Today we’d like to introduce you to Parisa Zivari.
Hi Parisa, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
I come from an Iranian-Jewish family. My family and I migrated to The United States from Iran in 1996. Coming to America was one of the hardest challenges that my family and I had to go through. From learning English, assimilating into American culture, making friends, and adapting to a new and different lifestyle, the past 26 years had its challenges. I knew I wanted to become a therapist since I was 17. I wanted to help my Iranian community by providing them with education and knowledge about mental health while minimizing the shame and stigma that is generally associated with seeking help by individuals who suffer from various mental health issues. Over the years, I have had the privilege of serving the 0-21 years population in different settings, focusing on anxiety, trauma, behavioral issues, among other diagnosis. In addition, for several years I was a clinical supervisor to AMFT and ACSW. I learned a lot during my time as a
clinical supervisor. Today, I have a private practice in Woodland Hills working with individuals’ adults focusing on depression and trauma.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
This road that I have traveled has not been easy.
I love what I do. I love being part of my client’s lives and seeing them heal and grow. It is a privilege to be a therapist and to be able to help people who face incredible challenges in their lives however there has been challenges and struggles along the way. The journey of licensure was not an easy process. While all my friends and colleagues were passing their tests and moving forward in their journey, I was struggling in my process. Due to English being my second language. I had a harder time passing the exam. It took me a longer time to become a licensed therapist compared to my friends and that process was very difficult for me. The Board of Behavioral Science ( BBS) did not provide extra time for non-native speakers. I had a great experience as an intern working with different populations and diagnoses, and enjoyed my time in my graduate school however, the times in between getting my hours approved by BBS and getting my licenses were difficult. The competition was real. It was hard not taking it personally. My friends were moving on with opening their practices or getting hired in different places while I was still trying to pass my board. I almost walked away from this field, but I was encouraged by an amazing supervisor to keep going. These days my message to new associates is that the test does not define you. The MFT exams does not justifies what we do as a therapist, supervisor, crisis counselor, among other roles we play in our session with our clients. This field and community will test you and challenge you in many ways and it is through self-love, positive support system, a lot of self-care, boundaries among other things that you can keep going.
As you know, we’re big fans of Parisa Zivari. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
I am a trauma focused Iranian American therapist. I have a private practice in Woodland Hills and over 10 years of clinical experience helping adults, children, and families in different settings. I am trained and certified in Trauma Resiliency Model (TRM), TF-CBT ( Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral therapy), Brainspotting, Grief and Loss, Domestic Violence, and Internal Family System (IFS). What sets me apart from other therapists is my cultural background. I am a female, Iranian American, Jewish therapist (MFT) who specializes in trauma. I have considerable experience treating young children and adolescents with a history of trauma, anxiety and depression. As an Iranian woman who immigrated to the United States at a young age, I understand how challenging it can be to balance the old and new cultures. I believe that culture plays a significant role in our relationships and our day-to-day life. I have had the privilege of working with diverse groups of clients over the years in different settings and my cultural background has allowed me to understand them better and therefore treat them better. Like many cultures, seeking help for mental health issues is a stigma in the Iranian American community. I hope that my familiarity with the culture can result in reducing this stigma and allow families to seek professional help when they need it.
What matters most to you?
What matters most to me is my relationship with my family, colleagues, friends, and myself. I care about people and who I spend my time with. People and the world matter to me. I love what I do. I love being a therapist and find my career very rewarding however relationship with healthy, loving, strong minded, down to earth, kind, compassionate people are important to me. That being said, the most important relationship that I carry close to my heart, is to myself. By that, I mean, putting myself first. I do that by sticking to the boundary that I have created over the years, the self-care plan I have for myself to maintain growth, recovery and healing, the love and the respect that I carry for myself day after day. What I am referring to is self-love. Self-love can lead into happiness. We all need joy in our daily lives. Self-love leads to self-growth, success, confidence, empathy, stronger relationship among other things. When you start to love yourself and when you start to put yourself first, you will make different choices in life. These choices will impact your mental and physical wellbeing.
I talk about these to my clients.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.parisazivari.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/parisa_zivari_therapy_/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/parisatherapy/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/parisa-zivari-m-a-lmft-416b8621/
As seen on a Sussex Directories Inc site
As seen on a Sussex Directories Inc site
Image Credits
Mahsa Malekmohammadi [email protected] (818) 744-5955 Comma Photography
