with Islamic principles. I was previously the Director, Innovation & Sustainability at DIVERSEcity and the Manager, Pathways to Education at Pacific Community Resources Society. I am currently a Board Member with FRAYME, and previously served on the FRAYME Family Advisory Council, as well as the Mental Health Commission of Canada’s Advisory Councils, supporting mental health policy and practice across Canada.