We were lucky to catch up with Dr. Sehrish Ali recently and have shared our conversation below.

Dr. Ali, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today How’s you first get into your field – what was your first job in this field?

Growing up, I was enthralled with watching crime documentaries (as all 8 year old’s are) such as 20/20, 60 minutes, and of course Law and Order. I always wondered and questioned what made others choose to do what they do, so much so that I would often resort to people watching of course this was an era before social media, memes and TikTok so perhaps it was a bit more acceptable. When I took my first psychology class in high school and discovered that there was a potential job opportunity where people get to help others by studying behavior, I was hooked!
While earning my bachelor’s one of my majors was psychology, this was supposed to be the fun choice, while political science was the major. I was focused on law school and the forensic sector, until I got a sneak peek into a real-life attorney when I quickly realized that this was perhaps not what I imagined (or seen on tv). I switched gears instead and began working at a residential treatment facility here in Houston. I got to work with some amazing clinicians, see the work they did, and the effect they had on clients. I was introduced to the behavioral aspects of psychology and was also first introduced to the Health at Every Size approach. Growing up, I struggled with complications from autoimmune disorders that affected my weight and was constantly battling mixed messages. This led me to pursue a graduate degree and become a therapist. Shortly after, I began working at different facilities leading to obtaining certification as a certified eating disorder specialist. I continued to pursue higher education through working towards and being obtaining a Ph.D.
Today I am the owner of Guided Growth Therapy a private practice where it’s believed that growth and awareness is often achieved in the most difficult, uncomfortable, and challenging moments so why not have a guide that can potentially create a safe space to allow the process of growth to occur.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

I own and operate Guided Growth Therapy, a private practice that considers an individual’s journey (including their multicultural and BIPOC identities), body image, trauma, and disordered eating history effect one’s treatment. By creating individualized treatment plans and emphasizing the client’s individuality and characteristics, I focus on treating the whole person instead of just aiming for symptom reduction. I utilized several empirical based approaches based on my clients’ individual needs. As a product of two cultures, I have gained insight into how integrating and placing an emphasis on approached through a multicultural lens allows us to look at problems, their origins, and treatment options differently than may have been previously considered.
One of my core goals as both a researcher and therapist is to provide the community with resources and psychoeducation to create a sense of awareness about eating disorders and how acculturation can be integrated in treatment. I am currently expanding my practice by providing consultations for therapists, clinicians, and facilities (including organizations, school, and clinics) who are interested in working with body image and disordered eating.

Any resources you can share with us that might be helpful to other creatives?

A close friend Morgan Sinclair Designs is a great resource to help with web design, conceptualization and specializes in working with clinicians that work with clients from a health at every size approach. In addition Weight Inclusive Innovators and Therapy Thoughts are additional resources created by women that are truly passionate about their work both as clinicians and entrepreneurs.

Any advice for growing your clientele? What’s been most effective for you?

Mentorship, connection, and collaboration. I have personally been quite lucky over the years to have a great set of mentors that I have leaned on since my early “baby therapist” days. Trustworthy and reliable individuals both in competence and consultation within a work setting and self-care aspects are important. We all have hard days and having a sounding board you trust can make all the difference on those harder days. My consistent need for collaboration, connection, and authenticity. I believe that my ability to work on a team and coordinate care with several clinicians has built rapport with those clinicians. My field is filled with some amazing humans who have dedicated their lives to helping their clients grow. As an eating disorder therapist, it’s important for me to collaborate care with dietitians, physicians, psychiatrists, and various other professionals. I feel that my experience and mindset around the team approach has made me realize the value of collaboration and how vital it is for both the clients ‘and professionals.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.guidedgrowththerapypllc.com
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/feed/