Today we’d like to introduce you to Madiha Ashraf.
Hi Madiha, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstories.
Everyone will always ask me why I chose to be a therapist, and honestly, I don’t know if I chose to counsel or if it chose me. For as long as I can remember I have always been in the “therapist” role. Growing up as a first-generation Pakistani-American-Muslim, mental health was not something that was ever discussed, and when looking for a therapist, I saw there weren’t many out there who could relate to me and my experiences as a first-generation Pakistani-American-Muslim. Based on that I decided that I wanted to be influential and actively work to normalize seeking mental health services and de-stigmatize mental health in my community. Due to this goal in mind, I was able to do just that with help of my family, friends, and mentor Abida Minhas
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey has been a fairly smooth road?
It was definitely not a smooth road. First was working against the mental stigma within my own family to pursue my chosen field. I graduated with my bachelor’s in psychology from TWU at the age of 19. Being the ambitious person that I was, I decided to apply directly to doctoral programs. Of course, I was not accepted into any. The response I received was that all though I had the grades I did not have the life experiences. Due to that I began my career as a teacher and school counselor at local Islamic Private schools and applied for my master’s. I completed my master’s in December 2019 in clinical mental health counseling from UNT Dallas. I then continued on to work towards my Ph.D., which I am currently working towards. Looking back, although I was heartbroken earlier on, I realized that with each hurdle I discovered a new part of myself and I grew into a better version of myself.
We’ve been impressed with The Impact Counselors, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
In 2020 mid-pandemic my mentor Abida Minhas and I decided to start our own practice, The Impact Counselors. We wanted to provide therapeutic services to minorities and a population who would not normally seek out therapy services due to the fear of being judged or not understood. In the past 2 1/2 years our practice has grown exponentially, and now have 12 clinicians working towards a similar goal. We work with clients from all walks of life. We really strive to make an impact in our clients’ lives. Our slogan is where empathy meets healing and it is something we all strive for.
If we knew you growing up, how would we have described you?
Growing up I was an avid reader. I always had a book (books) in my hand. Harry Potter was and still is my favorite series. My favorite place to go as a kid was the library. The summers that we didn’t go visit Pakistan, I would spend the majority of that at the library as a volunteer or participating in their summer programs. As a kid, I would love playing soccer, biking swimming, watching tv, and movies. I loved listening to music. Fall out boy, panic at the disco, green-day, all-American rejects, Hilary duff, Jesse mc Cartney were always on loop on my iPod mini. I was and still am a very social person. I was often described as energetic, outgoing, passionate, ambitious, loving, and caring. I have been told that I haven’t changed much since my childhood, the same person I was then is the same person I am now. Again, I have always been a nurturer and worrier and I think that this is something that I have carried on to adulthood.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.theimpactcounselors.com
- Instagram: @coffee.with.counseling
- Facebook: Coffee With Counseling
