Check Out Tyana Tavakol’s Story

Today we’d like to introduce you to Tyana Tavakol.

Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I was born into an Iranian-American household; both my parents had been sent to the U.S. to escape the 1979 Iranian revolution. It wasn’t the easiest upbringing; there was love for sure and so much care, something I am more than grateful for, but also a lot of unawareness about what it means to care for your mental health and provide emotional attunement. I learned to work hard, put down emotions, and do well to make my parents happy and proud. I learned that what matters is compliance, financial stability, and job security.

I graduated from UCLA with my B.A. in Communication Studies, figuring that although I already had a desire to go into psychology, Communication Studies could tickle my psychology interests while still guiding me into a career in advertising that would provide what I was told was important in a job: good money and good opportunity. I took internships in small places and worked my way up to NBCUniversal and Fox. From there, after two years at a smaller company in Los Angeles, I moved to Seattle to work for Amazon as a program manager in the advertising department.

I had everything I was told was enough to be happy, a great job steady income, and I had made my parents proud. Getting into my own therapy during this time started to make some space in my mind between what I thought I wanted and what I was craving. I began to question why I wasn’t happy even though I hit all the requirements I was given. I spoke with a friend about this and she asked me, “What do you do every day that brings you joy?”. A simple but super helpful question because I realized the small conversations with strangers or coworkers where I get to hear their stories and feel their emotions with them were the highlights of my days and weeks. I had confirmed for myself that I couldn’t live through life without trying to become a therapist. I applied to one school (Pepperdine University) and hoped for the best. I was accepted, and am so glad I took the plunge.

I had a friend tell me recently I’m the only person she knows who is happy with their job; I’ve found my passion.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
My road has been a mix of construction site roads, expensive neighborhood roads, and all the in-between; I’ve had parts be smoother than I expected and parts rougher than I expected. For the bumps, being a career-changer was much harder than I was thinking, really humbling me after I ignored all the warnings and heads-ups before I made the switch.

For one, I went from doing something I had done for years and felt somewhat of an expert in into something where I knew absolutely nothing. I felt lost and sometimes wasn’t sure if I started this too late since I would see my classmates in their early 20s, look at myself in my late 20s, and with that perspective think I was just too behind. As silly as this sounds, I was used to being the youngest in my business meetings and teams and this switch hit me hard.

Along with the self-doubt, financially I had to adjust to living on one-third of what I used to make. I acknowledge and appreciate the privilege I had to get financial help from my family, and for that I’m eternally grateful because it allowed me to focus on school and my internships. And, it was an adjustment. Learning to be ok being vulnerable that I can’t fit the lifestyle of my friends anymore, getting food stamps, it was a lot, and it took at least a year before I could fully accept and lean into it.

The moment I was able to change my perspective from self-pity to curiosity, I was able to figure out ways to make the best of things, from finding free financial advice to heavily investing in getting myself up to speed in the psychology world. I can’t lie and say the challenges don’t still come up but I’ve found more peace. The road I’m on now is much smoother and low risk to my tires.

Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
Today I work as a Registered Associate and Marriage Family Therapist under the supervision of Dr. Cayla Minaiy at Beverly Hills Therapy Group. I feel fortunate to work in a group practice filled with absolute rockstars in the therapy world.

My specialties are threefold: 1) childhood and intergenerational trauma, particularly with the BIPOC community, 2) couples therapy, and 3) tech industry professional burnout and lack of fulfillment. I’ve learned in this field you thrive in what you’ve lived through, and so with the experience I’ve had as an Iranian-American working through my own PTSD, intergenerational trauma, and childhood trauma, it’s been beyond fulfilling to help others find their authentic selves and self-acceptance and love, whether in themselves as an individual, in their relationships, or both. Additionally, my years in the tech industry exposed me to a culture and language that is hard to understand unless you lived in that world, so I deeply care about using that experience to work with my fellow tech-industry professionals to bring them the peace and contentment I craved while I was in that field.

In addition to my work with clients, I’ve been involved in leadership in the Los Angeles chapter of the California Association of Marriage and Family Therapists for the last two years. For one, I hold a Board position as the Pre-licensed Representative where I strive to provide education, resources, and support groups for those going through this licensure journey along with me. Additionally, I initiated and co-founded the association’s first Middle Eastern North African Therapists Community group to provide support and opportunities for advocacy to others in this field who don’t see many others that look like and can relate to ourselves. The fulfillment from these positions and the support from all the leadership throughout my time there is phenomenal.

Pricing:

• $150 couples sessions
• $130 individual sessions

Contact Info:

• Email: tyana@therapyinbeverlyhills.com
• Website: https://www.therapyinbeverlyhills.com/staff/tyana-tavakol-amft/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tyana-tavakol-93b50141

Image Credits
For the office ones: Beverly Hills Therapy Group