One-on-one with Dr Avesta Panahi

Can you tell me a bit about your background and what led you to pursue a career in psychology?

I was born in Afghanistan and arrived to the UK as a refugee. I grew up in London for most of my life and completed my education here. I first became interested in psychology as a subject during my A Levels. I was curious about how the human mind worked and the complex ways in which we interacted with ourselves and others. After completing my A Levels, I contemplated going to medical school or studying psychology and ended up deciding to pursue a BSc in Psychology. 

During my time at university, I became certain that I had chosen the right subject for myself and that I wanted to continue on this path. The fact that psychology allowed me to better understand myself and those around me was fascinating. There was a good balance of biological perspectives such as neuropsychology as well as moral and philosophical perspectives. I knew that doing a doctorate would allow me to work directly with people in a clinical capacity, and that was the way that I wanted to make an impact in the world. 

Why counselling psychology?

During my bachelors, I knew very little about counselling psychology as a discipline and I noted that the main focus was on clinical psychology. It was only really during my role as an assistant psychologist that I worked with counselling psychologists and expanded my knowledge on what it means to be a counselling psychologist. I realised that the core values of counselling psychology such as its conceptualisation of psychological distress as less pathologising really aligned well with my values as a person. 

Tell me about your role as a counselling psychologist within the NHS

In the NHS, I currently work in a community mental health team (CMHT) alongside various multidisciplinary colleagues, such as clinical psychologists, mental health nurses and psychiatrists. My daily routine includes a mixture of clinical and administrative work. In the 'hub', I offer both individual psychological interventions and also occasionally facilitate therapeutic groups. At the moment, I am co-facilitating a Tree of Life group, which involves building alternative stories about one's life and thinking about the ways in which a person has been able to survive hardships. 

And what about your work with Amna (formerly Refugee Trauma Initiative)?

Amna is a charity which I have had the pleasure of working with as an associate therapist. Through this role, I have been facilitating wellbeing spaces and therapeutic groups for the Afghan refugee community who have been externally displaced. This has been a pivotal service for those who have faced displacement in the past three years and have been suffering from trauma symptoms and psychological distress. My work here is focused on providing culturally appropriate and sensitive care, which has been very successful. 

Where does your passion for working with the Afghan community stem from?

I am an Afghan who was displaced at a young age and growing up, I saw firsthand the challenges of my community and of my family and friends. I personally went through a complex process of identity development and I wanted to dedicate time and space to contribute back to my community in a helpful way. Unfortunately, there are very few psychological resources available which are culturally sensitive, and this issue exists not only within the Afghan community but also for other minority and global majority populations.  

What type of work have you been carrying out with the Afghan community?

I am incredibly passionate about contributing to my community and filling gaps and destigmatising mental health where possible. I have been part of several conferences and appeared on panels discussing topics such as power, identity, intergenerational trauma and more, from a psychological perspective. I have also appeared on panels discussing career opportunities and pathways for Afghan youth. Currently, I provide ad-hoc services and consultations on the Afghan community for various charities and organisations, such as Amna.

What led you to setting up your own private practice?

I have had the opportunity to work as an associate therapist with other well established private practices and I was motivated to venture out independently and gain some further control over my working hours and client base. Through private practice, I hope to reach out to further communities and also provide therapeutic spaces in this capacity. I think private practice also helps to balance out the client presentations often seen as an NHS psychologist. 

Can you share a piece of work or research that has really changed or shaped your practice?

Two years ago, I first came across an intervention called the Tree of Life. I was fortunate enough to attend training and understand the intervention better. This intervention is a piece of work which has significantly changed the way I practise and work with my clients. The Tree of Life focuses on storytelling and is a narrative intervention - I realised after how significant storytelling can be for individuals across ages and cultures. It appeared to be something that was quite helpful in my work with different cultural backgrounds as the concepts were something that many people can relate to. Currently, I am on an advanced level of the training because I truly felt that the intervention aligned with me as a therapist and how I aspired to work with clients. 

What advice would you give to other aspiring psychologists from minoritised backgrounds?

I think it's important to find the right connections,  go to events and conferences on topics that interest you. Through connection building, you might find opportunities for placements and some shadowing work and really hear about the daily life of a psychologist. Many times, there is an assumption that we only do clinical practice but the reality can be quite different. 

Don't let barriers stop you from trying and trying, you can achieve your goals but this is a route which requires a lot of patience and determination. If you are passionate about it, then try and find ways to remain passionate and connect with like-minded peers. Also feel free to reach out to psychologists on Linkedin and ask for their help and assistance - some people do reply! 

Coming from a minoritised background sometimes means that we don't hear about the right opportunities or we don't feel able to use a resource, so this is a barrier that we have to be aware of constantly. Finally, know that the work you end up doing and the career you have chosen is much needed in your minoritised community, you can help the silenced voices be heard!

Author biography 

Fauzia Khan is a graduate member of the British Psychological Society and host of the 'Fauzia Khan interviews…' series. She is currently working within the NHS while completing her doctoral training. You can read her collection of interviews here: https://www.bps.org.uk/psychologist/fauzia-khan-meets

Twitter: Fauzia = @itsFauziaKhan