Professional Biography

Rahim Thawer (he/him) is a registered social worker (OCSWSSW), Certified Clinical Supervisor (CCS), and psychotherapist originally from Treaty 13 territory, which encompasses the land of present-day Toronto—derived from the Mohawk word tkaronto, meaning “where there are trees standing in the water.” He is a faculty member in the School of Social Work at The University of Alabama, where he is completing a Doctor of Social Work (DSW) with a specialization in organizational leadership.

Rahim has taught as an adjunct lecturer at two colleges and three universities across Ontario and serves as an ongoing course facilitator in the University of British Columbia’s Certificate in Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion program. He was a Visiting Scholar during the 2021/2022 academic year at the South African College of Applied Psychology (SACAP), where he offered guest lectures, cross-campus The Practice Dialogue series, and collaborated on regional social work education projects. He also teaches Introduction to Foundations of Sex Therapy annually within Wilfred Laurier University’s Continuing Education program. His clinical, teaching, and research work sit at the intersection of mental health, social justice, and psychoanalysis, exploring how anti-racist and queer-affirming frameworks can support social workers, therapists-in-training, and organizational leaders.

Rahim hosted a video podcast series called The CBT Dive (2021-2024) to demonstrate the use of cognitive behavioral therapy tools with the goal of demystifying clinical work and building reference material for therapist trainees. To support this mission, he has also developed and self-published clinical guides on therapy assessment, clinical documentation, and making sense of common countertransference responses in the therapeutic space.

Rahim has dedicated over a decade of volunteer service to LGBTQ Muslim community organizing and currently maintains the international Queer & Trans Muslim Speakers’ (QTMS) Directory, advancing his mission to amplify community voices and intersectional perspectives. He also founded the Canadian Queer & Trans Therapists (CQTT) Directory, a subscription-based platform that enhances culturally competent and timely access to affirming mental health care across the country.

Since starting his private psychotherapy and consulting practice in 2014, Rahim has delivered over 200 presentations across Canada and internationally. His workshops and consultations foster critical dialogue on systemic oppression, sexual health, clinical interventions, and innovation in queer relationships. He explores many of these topics online and at thepoliticizedpractitioner.com.

He is the co-editor of Any Other Way: How Toronto Got Queer (Coach House Books, 2017), a finalist for the Toronto Book Awards, and the author of The Mental Health Guide for Cis and Trans Queer Guys (New Harbinger Publications, 2025).

Upcoming books

• The Politicized Practitioner™ Series (Blue Cactus Press)

  • Volume 1: Practice & Politics (December 2025)

  • Volume 2: Practice & Pitfalls (2026)

  • Volume 3: Practice & Paradigms (2026)
    

• Queer & Muslim: On Faith, Family, and Healing
  (Co-Editor, University of Regina Press, April 2026)
  

• Sexualized Substance Use: A Guide for Mental Health Professionals
  (Taylor & Francis, 2028)

Honours & Awards

Leadership & Professional Awards

• Humanitarian Award
  American Association for Sexuality Educators, Counselors and Therapists (AASECT, 2025)

• Mary Smith Arnold Anti-Oppression Award
  Counsellors for Social Justice (CSJ), American Counseling Association (2025)

• The Toronto-Area Distinguished Leader Award
  Ontario Association of Social Workers (OASW, 2024)

Academic & Scholarly Distinction

• Research Fellowship —  Saint Louis Psychoanalytic Institute (2025/2026)

• Faculty Fellows Program — University of Alabama, Digital Literacy Initiative (Fall 2025)

• Gina Ogden Curatorial Scholarship for Integrative Approaches to Sex Research and Therapy
  Kinsey Institute, Indiana University (2025)

• DSW Award for Writing to Advance Social Work and Social Justice
  The University of Alabama (2025)

Community & Cultural Recognition

• Honorary Award in Education
  South Asian Americans for Change (SAAFC, 2025)

• Champion Award
  25 Champions/25 Years—Alliance for South Asian AIDS Prevention (ASAAP, 2020)

• Proud to Shine Toronto Community Award
  Canadian Broadcast Corporation (CBC, 2018)