Tanveen Choudhury
Clinical Support Manager
Tanveen is an accredited Psychotherapist by profession with most of her experience has been in NHS psychology services and the private sector over the last 9 years. She believes the work of Inspirited Minds is really important as it bridges gaps in mental health provision for people of the Muslim faith. Idiosyncratic therapies and services are a really important part of improving mental health and she hopes that Inspirited Minds will develop into a leader in this area and become an even better resource for mental health professionals locally and globally.
Dr Merih Fidan
Senior Counsellor
Dr. Merih has been a Psychologist since 1992. She undertook her Undergraduate and Masters degrees in Turkey in Psychology, and Masters and PhD degrees in research and counselling in the UK. She has been running her private counselling practice, offering emotional help and guidance, using Cognitive & Behavioural, Integrative and Islamic Counselling approaches. She also has been working as a lecturer and research supervisor in the University of Leicester. Her hobbies include reading, travelling, cooking and charitable work. She loves working with and towards communities, especially empowering women, and understanding men better. She is a member of British Psychological Society, British Association of Counsellors and Psychotherapies, Turkish Psychological Society and Muslim Counsellor and Psychotherapist Network.
Ansa Ahmed
Counsellor
Ansa is a qualified counselling therapist, who offers a safe and confidential space to explore your issues and work towards understanding yourself and others in relation to you. She values the courage it takes to reach out and ask for help when you need it, therefore as a client of hers you can expect to be welcomed warmly and accepted fully with whatever you wish to bring to therapy. You will work together at your pace and comfort to ensure you feel safe to move forward and explore your thoughts and feelings to come to solutions best for you – found within and from you. She sees individual clients and couples with a range of issues such as depression, anxiety, relationship issues, self-esteem and confidence problems. She is particularly experienced at working with loss and bereavement and has her own private practice which delivers training and support groups for mental health and wellbeing to professional organisations and people who have experienced miscarriages and /or infant loss. She is also fluent in many languages including English, Urdu, Punjabi, Pahari, Mirpuri, Hindi.
Sandra Ortiz
Counsellor
Sandra is a Senior Psychotherapist and an Islamic Counsellor with experience working with children, adolescents and adults of diverse cultural and faith backgrounds. She graduated with a BSc Psychology Counselling and Therapies and is currently undertaking a master’s in health psychology. Sandra has been a counsellor since 2016 and is an active member of the British Association of Counselling and Psychotherapy and holds a graduate membership with the British Psychological Society. Sandra works therapeutically with the Islamic Counselling model which enables clients to experience a person centre approach exploring their sense of Self from a wider therapeutic spectrum which includes their spiritual reality. She also works with an integrative approach as well as specific evidence based psychological techniques depending on the client’s circumstances and presenting issues. Sandra is passionate about working with an awareness of the diversity of culture and spirituality in the provision of mental health services. She is originally from Mexico and her close family is of a mixed and multicultural background. Sandra is enthusiastic about the holistic approach into physical, psychological and spiritual well-being. Sandra has worked with anxiety disorders, depression, PTSD, domestic abuse and violence, child sexual abuse, abandonment, bereavement; she has worked with people of diverse cultural backgrounds. Besides English, she can provide therapy in Spanish.
Zeenat Arif
Counsellor
Zeenat is an Integrative Counsellor with a vast knowledge base of various therapeutic approaches. The ability to combine modalities and current Psychotherapy research with individual client needs. Caring and compassionate in nature, empathic and curious about the inner worlds of individuals. Fascinated by the human mind, the capabilities of resiliency, healing and recovery through deep, trusting and safe relational encounters. A firm believer of Person-Centered values, guided by BACP ethics and driven to stay current in the counselling field through accessing training and CPD. She aims to support clients and help process unresolved emotions and life experiences, that cause conflict in clients’ present lives.
Syeda Haque
Counsellor
Syeda has been working as a therapist since 2005 and is an accredited Person Centred Counsellor. She has keen interest in attachment focus theory which looks at our early relationship which she believes can be the foundation of how we form relationships in adult life. She is also trained in CFD counselling for depression as part of the IAPT model based on PC and emotional focus with Metanoia Institute, CBT and attachment focus therapy which she integrates within her practice to help clients focus on particular areas. Syeda has particularly expertise and experience in dealing with ra ange of mental health issues including chronic depression, bereavement, domestic abuse, relationship, family issues and particularly childhood trauma. She believes that every person’s experience is unique and they have the capacity to grew and as a therapist she offers a safe confidential space, acceptance and trust of the therapeutic process by offering an empathic and non-judgmental approach. Syeda has vast experience of working within the NHS, charity and voluntary sectors, within multicultural settings and has a good understanding of cultural and religious sensitivity. Over the years Syeda has gained experience of working briefly and long term basis. Syeda is able speak fluent English, Bengali and Hindi.
