About me (personally)

I’m a 1.5-generation American, neurodivergent, Muslim, Pakistani woman from the Chicago suburbs. I wear a few different hats like being a mom, wife, sister, and daughter. I’m no stranger to adjusting and have attended 2 middle schools, 2 high schools, 2 colleges, and have lived in 3 different states.

I’d like to consider myself fairly funny (thank you to That’s So Raven for influencing my pre-teen sense of humor and to The Office for shaping my teen sense of humor) and witty. I have a cat and baby tortoise and I love baking and trying new foods. I enjoy playing word-based board games like Taboo and Poetry for Neanderthals. My TikTok FYP has a lot of things about current events, social justice, baking/cooking, foodie finds, parenting, and dark humor. My pronouns are she/her.

About me (professionally)

I began my journey at the University of Illinois as a Sociology major with a minor in Social Work. I loved learning about human behavior and social patterns and was hoping to become a school counselor. After a conversation with my undergrad’s Social Work advisor, I learned that it might be best for me to switch the two by majoring in Social Work and keeping Sociology as a minor. I looked more into it and it was the easiest decision I could make — and one that opened me up to the world of social work.

I earned my Master of Science in Social Work at Columbia University as their program used a PROP (power, race, oppression, and privilege) framework in each course. This was deeply important to me as it aligned with how I intended to practice as a clinician. I’m grateful for my academic experiences helping me to hone my attention to detail when working with clients. I can both notice the nuances in someone’s story and can take a step back to consider how different systems and social structures are involved. If you’d like to learn more about my approach, you can read here.

Areas of expertise:

  • Anxiety

  • Depression

  • Complex Trauma & PTSD

  • ADHD

  • Pregnancy and Postpartum

  • BIPOC, South Asian, and Muslim mental health

  • Identity Development

  • Children of Immigrants/1.5 gen issues

  • Parenting

  • Grief & Loss

  • Stress Management & Burnout Recovery

You’re not alone and I’d love to see how I can help you — call or email me today.

My Credentials

Education

  • BSW from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

  • MSW from Columbia University

Certifications/Trainings

  • PMH-C: Perinatal Mental Health Certification

  • Advanced Grief Counseling Training

  • Clinical Trauma Professional Training

Experience

  • 7+ years of experience including working in school settings, mobile crisis response, child welfare, community mental health clinics, and private practice