Marwan Noueihed

Marwan Noueihed: Learning the Language of Your Emotions

Marwan Noueihed is a Canadian Certified Counsellor at Thrive Downtown who helps people stop fighting their feelings and start listening to them. With a Master of Counselling Psychology and training in EMDR and Sensorimotor Psychotherapy, Marwan blends mind and body approaches for anxiety, burnout, low mood and the frustrating sense of being stuck. This guide walks through what that work involves and how to begin.

What Marwan Noueihed Helps With

The words a client shared on this page, “I don’t own my emotions. They own me”, capture a feeling many people know well. Marwan’s specialties cluster around that experience of being overwhelmed, shut down or pulled off course by what is happening inside.

When stress takes over

• Anxiety, stress and burnout: racing thoughts, tight shoulders, dread on Sunday nights, or the exhaustion of running on empty for too long.
• Depression: heaviness, numbness, losing interest in things that used to matter, or a quiet voice saying nothing will change.
• Emotion regulation: feelings that arrive too fast and too big, or that vanish entirely when you need them.

When you cannot seem to move

• Procrastination and avoidance: knowing what you need to do and still not doing it, then feeling worse about yourself.
• Feeling stuck: in a job, a relationship, a habit, or a story about who you are.
• Major life decisions and transitions: moves, career changes, breakups, new roles, or choices that feel impossible to make.

When life asks you to let go

Acceptance and loss sit at the heart of many of these struggles. Sometimes the work is changing what can be changed; sometimes it is making peace with what cannot. Marwan’s approaches hold room for both.

Why Emotions Carry Information

Marwan’s page makes a simple but powerful point: emotions are trying to tell us something. When we stuff them down or push them away, the message never gets heard, so it tends to get louder. Learning to listen is a skill, and like any skill it can be practised.

What common feelings may be signalling

• Fear or anxiety often points to a possible threat or something that matters and feels uncertain.
• Anger can signal that a boundary has been crossed or a need is going unmet.
• Sadness usually follows loss and can invite comfort, rest and connection.
• Guilt may be nudging you to repair something with someone you care about.
• Joy and ease show you what nourishes you and is worth moving toward.

The window of tolerance

Many body-based therapists use the idea of a “window of tolerance”, a zone where you can feel your emotions without being swept away. Above it, you may feel panicky, reactive or on edge. Below it, you may feel numb, foggy or collapsed. Much of the work with Marwan involves noticing where you are and gently widening that window over time.

Small ways to start listening

You do not have to wait for a session to begin practising. Some people find these simple habits helpful between appointments:

• Pause a few times a day and ask, “What am I feeling right now, and where do I feel it?”
• Use more precise words than “fine” or “stressed”, such as disappointed, restless, lonely or proud.
• Let a feeling be there for three slow breaths before deciding what to do with it.
• Notice what a feeling makes you want to do, and whether that urge fits the situation.

Burnout Is More Than Being Tired

Burnout is one of the concerns Marwan Noueihed lists first, and it is often misunderstood. The World Health Organization describes burnout as an occupational phenomenon marked by three features:

• Feelings of energy depletion or exhaustion
• Increased mental distance from your job, or feelings of negativism or cynicism about it
• A sense that you are less effective than you used to be

Rest helps, but a weekend off rarely resolves burnout on its own. Counselling can look at the patterns that keep you running on empty, such as difficulty saying no, perfectionism or ignoring early warning signals from your body, and help you respond to them differently.

Early signals worth noticing

Burnout usually builds slowly. Catching it early can make recovery gentler. Watch for signs like these:

• Waking up tired even after a full night of sleep
• Feeling irritable or detached from people you usually enjoy
• Getting sick more often, or noticing headaches and tension that linger
• Losing the sense of meaning that once drew you to your work or role
• Relying more on caffeine, screens or other quick fixes just to get through the day

Marwan Noueihed’s Therapy Approaches

Marwan Noueihed draws on six main approaches, choosing and combining them based on what you bring and what feels right for you.

