Biography
Asma is a graduate practicum intern at the Khalil Center. She is currently pursuing a master's degree in social work at the University of Michigan, and completed her Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from the University of Illinois at Chicago. She plans to work as a licensed clinical social worker with adults, couples, families, and children. Her research interests include understanding the impact of stress and trauma on development across the lifespan, factors that promote bonding and attachment between parents and children, and challenges in the perinatal/postpartum experience that impact parenting. Asma is also completing a certificate in Interprofessional Trauma-Informed Practice through the University of Michigan.
Her experience includes working as an behavior interventionist at an Islamic school, where she supported parents and students from grades preschool-6th. Additionally, Asma interned and worked with the Khalil Center, where she designed and facilitated workshops on various social-emotional topics. She has also worked in an administrative setting with parents of children diagnosed with cardiac conditions, as well as the geriatric population, which granted her the unique opportunity of building her interpersonal skills and adequately addressing the needs of these individuals through a compassionate lens. She has dedicated her time towards numerous volunteering efforts, including Islamic Oasis, in which she tutored immigrant and refugee children. Asma has taken various courses in Islamic studies through Rabata and is currently pursuing more formal Islamic education through the Murabbi Development Program at ICNA-Chicago.
Asma is passionate about supporting families and parents in fostering healthy relationships and promoting factors conducive to healthy development. She also feels strongly about helping survivors of domestic and intimate partner violence. She utilizes an attachment and trauma informed, culturally humble, spiritually integrative, person-in-environment, strengths-based, and social justice centered lens in her work.
Clinical Focus
Anxiety Disorders
Mood Disorders
Adjustment Issues/Life Transitions (marriage, job, divorce, family)
Developmental and Relational Trauma
Trauma and Stressor Related Disorders
Modalities
Individual Psychotherapy
Premarital Coaching
Attachment and Trauma-Informed therapy (not to be confused with attachment therapy).
Languages Spoken
English
Urdu