I am Mine

“Don’t let your struggle become your identity.” Mental health issues are often ignored within the Afghan-American community. However, addressing the special obstacles that each individual faces can be important in resolving their personal struggles, and may even bring families and communities closer together. In this episode of Chai Sabz, Sara Stanizai  discussed her wide ranging advocacy for mental health among marginalized communities. Sara is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist based in Long Beach California. She owns and operates Prospect Therapy, which provides queer-and trans affirming therapy with a focus on couples and first-generation immigrant mental health issues. Her therapy is based on her lived-experience as a member of the LGBTQ+ and Afghan-American communities. In our conversation, Sara spoke about common experiences between these groups such as imposter syndrome, intergenerational trauma, and identity crisis. Sara further works to destigmatize therapy within the Afghan-American community in California through an Afghan-American women’s support group. This group encourages Afghan women from different walks of life to express their common struggles in a non-judgmental and confidential space. Sara hopes to continue her work in the form of therapy and support groups and she encourages similar initiatives Afghans in other parts of the diaspora. Follow @prospecttherapy on Instagram!