EMDR

Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing was developed by Francine Shapiro. It uses bilateral stimulation, such as guided eye movements, alternating taps or tones, while you briefly hold a distressing memory in mind. The aim is to help the brain reprocess the memory so it feels less raw. EMDR follows eight phases, starting with history and preparation, and is recognized in international guidelines, including those of the World Health Organization, for post-traumatic stress.

Sensorimotor Psychotherapy

Developed by Pat Ogden, Sensorimotor Psychotherapy brings the body into talk therapy. Instead of only discussing what happened, you and Marwan track sensations, posture, gestures and impulses as they arise. This “bottom-up” approach can help when insight alone has not shifted how your body reacts. The Sensorimotor Psychotherapy Institute has more background.

Sandtray therapy

In sandtray work, you choose small figures and objects and arrange them in a tray of sand to create a scene. It can sound playful, and it often is, yet it also gives shape to feelings that are hard to put into words. Adults frequently find it surprisingly revealing. Marwan’s formal training in this area is listed as Sandtray (NSST).

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)

CBT explores how thoughts, feelings and actions influence one another. Together you might spot thinking traps such as catastrophizing or all-or-nothing thinking, test them against real evidence, and try small behavioural experiments. CBT is often helpful for anxiety, low mood and procrastination.

Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT)

DBT, created by Marsha Linehan, balances acceptance and change. It teaches practical skills in four areas: mindfulness, distress tolerance, emotion regulation and interpersonal effectiveness. Skills like “opposite action” and “check the facts” can be especially useful when emotions feel bigger than the situation calls for.

Trauma-informed therapy

Trauma-informed therapy is less a technique than a stance. It prioritizes safety, choice, collaboration and pacing, and it assumes your reactions developed for good reasons. With Marwan, you decide what to explore and when, and you can always slow down.

Additional Training Behind the Work

Beyond the six approaches above, Marwan’s formal trainings include Emotion Focused Therapy, Integrated Attachment Theory and the Gottman Method. These shape how Marwan understands emotions and relationships, even when they are not the main tool in the room.

• Emotion Focused Therapy treats emotions as adaptive guides and helps you access the feelings underneath reactive ones, such as the hurt beneath anger.
• Integrated Attachment Theory training looks at how early attachment experiences can shape the way you relate to others as an adult.
• Gottman Method training draws on decades of relationship research, including the “Four Horsemen” of criticism, contempt, defensiveness and stonewalling. Read more about the Gottman Method at Thrive.

Marwan offers both individual and couples counselling, so this relational training can be put to use whether you come alone or with a partner. Thrive’s couples counselling page explains more.

What EMDR with Marwan Can Look Like

EMDR is structured, which many people find reassuring. It does not begin with the hardest memory. It begins with getting to know you and building resources you can lean on.

1. History taking: you and Marwan map out your concerns and possible targets for processing.
2. Preparation: you learn calming and grounding tools so you feel steady before any processing starts.
3. Assessment: you identify a specific memory along with the image, belief, emotion and body sensation connected to it.
4. Desensitization: sets of bilateral stimulation help the memory become less charged.
5. Installation: a more helpful belief about yourself is strengthened.
6. Body scan: you check for any leftover tension.
7. Closure: each session ends with you feeling settled enough to return to your day.
8. Re-evaluation: the next session reviews what has shifted and what still needs attention.

For more on how EMDR works, the EMDR Canada association offers plain-language resources.

Is Marwan Noueihed a Good Fit for You?

Every counsellor has a style. Working with Marwan Noueihed may feel like a good match if you:

• Want to understand your emotions rather than simply get rid of them
• Are curious about how your body holds stress
• Appreciate practical skills alongside deeper exploration
• Are open to creative methods such as sandtray
• Value honesty and a bit of humour, even in hard moments
• Are ready to put in some courage and effort, at a pace that feels safe

Breaking the Cycle of Avoidance

Procrastination is rarely about laziness. More often, a task stirs up an uncomfortable feeling, such as fear of failure, boredom or self-doubt, and avoiding it brings quick relief. That relief teaches your brain to avoid again next time, and the cycle tightens.