Rukhsana Khan
Counsellor
Rukhsana currently works as a Senior Psychotherapist for the NHS. She achieved a four-year Diploma in Transactional Analysis Psychotherapy from the Manchester Institute for Psychotherapy. In addition to this she has achieved a BA in Psychology and Economics from Pakistan and a BSc (Hons) in Psychological Studies from the University of Huddersfield. She also holds a PGCE from the University of Bolton. Her success is based on her passion and diligence in building her career as a Lecturer in Psychology, a Counsellor and a Psychotherapist. She works with couples, individuals and young people, to provide short term solution focused therapy, working on specific issues and long-term therapy for issues needing more exploration. She works collaboratively with her clients and believes the client-therapist relationship is key to make change possible, recognising her client’s individuality and uniqueness as being the central principal of her work. Her background and experience of working with diverse communities has given her an in depth understanding of cultural issues and how they can influence our way of life. She has delivered talks and lectures on Transactional Analysis Psychotherapy, addiction, and emotional and social challenges facing young Muslims. She is a registered member of BACP and APSAAR (Asia-Pacific Society for Alcohol and Addiction Research).
Adisah Azumah
Counsellor
Adisah is a BACP qualified counsellor who is also a key worker with NHS where she uses her skills to promote patient safety and recovery in the psychiatric ward. She provides person centred counselling as well as Islamic perspective counselling for people with mild to moderate mental health diagnosis. She has worked with reputable charities such as Place2be where she was the School Project Manager for a couple of schools. At this post she accomplished delivering the services and increasing access to psychological/emotional support for all pupil with increased access by BAME pupils. In working with her you can expect transparency, compassion and integrity and she also enjoys having a laugh and letting her kinky hair down.
Muslimah Miah
Counsellor
Muslimah has a passion for supporting individuals to improve their mental health wellbeing. This is she why she has dedicated herself to understanding the core values of counselling, leading her to achieve a BA Hons in Psychology and Counselling, an FDA in Integrative Counselling, and an MSC in Mental Health science. As a qualified Counsellor, she has over 10 years of experience of incorporating and implementing tailered therapies, to help her clients move forward. The foundation of her work is built on Islamic principles, assimilating faith based practices into the therapeutic process. Trained in Islamic psychology, and a member of international association of Islamic Psychology, her aim is to bring people closer to the fitrah of Allah. Muslimah specialises in bereavement care and is a recognised professional for foundation infants loss.
Azmara Moulana
Counsellor
Azmara is a BABCP accredited Cognitive Behavioural Psychotherapist and the former BAME Lead at a primary care psychology service in London. She completed her training at Royal Holloway University of London and is a recognised Alumna at the University of Westminster. Azmara specialises in trauma related psychotherapy. With experience of working with trauma survivors and having a compassionate and non-judgemental approach, her interest lies in working with ethnic minorities and raising mental health awareness in Muslim communities to challenge stigma and support individuals and their families to improve their well-being.
Ahmed Tomal
Counsellor
Ahmed is a BACP registered Counsellor. He has an Integrative Diploma in Therapeutic Counselling. He specialises in working with people to overcome their anger, anxiety and stress. He facilitates personal development through self exploration and believes that the way we relate to the world as adults, is impacted by the way we experienced the world as children. He welcomes, enjoys and has experience in working with people from all walks of life. He is qualified and trained in supporting people with a variety of mental health and relationship issues through counselling therapy.
Safiyah Khan
Clinical Support Lead
Safiyah is a Qualified Psychological Wellbeing Practitioner, with a Masters in Psychological Therapies, she has several years of experience with working within the mental health field in the NHS. She has spent three years working within a mental health inpatient unit for young people who suffered from a range of mental health issues, from eating disorders to psychosis. She offered them support within this role in their moments of crisis and helped carry out group therapy. She also has experience working with adults within the community, providing Low-Intensity Cognitive Behavioural Therapy as a way of managing their low mood and anxiety by teaching them skills and methods of overcoming these difficulties. Safiyah has always been passionate about trying to encourage conversations around mental health within the Islamic and BAME to try and reduce the stigma around it, to allow for those who are suffering to get the support they may need. While working in the NHS she has engaged with local community faith leaders and carried out presentations about mental health to the community to try and increase people’s understanding, also creating a space for discussion to be able to allow people to see the perspective of other individuals. She hopes to continue to help this cause within her role at Inspirited Minds.
Sabah Banares
Clinical Support Worker
Sabah is a graduate in Psychology, Sociology and Clinical Psychotherapy from MMU, who is currently studying a Doctorate in Psychological Therapies course and hoping to become a registered Psychotherapist in the future inshallah. She is also working as Special Educational Needs Teacher, supporting young people from a diverse background in their emotional, psychological and educational needs. She has been working with a range of charities from the age of 16 and pride myself in working with organisations with a charitable and client focused initiative. When I came across the services available for her community to raise the awareness of the benefits of counselling and psychotherapy within the Muslim community she could not find any until she came across Inspirited Minds. From understanding Inspirited Minds work ethic and focus she feels very fortunate to be a part of such a creative and multicultural team.
