Healing from Trauma to Living Abundantly – Exclusive Interview with Counsellor Yeukai Tsikira
- 12 hours ago
- 8 min read
Yeukai is a counsellor and the founder of Abundant Corner Counselling. She holds a BA in Behavioural Science and an MA in Counselling Psychology. As the youngest of eight children of immigrant parents, she grew up navigating a stutter and experiencing the stigma surrounding mental health in her community. With limited access to support, she learned early on how isolating it can feel to struggle in silence. These lived experiences shaped her commitment to representation, accessibility, and the belief that mental health care should be available to everyone, regardless of background.
Yeukai Tsikira, Counsellor & Founder
Who is Yeukai Tsikira?
I’m a girl who grew up in a low-income household, and my parents sacrificed a lot to give me and my siblings a better life. I didn’t have a perfect childhood, but I’ve learned to turn the things I couldn’t control into strengths. I get to choose how I show up in the world, and that has shaped who I am today.
I’m pretty introverted and I used to struggle with social anxiety, but I’m learning to step out of my comfort zone more. I love my alone time, but I also enjoy quiet moments with family and going on new adventures even if I overthink them first.
Music and movement are a big part of my life. Dancing, playing guitar, and singing are some of my favorite ways to regulate and express myself. A fun fact about me is that when I sing, I don’t stutter. Singing has always been a safe space for me, a way to communicate things that words sometimes cannot.
In business, I’ve learned to do things even when I’m scared. I still feel anxious and doubt myself at times, but I know this is my calling, so I keep going. I’m passionate about creating a space where people can heal, feel seen, and most importantly, have a voice.
What inspired you to create Abundant Corner Counselling, and what does the name truly represent?
What inspired me to create Abundant Corner Counselling was my own mental health journey. I experienced generational and personal trauma, and in second grade I developed a speech impediment. Being a young Black woman with a stutter added even more barriers. I was underestimated, overlooked and sometimes told I couldn’t do certain things. Instead of letting those barriers define me, I made it my mission to overcome them and show others that healing is possible.
“Abundant” reflects the deep capacity we all have for hope, healing, and transformation, even in heavy seasons. The name was inspired by the Book of Exodus, where God freed the Israelites and led them into a land flowing with milk and honey. I see the mental health journey the same way, moving from internal bondage like fear, trauma, anxiety, and self-doubt into emotional freedom and wholeness.
Abundant Corner Counselling is a space where accessibility matters, where barriers are acknowledged, and where people can feel truly supported as they heal.
Who do you feel most called to help, and what challenges do they usually come to you with?
I feel most called to help people who are stuck in survival mode after trauma. Trauma can come from childhood experiences, generational pain, relationship wounds, or life events that shake a person’s sense of safety and self.
When people come to me, they usually feel stuck, overwhelmed, or emotionally drained. They often struggle with anxiety, self-doubt, low self-worth, emotional numbness, or burnout. I also see a lot of people who are noticing the same maladaptive behavioural patterns showing up over and over again, and they’re tired of living like that.
Even though the challenges look different for everyone, the common thread is that people are ready to stop coping and start healing. I help them process what they’ve been through, understand their patterns, and move into a life that feels more grounded and authentic.
What makes your approach to counselling different from traditional therapy models?
What makes my approach different is that I don’t just focus on symptoms. I focus on the root of what is causing the pain and the patterns. Traditional therapy can sometimes feel like you are only managing what is happening in the moment, but I’m interested in helping people understand why they keep reacting the way they do.
Many traditional therapy models were not created with other cultures in mind. What works for one group of people doesn’t always work for another, and I’ve seen that firsthand. Cultural competence matters because it shapes how we understand mental health and healing.
My approach is trauma-informed and holistic, and I help clients build awareness of how past experiences shaped their thoughts, feelings, and behaviours. I also give practical tools people can use in real life because healing has to translate into daily life. I want clients to leave feeling grounded, seen, and empowered.
How do you help clients move from feeling stuck to feeling emotionally grounded and empowered?
I help clients move from stuck to grounded by first creating a safe space where they can actually feel what they’ve been avoiding. So many people are stuck because they’ve been living in survival mode for so long that they don’t know how to sit with their emotions without shutting down or reacting.
We begin by building emotional awareness. We look at what’s happening in their body, thoughts, and patterns, and identify what they’ve been protecting themselves from. Once they understand the root of what they’re feeling, they start to feel less controlled by it.
Then we work on practical tools they can use in real life. This could be grounding techniques, breathwork, movement, or anything that helps regulate the nervous system. Healing isn’t just talking. It’s learning how to feel and respond in a healthier way.
Over time, clients begin to shift from self-doubt to self-trust. They learn to respond to their emotions with clarity and strength instead of just surviving them.
What are some common patterns you see that keep people from living abundantly?
One of the biggest patterns I see is people living in survival mode. When the nervous system is constantly on high alert, it becomes hard to rest, heal, or truly enjoy life. People pleasing and needing approval is another common pattern. When your worth depends on what others think, you start living for everyone else instead of yourself.
Boundaries are also a major issue. Many people struggle to say no, and they end up drained, resentful, and burnt out. Self-doubt and negative self-talk show up a lot too. Trauma can show up as emotional numbness, avoidance, perfectionism, or feeling disconnected from yourself.
Overall, when someone is disconnected from their emotions, it makes it hard to live more abundantly.
Can you explain how emotional awareness and healing directly impact daily life and relationships?
Emotional awareness is about recognizing what you’re feeling and understanding why you’re feeling it. When we don’t have that awareness, emotions can come out in ways that don’t serve us. That impacts daily life because it affects how we respond to stress, how we communicate, and how we show up for ourselves.
Healing changes that. As you begin to understand your triggers and patterns, you stop reacting automatically and start responding with intention.
In relationships, emotional awareness is huge. When you know what you’re feeling and why, you can communicate your needs more clearly and stay present instead of shutting down or overreacting. Healing also helps you break generational patterns so you don’t keep repeating the same cycles in your family.
Ultimately, emotional awareness and healing create more safety and stability inside of you. When you feel stable inside, your daily life and relationships naturally become more peaceful, connected, and fulfilling.
What transformations do clients often experience after working with you?
One of the biggest transformations I see is clients moving from survival to stability. When people first come to me, they often feel overwhelmed, disconnected, or stuck in patterns they don’t fully understand. As we work together, they start to become more aware of their triggers and learn how to regulate their emotions instead of feeling controlled by them.
I’ve watched clients move from burnout to stability, from feeling numb to feeling connected again.
I also see people become more confident in their voice. They begin setting healthier boundaries, expressing their needs more clearly, and trusting themselves in ways they couldn’t before. There’s usually a real shift from self-doubt to self-trust.
How do you create a safe and supportive space for clients to open up and heal?
Safety is honestly the foundation of everything I do. Before we ever go deep into trauma or patterns, I focus on building trust. A lot of people come into therapy already carrying shame, so it’s important to me that they feel seen, heard, and not judged.
Respect-focused therapy is a big part of how I work. I truly believe respect is not something you earn, it’s a right. Every person I sit with deserves dignity and compassion, no matter what they’ve been through.
I’m also very intentional about being present and real. I’m not overly clinical. I meet people where they are and move at their pace because trauma healing cannot be rushed. Cultural competence matters too. When someone feels understood within their identity and lived experience, it becomes easier for them to open up.
When people feel emotionally safe, that’s when real healing starts.
What role does self-understanding play in long-term emotional well-being?
Self-understanding plays a huge role in long-term emotional well-being. When you understand your triggers, patterns, and fears, you stop feeling confused about why you react the way you do.
A lot of our behaviours were developed as protection, especially in response to trauma. When people begin to understand that, it creates self-compassion instead of shame. And from that place, real change becomes possible.
For me, long-term emotional well-being is not about never struggling again. It’s about having the awareness to navigate those struggles in a healthier way.
What advice would you give someone who knows they need support but feels hesitant to reach out?
If you know you need support but feel hesitant, I want you to know that your hesitation is normal. Reaching out can feel scary because it means you’re admitting you’re not okay, and sometimes that feels like weakness. But it is not weakness, it is strength.
Honestly, I struggled with this too. I had a hard time deciding to see a therapist because I didn’t want a stranger knowing my business, and I wasn’t sure if they could truly help me. But I’m so glad I took that first step.
My advice is to start small. You don’t have to have your whole story ready or know exactly what you need. You can simply say, “I’m struggling and I need someone to talk to.” That first step is often the hardest, but it’s also the most powerful.
You don’t have to be “broken” to deserve help. You deserve support simply because you’re human.
How can readers take the first step to work with you or learn more about your services?
If you want to take the first step, the easiest way is to reach out. You can send me a message through my website or social media, and I will respond with the next steps. You don’t have to have everything figured out before you reach out. You can simply say, “I’m interested in counselling and I want to learn more.”
If you’re not ready to book yet, you can also follow me on social media where I share tips, tools, and insights on healing, emotional awareness, and trauma recovery. That way, you can get a feel for my approach and decide if it feels like the right fit for you.
If you’re ready to book, I offer a free 15-minute consultation where we can talk about what you’re going through and see if working together would be a good match. That first conversation is just to help you feel supported and clear about your next step.