How counselling can loosen the loop

1. Name the feeling that shows up right before you avoid.
2. Get curious about what that feeling is protecting you from.
3. Notice the body: where does the resistance live, and what helps it settle?
4. Take a tiny step that feels manageable rather than heroic.
5. Respond with kindness instead of criticism when you slip.

Marwan’s page is honest that this work takes courage and dedication, and that sessions may include tears, swearing and laughter. Many people find that making space for all of it is exactly what helps things move.

Starting Counselling with Marwan Noueihed at Thrive

Getting started with Marwan Noueihed follows the same straightforward path as every Thrive counsellor.

Step by step

1. Book a free 15 minute consult through the new client appointment page to ask questions and sense the fit.
2. Request Marwan directly, or let the team suggest a match through the contact form. You can also compare profiles on the Our Team page.
3. Your first session focuses on what brings you in, what you want to feel different, and what support looks like for you.
4. A shared plan takes shape, drawing on the approaches that suit your goals, and is adjusted as you go.
5. Choose your setting: in person at 470 Granville St., a short walk from Waterfront Station, or online by secure video. Many clients mix both.

How Marwan’s work fits the Thrive Formula

• Regulate: body awareness, grounding and DBT skills help your nervous system settle.
• Reveal: EMDR, sandtray and emotion work help uncover how you adapted to stress and past pain.
• Reclaim: CBT and values-based steps turn new understanding into everyday change.

Fees and coverage

Current rates appear when you book or on the contact page. Many extended health plans reimburse counselling with a Canadian Certified Counsellor, so it is worth checking your plan. The CCC designation is granted by the Canadian Counselling and Psychotherapy Association. If cost is a concern, ask about Thrive’s low-cost counselling option with supervised interns.

Frequently Asked Questions About Marwan Noueihed

What credentials does Marwan hold?

Marwan Noueihed holds a Master of Counselling Psychology and is a Canadian Certified Counsellor (CCC), with formal training in EMDR, Sensorimotor Psychotherapy, CBT, DBT, Emotion Focused Therapy and more.

Do I need a trauma history for EMDR to be useful?

Not necessarily. EMDR is best known for trauma, but it is also used with distressing memories, anxiety and stuck beliefs about yourself. Marwan can talk through whether it fits your situation. Learn more on Thrive’s EMDR therapy page.

I am not a “body person”. Will body-based work still help?

Many people start out feeling disconnected from their bodies. Sensorimotor work begins gently, with simple noticing, and you never have to do anything that feels uncomfortable.

Can Marwan help with a big decision?

Yes. Major life decisions and transitions are one of Marwan’s listed specialties. Counselling can help you hear what your emotions and values are saying before you choose.

Does Marwan see couples?

Yes. Marwan offers individual and couples counselling, with training in the Gottman Method and Emotion Focused Therapy.

How long will counselling take?

There is no set number of sessions. Some people come for a focused stretch around one issue, while others prefer longer, deeper work. You and Marwan can review progress together and adjust at any point.

What happens in a sandtray session?

You pick figures that catch your attention and place them in the sand however you like. Marwan may then invite you to describe the scene, notice what stands out, or explore what shifts if something moves. There is no right or wrong way to do it.

What if I am in crisis?

Counselling is not a crisis service. If you are in crisis, call or text 988, or call 911 in an emergency. You can also visit 988.ca for support options.

Take the First Step with Marwan Noueihed

Your emotions are not the enemy, and you are not broken. If you are ready to learn their language with someone walking alongside you, reach out for a free 15 minute consult on the contact page or call 604-227-0297. Marwan Noueihed and the Thrive team would be glad to hear from you.