Mind Body Awareness Project:
Clinical Director, Board of Directors Member, Psychotherapist
2010-present
Founded in 2000, MBA designs, delivers, and researches evidence-based mindfulness and emotional literacy programs for incarcerated adults and youth. MBA also trains sworn personnel, clinicians, and service providers both nationally and internationally. MBA's mission is to help incarcerated populations and returning citizens transform harmful behavior and lead meaningful lives through mindfulness meditation and emotional awareness.
The core purpose of MBA Project is to awaken the intrinsic value of our participants. We accomplish this through groundbreaking mindfulness-based direct service work that empowers incarcerated and at-risk populations to overcome trauma, transform negative behaviors, and find real freedom from the inside. Our seasoned team of instructors provide concrete tools to reduce stress, impulsivity and violent behavior and increase self-esteem, self-regulation and overall well-being. Our participants learn powerful new methods of responding to the challenges they face in the present, so they can build a foundation for a healthy and fulfilling future.
Finally MBA also serves those who work directly with these populations—such as police, correctional officers, teachers, and clinicians—providing evidence based trainings on trauma resiliency, emotional literacy, and the effect of occupational stressors when working with traumatized and/or at-risk populations.
Responsibilities Include:
—Leads weekly process and support groups for incarcerated and at-risk populations with a focus on on mindfulness and emotional intelligence in the San Francisco Bay Area
—In support of these groups, conducts individual therapeutic sessions with participants, working on crisis intervention, trauma resiliency, and according treatment plans
—Facilitates supervision for staff and conducts trainings/consultation for the general public on topics such as mindfulness and mindfulness-based interventions, group facilitation skills, trauma and crisis, among other topics
—Helps to set strategic vision and strategy for delivery and maintenance of programs
—Designs and revises MBA's current proprietary curricula for both adult and youth populations
Clinical Director, Board of Directors Member, Psychotherapist
2010-present
Founded in 2000, MBA designs, delivers, and researches evidence-based mindfulness and emotional literacy programs for incarcerated adults and youth. MBA also trains sworn personnel, clinicians, and service providers both nationally and internationally. MBA's mission is to help incarcerated populations and returning citizens transform harmful behavior and lead meaningful lives through mindfulness meditation and emotional awareness.
The core purpose of MBA Project is to awaken the intrinsic value of our participants. We accomplish this through groundbreaking mindfulness-based direct service work that empowers incarcerated and at-risk populations to overcome trauma, transform negative behaviors, and find real freedom from the inside. Our seasoned team of instructors provide concrete tools to reduce stress, impulsivity and violent behavior and increase self-esteem, self-regulation and overall well-being. Our participants learn powerful new methods of responding to the challenges they face in the present, so they can build a foundation for a healthy and fulfilling future.
Finally MBA also serves those who work directly with these populations—such as police, correctional officers, teachers, and clinicians—providing evidence based trainings on trauma resiliency, emotional literacy, and the effect of occupational stressors when working with traumatized and/or at-risk populations.
Responsibilities Include:
—Leads weekly process and support groups for incarcerated and at-risk populations with a focus on on mindfulness and emotional intelligence in the San Francisco Bay Area
—In support of these groups, conducts individual therapeutic sessions with participants, working on crisis intervention, trauma resiliency, and according treatment plans
—Facilitates supervision for staff and conducts trainings/consultation for the general public on topics such as mindfulness and mindfulness-based interventions, group facilitation skills, trauma and crisis, among other topics
—Helps to set strategic vision and strategy for delivery and maintenance of programs
—Designs and revises MBA's current proprietary curricula for both adult and youth populations
Ta’leef Collective:
Director of Wellness, Psychotherapist, Teacher
2011-2020
Ta’leef Collective began as an outreach program in 2005 and was established as a 501c3 (72-1528691) nonprofit organization in 2009. Out of the organizations unwavering dedication to serving the youth, assisting new comers to Islam and welcoming guests, a dynamic community has grown with campuses in both Fremont, CA. and Chicago, Il.
Responsibilities included:
—Conducted weekly individual and couples therapy sessions with local clients. Also ran group therapeutic circles for the general public, youth, and returning citizens
—Developed and facilitated curriculum for Ta'leef Academy, Ta'leef's quarterly international training program, on topics such as: mindfulness, emotional intelligence, counseling basics, and trauma and crisis
—Taught mindfulness-based stress reduction classes to beneficiaries on a weekly basis
—Directed strategic planning, mission and vision of both Taleef Wellness and Ta'leef Academy Programming
Director of Wellness, Psychotherapist, Teacher
2011-2020
Ta’leef Collective began as an outreach program in 2005 and was established as a 501c3 (72-1528691) nonprofit organization in 2009. Out of the organizations unwavering dedication to serving the youth, assisting new comers to Islam and welcoming guests, a dynamic community has grown with campuses in both Fremont, CA. and Chicago, Il.
