Naaila Ali
BA (2015)
Mental Health Service Provider at Umbrella Mental Health Network
Bio: Naaila is a settler of colour, born on Turtle Island with Indo-Fijian ancestry. She graduated with a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Alberta in 2015 with a major in Psychology and a minor in Women and Gender studies.
It was through the WGS courses she took during her BA that her interest in social action truly began. Naaila then pursued a Bachelor of Social Work through the University of Calgary. Shortly after graduating, Naaila spent a year working with the UofA’s Community Social Work Team, where she supported community capacity building on campus, and fostered relationships with many campus community groups including The Landing and The Muslim Student Association.
In 2018, Naaila moved to Ontario to begin her Master’s in Social Work at the University of Toronto. During this time, she completed her placement at The 519. Here, she was placed in Trauma-Informed Counselling Services, and worked with 2SLGBTQ+ refugee claimants- who were often unsafe in their countries of origin as a result of colonial constructs that stigmatize and demonize queer and trans identities. Upon completing her MSW, Naaila was offered a role as coordinator of LGBTQ+ Refugee Programs and Trauma-Informed Counselling services where she had the honour and privilege of working with 2SLGBTQ+ community members of various ages, lived experiences, and immigration statuses during her time.
Now, Naaila works at Umbrella Mental Health Network providing mental health services to members of the queer and trans community. She also works as a facilitator for AFFIRM- a 9-week capacity building group for 2SLGBTQ+ folks, and as a research assistant working on a project looking at youths’ motivation in social action through photovoice. In all parts of her work and personal life, Naaila tries to actively decolonize the white and colonial ways in which the mental health industrial complex and psychotherapy exists. She hopes to humbly and compassionately create spaces for and with those who do not get to see their intersecting identities by supporting folks in reclaiming ancestral ways of healing, community, connection, and nourishment.
With her free time, you can find Naaila cooking and baking for pals, painting cards for loved ones, tending to the garden, or playing Pokémon Go.