‘Our conversations have been extremely raw, pushing boundaries’

Why psychology?

As an eight-year-old experiencing displacement, I found myself in what felt like an entirely different world. Fleeing Iran and what I knew to be home was heartbreaking, especially at such a young age. All my friends, families and memories were in a place I called home, and suddenly it was all taken away with little time to process the events that unfolded. 

Seeking sanctuary in the UK was not what I'd expected as an eight-year-old. Being placed in extremely overcrowded refugee housing, separated from my parents, was the new way of living that I had to accept. Nonetheless, my parents tried to bring a sense of home in our new shelter. We ate Iranian food, continued to speak Farsi and regularly made phone calls to our loved ones. 

This new world was both fascinating and disheartening. I was fascinated by a new sense of freedom, but disheartened due to experiences of unkindness from strangers without reason, particularly at a very vulnerable moment of my life, which left me questioning why people chose to consciously behave that way. Psychology has been one of the only subjects which allows me to explore why the world operates the way it does and why humans behave the way they do. 

Can you give me an example?

I explicitly remember one afternoon outside of the refugee housing. My twin and I were cycling on a second-hand bicycle that was handed to us by a friend. A group of teen boys surrounded us, and in a matter of seconds we found ourselves on the ground, being kicked and spat on, with the bike taking some damage too. They boys were constantly shouting at us, but at this point we didn't speak English, and I had no idea what they were saying or why we were attacked. I remember, walking back, bike in one hand, the other holding my nose, wondering why strangers turn on each other for no reason – could it be because of the way I look? Could it be because of my skin colour? 

Those 'could it be…' questions continued to float around in my head years after this incident. So, I guess, in reality, my childhood curiosities and experiences fuelled my adulthood interests, from all the good memories to the more painful ones. I vividly remember spending hours trying to bend a spoon with my mind – I suppose that's where my journey into psychology truly began, as a child! 

Can you tell me more about how that journey in Psychology developed?

The travels that came with displacement resulted in meeting so many different people, from all walks of life. Studying psychology enabled me to continue my interest in understanding people, societies and the world. 

Before fleeing Iran, my twin and I were very active and curious about trying new sports. However, being a young girl under a dictatorial government was difficult to navigate, particularly as I had to be mindful of playing certain sports due to societal pressures. But I watched my mum take on the same pressures as she continued to excel in her career as a coach and personal trainer, where her work was dedicated to providing safe spaces for women to be active, free and empowered in their bodies. She used to take us to her classes, and I was just in awe of my mum and her self-belief and determination to empower women. I still am. 

As we sought sanctuary in the UK and I continued through the education system, I started to develop an interest in science, sports and the arts. I was able to narrow down my options in college. After my A-levels I decided to pursue a journey into Psychology. I felt psychology provided me with so many opportunities to explore my interests in science, sports and the arts. During my second year at University, I trained and later competed in amateur boxing – this experience piqued my interest in sport and exercise psychology. I decided to complete my MSc in sport and exercise psychology after my undergraduate studies. I took a year out to then work within academia as a part-time lecturer, and a research assistant. Following this, I was accepted on a PhD programme focusing on mental health literacy in women's sport. The experience taught me a lot, including the power of sport and physical activity in marginalised communities, how empowering sport and physical activity can be and the importance of remaining an advocate for change within systemic structures.

You're really passionate about human rights and issues surrounding asylum seeker and refugee communities. 

Yes. That stems from both my personal experience as a former child refugee and my professional path of being a chartered psychologist, privileged to collaborate with non-governmental organisations who support displaced communities. 

On reflection, there was no consideration of families or children seeking asylum. My twin and I were allocated a separate room to our parents. The experience was hostile, particularly for an eight-year-old. From a professional perspective, I believe academia could offer a range of expertise to support displaced communities. Recognising the connection between human rights and psychology is essential for understanding how psychological support can be effectively provided. 

Human rights and psychology are intertwined. For instance, individuals who flee their homes due to human rights violations are highly likely to experience mental health symptoms and disorders, yet they often face various barriers to receiving psychological support. It is crucial for academics and psychologists to collaborate in developing suitable, culturally-informed methods to support displaced communities who have been at risk or have experienced human rights violations.

Tell me about your role as chair for the BPS Human Rights Advisory Group.

I'm  responsible for steering the group, providing progress updates, and planning initiatives through task and finish groups. These TFGs focus on our objectives, outlined in our terms of reference, and align with our members' expertise and interests. Given the global climate and pressing human rights issues, our conversations have been extremely raw, pushing boundaries. I am fortunate to chair a diverse group of professionals who equally share my passion for human rights, justice, equity and peace. We are a steadfast team, and I am excited about achieving our goals, including hosting our own workshop and collaborating with other BPS professionals across the board.

And what about your role as board of trustees for Bloody Good Period?

As one of the trustees of Bloody Good Period, my role comprises of helping and advising on initiatives which focus on working with displaced communities. In other words, my role, along with the other trustees, is one of knowledge exchange and supporting crucial decision-making processes within the organisation. It's an honour to be part of the BGP family – their work is revolutionary. I admire how BGP tackles conversations around menstruation and takes these conversations right to the core of where change is needed. They don't mess around and unapologetically seek answers from those in power. 

You're currently working as a lecturer. Tell me about your role.

As a lecturer I lead on the community psychology modules across the psychology degrees at Solent University and teach on the sport and exercise psychology degree covering topics around cultural awareness in sport and exercise psychology practice, mental health literacy and intervention design. Additionally, I'm the co-chair of the psychology ethics committee and encourage students to dig deep about how ethics plays an important role in research. I also lead the social sciences foundation year module. Every academic year I supervise undergraduate and postgraduate students' research projects. Bringing an idea to life takes patience, resilience and a lot of trials and errors, seeing this process year after year never fails to amaze me! Meeting individuals from all walks of life is one of the most rewarding parts of my job.

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

For me, a handful of conversations have shaped my practice and work more profoundly than any piece of research. Discussions with Dr Alan Kessedjian and Dr Tony Wainwright have always demonstrated the importance of centering human rights in both dialogue and practice. They've shown me how to navigate conversations often excluded from academic settings, equipping me with the tools to apply this approach in my own work and practice now, I feel more confident than ever to have these conversations head on. 

Additionally, my PhD supervisor and now colleague, Dr Paul Gorczynski, has always provided insightful and inspirational guidance. Paul's writing style has significantly influenced how I write, particularly in addressing mental health topics and eliminating stigmatising, weaponising language towards mental health and those who experience mental health symptoms and disorders. Engaging with the work of these individuals is always incredibly worthwhile and inspiring!

What pearls of wisdom would you like to share with other psychologists that are early on in their career journeys?

Be bold and understand the power you hold as someone in this profession. Find your voice, and what you feel passionate about and let your curiosity dictate your next move. Most importantly, find your people, share ideas, send that email, don't hold off on opportunities and don't hold back – you never know, your voice could just be the support someone needs to survive. 

• Find Fauzia and Shakiba on X/Twitter.