Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Noushine Navabi. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Noushine, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today How did you get your first job in the field that you practice in today?
Technically, my first job following graduate school was at a crisis stabilization hospital. However I found it quite unfulfilling and left soon after. I promptly moved on to a nonprofit for women survivors of sex trafficking, which is when I like to think my career really began. I had been monitoring and applying to roles for this organization for months with little luck. This is a very complex population, so the organization was naturally very selective with the hiring. I was determined to work my way in, so I began volunteering for them. There were many things I loved doing as a volunteer, but my favorite by far was building relationships with the staff as well as the survivors. After about a year of volunteering, a position opened up as a PRN coach for the women’s residential program. I believed I had proven my work ethic and perhaps finally had a chance, so I immediately jumped on it. My role as a coach was more focused on daily life skills, some case management, and the occasional group, but what I really wanted was to be in the therapy trenches with these women; I wanted the individual sessions, the process groups, and the depth. After a few months of working as a coach, I was finally offered a position I had desired from the beginning: therapist in their residential program. Finally! I was elated!
Up to this point I had been working at the adult women’s facility, but this new role was for the girls facility for 13-17 year olds. I thought I was ready for this shift, when in actuality I did not realize how different the 2 programs would be. It felt like they were worlds apart. For example, the adult program was voluntary while the girls’ were often mandated. These girls were minors, which meant a lot more red tape with visits and traveling off campus, among other things. These girls were also younger, and often emotionally in a different stage of change than the adult women. These were truly exceptional girls that had developed a rigid outer shell for self preservation. I encountered numerous challenges with this job, including being able maintain a healthy disconnection between my personal and work life due to the on-call component. I’ve lost count of how many nights I was called in at 2 AM and had to drive into work to handle an emergency situation. Overall the girls program was significantly higher acuity, so what that meant for me was having to readjust my expectations and my approach. It became more about being the steady, supportive, and calm presence in their life that they lacked. It also became about modeling behaviors, including treating others with love, respect, dignity, and worth. Lastly it became about acting as a sounding board and advocate for them, whether it was with their families or with the legal system. The program lasted typically 9-12 months, and by the end of each girl’s stay it was always heart-rending to say goodbye. To date it has been the hardest and most demanding position I’ve ever had, but I learned so much about my clinical abilities.
Noushine, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
For those that are unfamiliar with my story, I knew I wanted to be a therapist from early childhood. I think on some level I knew I was a very sensitive person and that I would be able to use that gift to help others. Fast forward to present day in private practice, I specialize in trauma and EMDR, which is trauma specific modality, and work predominantly with marginalized populations including women, LGBTQIA+ and BIPOC.
My new clients’ presenting problems typically include feeling anxious, depressed, unfulfilled in life and/or disconnected from themselves. I often work with highly highly intelligent clients who intellectualize their emotions rather than embody them. For many, especially survivors of trauma, the thought actually going through the motions of feeling their feelings is completely paralyzing. So by utilizing trauma informed bottom up approaches, I work with my clients to reconnect with their body and experiences.
In the last few years I have also taken a keen interest in the profound benefits of psychedelics on mental health. I am trained in ketamine assisted therapy, and also provide psychedelic preparation and integration sessions. What I love about this approach is that if the individual is trusting of the process, the medicine will always take them right where they need to go to find answers and healing .
I think one of the things that sets me apart is my ethnic and cultural background. I am an immigrant biracial woman, so I deeply value a multicultural perspective. I have a very intimate understanding of the divide immigrant children feel between their family values and expectations, versus Western principles. I am proud to be one of the few Middle Eastern therapists in the Atlanta area privileged to have the ability to offer a safe space for others like me.
Putting training and knowledge aside, what else do you think really matters in terms of succeeding in your field?
