More of the story…

My journey started with advocating for proper sex education in high school amongst my peers. Abstinence-only education was not cutting it for me, but hey—that’s Texas, and I was born and raised right here in Austin.  

I took matters into my own hands when I was a junior in high school. And how did I do that, you ask? A friend of mine, a senior with a car, took me to Planned Parenthood after school one day when I told my parents I was staying to work on a group "project." (That project was called "Health Class Failed Me: Texas Edition.”) After that day, as more of my peers became sexually active, I would accompany them to their appointments as moral support.

My passion for the science of sex only grew from there. I took AP Psychology in high school, and found it fascinating. I was hooked by the time I took Human Sexuality my first year of college. I combined my interests (sex education, Psychology, Human Sexuality), and from there, at the age of eighteen… I knew I wanted to become a sex therapist. 

Whether it was painting houses for the Humane Society, working festival booths at elementary schools, leading as team captain at Relay for Life for the American Cancer Society, or being the volunteer coordinator for Interact (a community service club) in high school, I have always found joy in helping in any way I could. (I know, I know—doesn’t every therapist say that?)

Therapy just seemed like second nature to me.

After deciding I could not bear to leave Austin, I received my Bachelor’s in Psychology with Honors from St. Edward’s University in December 2010. During my time there, I was a teaching assistant for Dr. Delia Kothmann Paskos for three semesters. I assisted her with four courses: Intro to Psychology, Experimental Psychology, Statistics, and the Violent Sex Offender. Under that internship, I discovered the one thing that could pull me away from a career of sex therapy… and that would be criminal psychology. I have Dr. Emma Lou Linn and Dr. Kothmann Paskos to thank (and blame) for my curious fascination of serial killers.

After some travel, the following fall after graduation, I entered the Master of Arts program at St. Edward’s to get my degree in Counseling. I went to school on the dual track program (for both the LPC and LMFT licenses), and I received my Master’s in May 2011. While in graduate school, I interned at North Austin Urology where I saw clients for sexual health concerns and relationship conflict. Dr. Sandeep Mistry’s practice, North Austin Urology, has multiple locations, and I interned at the original Round Rock location under Dr. Vagdevi Meunier’s supervision. I also had a brief, second internship at St. Catherine of Siena Catholic Church where I co-facilitated a cancer support group with my supervisor Terri Moser. My passion to “attack cancer in every angle” was the reason why I kept my job at the American Cancer Society for five years. I worked there full-time throughout graduate school and continued to work there part-time even after I graduated.

I love working with individuals, couples, and families of all configurations. It is important to me that I create a safe space where people feel they are able to authentically explore their sexuality and thoughts, while working through (and even simply accepting) the discomfort that comes up as they evolve. “Grow through what you go through.”

When I don’t have my therapist cap on (just kidding, I always do), I still talk about sex. A lot. In fact, I hosted Sex Nerd Trivia for two and a half years - which is also why people seem to recognize me around Austin. (Then again, how many purple/blue haired Persian women do you know with a fringe and glasses?) It is worth noting that I often do not recognize/remember people, but don’t let that stop you from saying hi!

Outside of therapy, who am I?

I am Persian and a native Austinite. (Fun fact: My parents immigrated here from Iran, and while I was born here, Farsi is my first language. I didn’t learn English until I was enrolled in kindergarten.) I am a sterilized fur-mom to two beautiful babies that I am absolutely obsessed with (a brindle pug named Severus and a calico Persian cat named Lily). I am an intuitive empath, an outgoing introvert, as well as a disabled “spoonie” with Narcolepsy with Cataplexy, Lupus, secondary Fibromyalgia, Generalized Anxiety, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (Contamination OCD, agoraphobia, Pure “O”), and a handful of other fun stuff. I am genderfluid, queer/pansexual, kinky, solo polyamorous/a relationship anarchist, as well as a burner. In my free time, I like to travel, cross-stitch while listening to audiobooks, watch the Doctor Who series on repeat, and cuddle my two flat-faced fur children. I also try to pretend my lifestyle isn’t the equivalent of a sloth on Xanax (or a permanently exhausted pigeon). Bedpost Confessions is my church. I believe in story-telling for personal healing, and find that being vulnerable encourages others on their own journey. That is why I share as much of myself as I am able (and which is why I co-host this podcast with my best friend of 18+ years).