Ever since I was a little girl, I had a sensitive and curious soul.
I was deeply connected with nature. I spent time climbing trees as I dreamt of secret hideouts, rolled in the freshly cut grass, and examined plants and leaves. I’ve always wanted to understand things.

This longing for deeper understanding was paired with a fascination for healing. I liked to pretend that I was making potions and magical brews. As an adult this turned into an interest in remedial herbs and healing through a deepening of our connection with earth and nature around us.

At the age of nine, I was uprooted and moved from the suburbs of Maryland across oceans to Tehran, Iran’s giant metropolis, where my father was born. I was meant to be united with family, one that I had never known. I viewed it as an adventure.

In retrospect, it is certain to me that although a lot was gained through this big life change, it almost immediately transformed me. In some ways, it made me more introverted and seemingly timid. I was humbled being the new kid in school. This heightened my sense of kindness and compassion within. I became the supporter of the underdog, perhaps because I also felt like one.

Uprooted is a key concept to my life story.

Those who have not experienced this may downplay its influence, but those who have, know how it changes you. Moving brings richness, adventure, and discovery along with it, but it comes with its share of intense challenges and the harsh necessity to constantly adapt.

Perhaps many of us become wanderers this way, moving through life searching for pieces of ourselves. At least to me, it has felt this way, and I’ve transformed it into an exploration of myself and what life has to offer.

I moved to Brussels at the age of eighteen to begin studying architecture in the ULB university. I pursued studying in the field for three years, and nearing the end of my bachelor’s degree, life made it quite clear that I wasn’t in the right place, and I had my first existential crisis. I found my way to a psychotherapist who listened and supported me with incredible warmth and kindness. It was a vital step to my journey.

This was the beginning of a path of self-affirmation, choosing and trusting myself that made waves in my life in many ways. After pondering different options, I began studying clinical psychology and completed my master’s degree. In parallel, I had discovered the practice of yoga, which became very meaningful and important in my life. Serendipitously, a yoga teacher training was being taught by a beloved teacher of mine just after I handed in my master’s thesis. I was fortunate to be able to deepen my own practice and to learn how to teach and support students. So, I became a yoga teacher, and I loved it.

Being an avid learner, my quest in understanding life and humanity continued. I joined a coaching training and in 2020, I became a life coach certified in mental health and wellbeing. This enriched my practice as a clinical psychologist with a different perspective. In 2023, I embarked on a certification program for integrative somatic trauma therapy. This multiplied my understanding of therapy and supporting human beings tenfold.

In a way, everything I learned has brought me closer to a 360 – mind, body, spirit; past, present, and future – or simply put, wholeness of being.

I aspire to assist individuals with a presence that’s finely attuned, and the maturity and knowledge required to provide meaningful insights that can transform their lives for the better. For this reason, I will always be a student. There is so much to learn in this world, and like the child in me, I am still full of curiosity.