Personal Statement
I love people and view them as holistic, dignified beings, not as their presenting problems. I believe that many of our struggles are rooted in our own or other people’s misunderstanding of our needs. I strive to help people identify and meet their needs, develop safe and thriving relationships, and live a life that is congruent with their values. I am also passionate about discussions related to culture-based issues and love working with people to help them find a balance between their own culture and the one in which they exist. I come from a Middle Eastern background myself and have experienced first-hand the struggle of adjusting to a different culture. However, I have also experienced the beauty of living in multiple cultures and learning from those around me (Fun fact: I’ve lived in 4 countries so far!), which gives me hope for those struggling to find peace and harmony away from home.
Who I Serve
I work with adolescents and adults who speak English and/or Arabic. I work with a wide variety of presenting issues; however, I would say that the core of my interventions often revolves around developing basic necessary skills that are unfortunately not usually taught to us effectively. These include emotional regulation, coping, healthy communication, and self-care. I have experience working with survivors of domestic violence to help them regain their agency and process through traumatic experiences. I have also worked with individuals who struggle with addiction, self-harm, and suicidal ideation.
Specialty Treatment Areas
- Anxiety & Depression
- Identity & Self-esteem
- Emotional regulation
- Social skills development
- Multicultural concerns
Additional Treatment Areas
- Multilingual therapy (English & Arabic)
- LGBTQ+ affirming
- Domestic violence/abuse
- Trauma recovery
- Peer conflict
- Behavioral problems
- Self-injury
- Suicidal thoughts & behaviors
Theoretical Approach
I strongly believe that having a safe and empowering counselor-client relationship can have a huge positive impact on both parties involved. My top priority is becoming a trustworthy person for my clients and understanding their story. Clinically, I tend to utilize behavioral approaches such as CBT, DBT, ACT, and REBT. I have an active style of counseling. This means that I am likely to be a good fit for individuals who prefer their counselor to point out gray areas and discrepancies, gently challenge them, brainstorm with them, and give them exercises to practice when appropriate. I also always take my clients’ backgrounds and values into consideration as I believe that effective counseling needs to be collaborative.
Insurance Networks
- Private pay
- Aetna
- BCBS PPO
Education/Certifications
- Master of Arts in Mental Health Counseling from Trinity International University
Affiliations/Memberships
- American Counseling Association