Responsibilities included:
—Conducted weekly individual and couples therapy sessions with local clients. Also ran group therapeutic circles for the general public, youth, and returning citizens
—Developed and facilitated curriculum for Ta'leef Academy, Ta'leef's quarterly international training program, on topics such as: mindfulness, emotional intelligence, counseling basics, and trauma and crisis
—Taught mindfulness-based stress reduction classes to beneficiaries on a weekly basis
—Directed strategic planning, mission and vision of both Taleef Wellness and Ta'leef Academy Programming
Oudimentary Perfumes and Incense: Co-owner
January 2004 - Present
Oudimentary was founded for a single obsessive purpose—to make the highest quality aloeswood incense and perfumes available to the general public.
Aloeswood is an aromatic, resinous heartwood that is found in trees from the aquilaria genus, an evergreen native to South East Asia. It is thought that aloeswood is created by a reaction from an injury to the tree, starting an infection and thus triggering the oleoresin to grow within the heartwood of the tree. It is this resin-impregnated heartwood, which is the actual aloeswood product and is extracted for use as raw wood chips and powder or processed into an oil.
Aloeswood has been highly valued in many societies and cultures for millennia and used for a variety of reasons from sacred, to medicinal, to olfactory. The wood chips and powder are used for incense and medicine while the oil extract is generally for perfume and aromatherapy purposes.
In many traditional medicine systems including Chinese, Tibetan, Unani, and Ayurveda, aloeswood has been highly prized for its healing properties. It is known to reverse rebellious chi, and to help the body’s circulatory system. And of course, because Aloeswood is highly psychoactive, it is used to treat nervous disorders such as neurosis, obsessive behavior, and exhaustion.
From a spiritual or sacred perspective, aloeswood is mentioned several times in both the Bible and Islamic Hadith, and is also used in a variety of religious ceremonies ranging from Islamic prayer and burial observances, to Buddhist rituals from Vietnam, Japan, China, and Taiwan.
January 2004 - Present
Oudimentary was founded for a single obsessive purpose—to make the highest quality aloeswood incense and perfumes available to the general public.
Aloeswood is an aromatic, resinous heartwood that is found in trees from the aquilaria genus, an evergreen native to South East Asia. It is thought that aloeswood is created by a reaction from an injury to the tree, starting an infection and thus triggering the oleoresin to grow within the heartwood of the tree. It is this resin-impregnated heartwood, which is the actual aloeswood product and is extracted for use as raw wood chips and powder or processed into an oil.
Aloeswood has been highly valued in many societies and cultures for millennia and used for a variety of reasons from sacred, to medicinal, to olfactory. The wood chips and powder are used for incense and medicine while the oil extract is generally for perfume and aromatherapy purposes.
In many traditional medicine systems including Chinese, Tibetan, Unani, and Ayurveda, aloeswood has been highly prized for its healing properties. It is known to reverse rebellious chi, and to help the body’s circulatory system. And of course, because Aloeswood is highly psychoactive, it is used to treat nervous disorders such as neurosis, obsessive behavior, and exhaustion.
From a spiritual or sacred perspective, aloeswood is mentioned several times in both the Bible and Islamic Hadith, and is also used in a variety of religious ceremonies ranging from Islamic prayer and burial observances, to Buddhist rituals from Vietnam, Japan, China, and Taiwan.
Education
Goddard College
Bachelor of Arts (B.A.)
Liberal Arts and Sciences/Liberal Studies
Goddard College
Bachelor of Arts (B.A.)
Liberal Arts and Sciences/Liberal Studies
Sofia University
Masters of Arts (M.A.)
Psychology/counseling
Mindfulness-based and trauma-informed interventions, somatic and Hakomi approaches, creative expression, transpersonal, existential, and humanist approaches, CBT, expressive art therapy, systems approaches, and narrative therapy.
Masters of Arts (M.A.)
Psychology/counseling
Mindfulness-based and trauma-informed interventions, somatic and Hakomi approaches, creative expression, transpersonal, existential, and humanist approaches, CBT, expressive art therapy, systems approaches, and narrative therapy.
Licenses & Memberships:
Associate Marriage and Family Therapist, California Board Of Behavioral Sciences
Member, California Association of Marriage Family Therapists (CAMFT)
Associate Marriage and Family Therapist, California Board Of Behavioral Sciences
Member, California Association of Marriage Family Therapists (CAMFT)
Volunteering and Pro Bono Work:
Mind Body Awareness Project Board of Directors: 2017-present
Provides pro bono board engagement in the form of strategic planning, organizational structure, and vision and mission
Mu'allif Initiative (UK) Advisory Council: 2016-present
Provides pro bono consulting in the form of strategic planning, organizational structure, and curriculum development to Mu'allif Initiative, which co-serves UK Muslim communities to be better resourced to support the wellbeing, Islamic literacy, and leaderful futures of Muslim converts.
Mind Body Awareness Project Board of Directors: 2017-present
Provides pro bono board engagement in the form of strategic planning, organizational structure, and vision and mission
Mu'allif Initiative (UK) Advisory Council: 2016-present
Provides pro bono consulting in the form of strategic planning, organizational structure, and curriculum development to Mu'allif Initiative, which co-serves UK Muslim communities to be better resourced to support the wellbeing, Islamic literacy, and leaderful futures of Muslim converts.
Other related training experience and partnerships:
