Yasmeen Verified listing

Hello! I am a first generation Palestinian American from Paterson, New Jersey.
Growing up as a child of immigrants and a visible Muslim in post 9/11 America meant that my identity grew layered as I navigated my culture, faith, and identity in a society where I had never really met someone like me. Because of this, I am able to understand a multitude of perspectives and outlooks that may be dissimilar to mine, while also being able to explore how these perspectives can change and develop.
For over 17 years I have served my communities in all the places I lived: New Jersey, the United Kingdom, the San Francisco Bay area, and both the Austin & Dallas metropolitan areas of Texas. I began as a mentor, teacher, and camp counselor to teens in my community where I often gravitated most to youth who reminded me of my younger self: struggling with self harm, anxiety, depression, suicidal ideation, and more. My dedication to them meant that I continued to learn how to care for and listen to them, while also still trying to heal myself along the way.
My approach to counseling is decolonial in nature. Mental health is not purely mental: it is physical, spiritual, relational, systemic, and interdependent with the people and structures that surround us.
As such, I see myself as a student of the humans I work with. I see my education and experience as a tool that allows me to explore your universe without the institutional fallacy of using those tools to assume I know who you are and what you're about.
My work is focused on your goals and your healing while gently pushing you outside your comfort zone to lean into healing wounds that hold you back in your well-being. Sessions with me are 90 minutes long and no one is turned away due to lack of funds.