I lead with my heart, just like I do in all areas of my life. Perhaps it’s not the best business advice, but it continues to work for me. I absolutely love what I do, I love being a therapist, and I deeply care about my clients. As previously mentioned, I’m a very sensitive and empathic person, and I find those are generally the types of clients that gravitate towards me. I am passionate about providing an affirming space where all are welcome as they are. I treat my clients with the dignity that is inherent to us all. I show up as my most authentic self every day and pour my heart into my work, and I believe my clients can sense that. Therapy can be such a delicate endeavor, so it is such a privilege to be invited by clients to walk alongside them during their time of adversity.
Additionally, I never schedule a new intake session without first doing a free consultation call so both client and myself can get a sense for one another. Starting therapy can be a daunting task for many. I would hate for any prospective clients to pay for an hour session, only to find out we don’t gel and now they’d have to turn around and start the intake process all over again with someone else. During the consultation I explore the client’s therapeutic goals, but I also discuss my approach and how I run my practice. Even though a consultation is technically unpaid work, I have found that it pays off in the long run because the clients that decide to book me, stay. I always trust my gut and value how key the goodness of fit between therapist and client is from the start. I believe therapy can be challenging enough as it stands, but having the right fit can ease the process just enough.
I also think that focusing on community and connection has been such a principal component of succeeding in private practice. Entrepreneurship and private practice can be very lonely, especially in the beginning stages. I would like to eventually grow my business into a group practice, but at the moment I am solo. There was a time where I feared “competition”, but I’ve actually learned to embrace it as diversity in my community . It’s a beautiful thing and a wonderful resource. I love being connected with like minded clinicians, while also keeping an open mind towards clinicians with differing modalities and perspectives that challenge my way of thinking.
Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?
As previously mentioned, I am an immigrant. My parents immigrated to the United States during my adolescent years . I arrived in this country not speaking a word of English nor having a single acquaintance. My parents chose to relocate to a sleepy rural town in central Florida with nothing around it for miles but orange groves. I was now thousands of miles away from everything I had ever known.
A few weeks later I started public school and due to the language barrier I could not understand anything, communicate my needs, or ask questions. I was surrounded by students and teachers, but no one spoke my native tongue and there were no resources or translation services available. I felt completely isolated and alone, not to mention all the unwanted attention that being the foreign student attracted, when all I wanted to do was blend in. My teachers wanted to hold me back a grade worried I wouldn’t be able to keep up with the coursework. This was absolutely soul crushing to me given I had always been very studious and academically ambitious.
About one month after the start of school, 911 occurred. Now add on being subjected to islamophobia and xenophobia as an adolescent in a place completely devoid of cultural or ethnic diversity. There was no one like me, and no one like my family that we could lean on for support. For months I would come home from school crying.
It took me about 6 months in order to be able to communicate on a rudimentary level, and approximately one year in order to be able to converse in English. For better or worse, the immigrant mindset served me; I had to survive and I had to make it. For immigrants, there is never another option or the luxury of a safety net. Slowly, my grades improved as I was now able to actually comprehend the material. Eventually I excelled in school as I had before, but continued to struggle fitting in throughout my public school career. Things finally started to feel slightly easier for me once I started college and transitioned into young adulthood.
Being an immigrant challenged me in countless ways and built my character. It taught me more about humility, frugality, drive, gratitude, determination, and perseverance in the face of adversity. Now as an adult, if I want something I will find a way to make it happen no matter what. This was my mindset when I took a chance and started my practice; I had to make it. In my mind there was no other option.
I also want to acknowledge that my mindset and resilience were not just impacted by my own lived experience, but also by closely watching how my parents moved through their new world as immigrants themselves. I watched them sacrifice every last bit of energy in their bodies in pursuit of the “American dream”. I realize that as challenging and traumatic as it was for me to be completely uprooted from my native country, I can only imagine how astronomically more stressful it must have been for my parents. As a result I have grown such a deep appreciation for all immigrants who risk everything in hopes for a better life.
Contact Info:
- Website: NoushineNavabi.com
Image Credits
Olivia Behind the Camera