Maryam Kazi has a Masters of Science in Marriage & Family Therapy from California State University at Long Beach. She is working at the Anaheim Family Justice Center providing counseling services to victims of domestic violence. Services include individual, family, child or couples counseling.
Majidah Comparetta is a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist in Bellows Falls Vermont, specializing in couples, family and individual therapy for over 15 years. She is also certified in conflict resolution (specializing in working with conflict in war torn counties) from the School of International Training in Brattleboro, Vermont. She is a member of the Jerrahi/Halveti Order in Chestnut Ridge, New York, which is a traditional Muslim Sufi Order. She lives with her husband, Anas Coburn, in the woods of southern Vermont, where she has lived for the past 30 years. She has one surviving daughter.
Zahra Murtaza is a fourth year undergraduate student at the University of California, Berkeley studying Psychology and Political Economy with a minor in Global Poverty and Practice. She aspires to become a psychologist that can serve the needs of the community with a strong background in Islamic/Quranic studies and Psychology to bring relevant solutions to all people. Zahra is involved with local grassroots efforts such as halaqas/youth groups and teaching Sunday School. She is a co-founder and writer of MuslimahSource.org which seeks to “educate, support and guide” Muslim women worldwide and is training to be a crisis hot-line counselor for women facing domestic abuse and assault. She likes to hike, bake and do henna art in her free time.
Farhana Jahan is a fourth year undergraduate Psychology major and English minor at the University of California, Berkeley. She is a peer counselor for Student-to-Student Peer Counseling, a campus-based organization that offers free counseling and mental health resources. Her goals include working towards becoming a clinical psychologist while continuing to raise awareness and cultivate understanding of mental health issues in the Muslim American and broader community.
Inshirah Aleem was born and raised in Springfield, Massachusetts. She currently resides in Gaithersburg, Maryland. Inshirah has been writing since childhood. Poetry and prose have carried her through dark times. At the age of 15, she was diagnosed with a severe form of Bipolar Disorder. She writes to educate, inspire and challenge the stigma attached to mental illness. She is a spokeswoman for NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness),”In Our Own Voice”, which is a program that provides a platform for individuals with mental illness to share their stories and educate people about mental illness. Please visit her website www.inshirahaleem.com and purchase her book to learn more about her journey.
Nearly twenty years post-diagnosis, she has acquired a true appreciation for life and the humility to embrace her journey. She has been courageous in attaining high academic achievements and pursuing loving, stable family relationships. For more about her story: http://bookstore.authorhouse.com/Products/SKU-000563594/She-Smiles-and-Cries.aspx
Saba Malik is a blogger at and founder of MorningWind.org. She is a teacher, life coach and has authored two eBooks: “The Muslim’s 5-Step Guide to Bipolar Mastery” and “When you’re Muslim, You Can Manage Depression with Islam” (both available for free on MorningWind.org). She is currently pursuing her studies in psychology. Talk to her at saba@morningwind.org