About Zahra
I am here to listen to everything you want to say.
As a therapist, I’m here to walk alongside you on your journey of healing and growth, empowering you to take the lead in creating a life that feels aligned with your core being. Healing is deeply personal, and it begins with understanding the connections between your mind, body, and emotions—connections that profoundly shape how you experience the world.
Drawing from my journey with EMDR and somatic approaches, I approach therapy as a space to empower you to take ownership of your well-being. My goal is to help you become attuned to your inner world, learning how to regulate and care for yourself in a way that nurtures your mind and body. Together, we’ll go beyond symptom management, exploring the deeper layers of healing often overlooked in a culture that disconnects the mind from the body.
Awareness Precedes Change
Understanding your experiences is a crucial first step in reclaiming your sense of agency and creating meaningful change. You cannot shift patterns or responses that you don’t fully understand. By cultivating awareness of how your feelings, thoughts, and behaviors are shaped, you unlock the ability to engage with yourself in a transformative way.
Many of the responses we experience—whether emotional reactions, thought patterns, or behavioral tendencies—are rooted in our body’s natural attempts to protect us. These responses, often automatic and unconscious, are shaped by the context of our past experiences.
They might have been essential for survival or stability at one point in your life, even if they no longer serve you in the present.When you see these responses through the lens of compassion and curiosity rather than judgment, you begin to recognize that they make sense within the broader story of your life. This shift in perspective allows you to move from feeling stuck or self-critical to a place of acceptance and self-understanding. From this foundation, you can make empowered choices that align with who you are today and the life you wish to create.
Background
My background includes working with older adolescents and adults in different settings such as hospitals, prisons, community mental health, and group private practice in Kenya and the United States. In addition, I have specialized experience working with humanitarians and media houses who work in hostile environments in the United States, Europe, Africa, and, the Middle East.
The practice aims to support folks from different sexual orientations, body types, genders, religions, ethnicities, races and abilities. Regardless of how you identify, this space is for you.
Healing begins when we extend compassion to the parts of ourselves that feel the least deserving.
Education & Training
Education:
- M.A Clinical Mental Health Counseling | Rowan University | New Jersey, USA
- B.A Psychology (Counseling) | University of Nairobi
Advanced Training:
- Sensorimotor Psychotherapy | Level 1 & 2 | Learn more
- Critical Incident Stress Management | ICISF
- E.M.D.R | Level 1 & 2 | EMDR Consulting
S.P.A.C.E Provider | Learn more
Awards:
Professional Leadership Award, CMHC Rowan University