Mental Health License: Licensed Mental Health Counselor
- MS, University of Rochester, Mental Health Counseling
- MS, University of Rochester, Childhood Education/Inclusion
- BA, University of Rochester, Studio Art, University of Rochester
Do you find that being human is thrilling, tragic and profound all at once? I certainly do. As a second generation American, child of Pakistani immigrants, I have at times felt a little bit like a stranger in a strange land, like I might not belong anywhere and with anyone. You know that dream where you’re up on stage about to give a speech to a crowded room of important people and you forget everything you wanted to say and are also, somehow, inappropriately clothed and extremely late? Until I was 5 years old, I did not know to be embarrassed about who I was, who I came from, the color of my skin, the smell of the lunches my mom packed, the clothes I wore, even my own name. In fact, I felt perfectly accepted and adored by my parents, aunts, uncles and grandparents who all lived in the same house with me.
Then came kindergarten, where I was surrounded by people who did not look like me and spoke a strange language I’ve come to understand is English. It was a shock to my system then, and even now, an undisclosed number of years later, I periodically become that little kid again, alone, scared, desperate, longing to connect, to belong, feeling horrified that no one will be able to understand me. I became a therapist because I don’t think we were meant to go through our pain alone and because I believe in the power of feeling seen. I view therapy as a primarily relational experience from which we can learn how to better connect to ourselves and others while growing into who we are becoming.
