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Meet the team

Shahyda Chaudhry

Is the chair of the Wellbeing group, The Wellbeing group was set up during the covid pandemic in 2020. Shahyda’s background is in financial accounting and she has for many years helped run a family business. She has been a member of the management committee of the AHMA, running the events and community engagement projects.

wellbbeing@ahma.co.uk

Sarah Malik

Sarah Malik is a Registered Member with the British Psychological Society (MBPsS). She is also a registered member with the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (MBACP). She has completed professional training in Psychology and further qualifications in Psychotherapy, specifically completing her Masters in Cognitive behavioural therapy, Anxiety and Addictive behaviours. She has over 10 years of experience working within the public sector. She is highly trained and qualified to assess and formulate psychological difficulties and to work therapeutically with a range of client groups, including adults and children. She is accredited to provide a variety of psychological interventions, which is outlined by the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy within their Ethical Framework. She has had extensive training in Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) and Person Centered Therapy (PCT) as well as other approaches.  CBT in particular is recommended as treatment for a range of psychological difficulties including Depression, anxiety, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), chronic pain, adjustment disorders, chronic pain and phobias.

Sarah Malik is a Cross-cultural Psychotherapist, a Human Rights Campaigner, and an Independent Consultant with over six years of experience working with migrant population in the fields of cross-cultural mental health in Greater Manchester, North-West of England.  She is the Health & Wellbeing Manager at NESTAC, a Refugee Community Organisation (RCO) addressing the needs of migrant population living in the North-West of England.  Miss Malik does have extensive expertise in safeguarding vulnerable young girls and in providing cross-cultural counselling to women and young girls affected by Female Genital Mutilation (FGM), having coordinated the FGM programme known as ‘The Guardian Project’ for five years at NESTAC.

wellbbeing@ahma.co.uk

Sana Gill

Dr Sana Gill is a chartered Clinical Psychologist, registered with the Health & Care Professionals Council (HCPC) and the British Psychological Society (BPS). Having completed an accredited undergraduate degree in Psychology with Cognitive Neuroscience (BSc), she continued to complete a Rehabilitation Psychology (MSc) and finally gained her chartership through completion of her Doctorate Degree in Clinical Psychology (DClinPsy). She currently works with adults who have had a brain injury and are inpatients on an intermediate neurorehabilitation unit (INRU).

Sana also has a special interest in working with children and families, thinking about their emotional experiences within the context of their culturo-religious context. Working with refugee and asylum-seeking populations has given a flavour for the impact of several sociopolitical factors which influence experiences of emotional distress. Her doctoral thesis entitled “Exploring the Unseen” was completed in 2019 and considered therapy within the British Muslim community of South Manchester. She explored the content of mainstream NHS therapy and compared the constructs of these with therapy delivered by members of the Muslim community, within private and non-private settings outside of the NHS. Her ambition is to ensure that ALL members of society are given the opportunity to seek support that they require to manage their emotional health.

Sana works directly with individuals on a 1:1, therapeutic basis but also offers consultation with individuals in more of an indirect basis. Considering the idiosyncratic nature of emotional difficulties, Sana uses a wide range of therapeutic approaches alongside clients to explore, understand and improve their experiences of distress. She uses a range of therapeutic approaches including Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), Narrative Therapy, and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), as well as more interpersonal therapies including Cognitive Analytic Therapy (CAT), and chooses which approaches are best suited to each client’s story. She is motivated to consider the systems around an individual, using a systemic approach to consider the influence of a vast range of factors which may influence someone’s emotional wellbeing. To name a few, these include cultural identity, religious identity, financial background, sexism, and familial backgrounds.

wellbbeing@ahma.co.uk

Contributing Authors

Saadia Jabaar

Saadia is a Trainee Integrative Psychotherapist, currently studying her postgraduate diploma in Counselling & Psychotherapy. She has a special interest in Faith-based therapy; completing her foundation year in Islamic Counselling and further attaining her Level 1 Certificate in Counselling from an Islamic Theoretical Orientation. Saadia understands the importance of Islam in our view of ourselves, the world, and our healing, and is keen to work within the Muslim community to offer therapeutic interventions that connect and serve both spiritual and psychological needs.

Saadia has acted as an advocate for mental well-being for many years; running support groups, organising awareness events, and sharing her love for Islam and Psychology through her writing. She continues to be active in her field, to help others in their quest to find themselves through their Lord.

Adnan Malik
Adnan Malik has a first-class degree in English & Creative Writing from the University of Salford, and a Masters in Philosophy, Science & Religion from the University of Edinburgh. Currently, he is studying for a Ph.D. at Glasgow University, and his thesis is a critical analysis of Sufism in Pakistan in light of Mohammad Iqbal’s interpretation of Sufism.
Ramisha Sheikh

Ramisha Sheikh has completed an undergraduate degree in Bachelor of Laws and has plans to complete her additional accreditations to qualify as a solicitor and specialise in Intellectual Property law. She currently works for a film company based in Qatar, assisting production and story development in both a creative and legal sense. She believes that though story-telling we can improve muslim representation within mainstream media and create content that highlights the benefits of nourishing your spiritual and mental growth. Through her passion for emotional well-being she has participated in events and societies throughout the past few years that focus on raising mental health awareness for students and young adults. She also runs a public well-being blog on Instagram by the name of ‘Sheikh Calli’ which showcases her reflections on inner healing and self-development.

Chloe Houston

Coming Soon