Mehak Hafeez

From an evolutionary perspective, I believe that life is an expedition filled with hurdles - some serve as adventures while others are lessons in survival. I have both personal and professional experience in the complexities of holding dual cultural identities. As a proud woman of color and Muslim in a western culture, I have first-hand witnessed and experienced the impact of adversities as a first generation immigrant. I deeply value exploring our roots and beliefs as they often paint our world with colors - some colors are beautiful and vibrant, while others no longer serve us. With this, we may need guidance in clarifying our color new schemes. I greatly enjoy painting, eating Chicken Biryani and walking outdoors (As the Chicago weather permits --- today it is beautiful sunny day and I am honoring it). I also engage in a community book club inviting open dialogue and discussion on books by BIPOC authors. I also participate in a community based research on advocating for promoting accessibility acceptability affordability and availability for mental health services in low-income and oppressed communities. I hold a master’s degree in Rehabilitation and Mental Health Counseling from the Illinois Institute of Technology in Chicago. I’m trained in treating co-morbid disorders, intergenerational traumas, substance abuse, and family systems, as well as working with survivors of domestic violence through addressing the multi-dimensional impact on psychosocial functioning. Furthermore, I am a Certified Rehabilitation Counselor (CRC), which involves utilizing a strength-based approach to assist individuals with disabilities to achieve their goals. My theoretical framework is integrative which includes but is not limited to Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Narrative Therapy, Prolonged Exposure Therapy (PET), Person-Centered (Rogerian) Rational Emotive Behavioral Therapy (REBT).