Meet the team

(from L-r) Seher, Talia, Pauline, Marjan, jean, niloofar, & nichole

Welcome to noor therapy and wellness, a group practice dedicated to supporting children of immigrants, bipoc, and queer folks with trauma-informed, culturally-informed, human-first therapy and wellness services. We are a virtual practice serving residents of California and New York.

We are a group of professionals who have become the very therapists they wanted and needed - bringing together our lived and clinical experiences to support you fully and genuinely. 

I want to introduce you to the amazing team (click on each name to learn more and book a free call):

• Pauline Yeghnazar Peck (she, 1st gen Iranian-Armenian immigrant, queer), licensed psychologist

• Niloofar Alishahi (she, 1st gen Iranian immigrant, queer), licensed creative arts therapist, registered art therapist, board certified

• Seher Bajwa (she, 2nd gen mixed-heritage Pakistani & English with Indian & Irish roots, 3rd culture kid, Muslim), associate marriage and family therapist, associate professional clinical counselor

• Nichole Abdallah (she, 2nd gen biracial Palestinian and Mexican, Muslim), associate marriage and family therapist

• Talia Tzouris (she, 3rd gen mixed-heritage Greek, Hungarian, Irish, & Scottish, pansexual), associate marriage and family therapist

• Marjan Modaresi (she, 1st gen Iranian immigrant), associate marriage and family therapist

• Jean Donabedian (he/they, 2nd gen Armenian immigrant, queer), associate marriage and family therapist, associate professional clinical counselor

Our specialties include:

• bipoc, children of immigrants, biracial/mixed heritage, 3rd culture

• lgbtqia+, sex & sexuality

• intercultural & interfaith couples

• trauma, somatics, emdr (brainspotting will be available soon!)

• grief in all its forms

• art therapy

Our modalities include:

• somatics

• internal family systems

• decolonial and systemic approaches

• feminist and multicultural therapy

• narrative therapy

• weaving in ancestral and cultural practices

We provide individual, couples, family, and group therapy as well as workshops that are educational and experiential (these are not therapy and open to all!)

 Our values

Despite our diverse identities, specialties, and modalities, we share the following values:

Acceptance: Every feeling and behavior has some function. We take a non-pathologizing view of what is happening to help you better understand yourself and move toward making more empowered choices. We operate with a deep respect for your wholeness, power, and inherent capacity for healing. We are not making healing happen but facilitating the right environment for your healing to unfold.

Acknowledgement: We acknowledge the ways in which intergenerational events (colonization, forced migration, war, genocide) and systems of power (white supremacy, racism, patriarchy, capitalism, etc.) negatively impact individual/collective mental health. We recognize how the entire industrial mental health complex continues to harm people. We are committed to unlearning and learning new ways to provide mental health care.

Authenticity: Good therapy is about a real human connection. We believe in showing up as real people who can hold space for all of you, without judgment or shame. We are trained professionals, yes, but you are the expert of your experience and we honor, and work with your values, beliefs, and knowings. We invite your full humanity to this experience.

We are excited to share our knowledge, passion, and skills with you through this newsletter. We hope it's a source of support and a resource for you as you navigate your mental health and the wellbeing of your community. 

We would be happy to collaborate with you in healing and also appreciate your referrals.

Thank you for being here and we can't wait for you to see what's in store!