Ep 17: Mental Health Counseling: Dealing with Vicarious Trauma & Postpartum Depression with Dr. Anjabeen Ashraf

Join us in this episode as we sit with Dr. Anjabeen Ashraf to talk about trauma, depression, mental health, and social justice activism.  Dr. Anjabeen is a mental health expert, speaker, researcher, educator, and social justice activist. Her work is mainly centered on exploring the experience of American Muslims and South Asian Americans.  In this conversation, Dr. Anjabeen explains what vicarious trauma is all about and how one can heal from traumatic experiences. She also shares some of her findings on vicarious trauma from her research study. Moreover, we also tackle the issue of postpartum depression and what you can do about it.    Talking about your struggles is another way to heal, and so Dr. Anjabeen elaborates on the importance of honoring your mental, reaching out for help, and the role of a community in helping others heal. She offers tools you can apply to yourself and your community to cope with stress, depression, and trauma. Lastly, we talk about boundaries, how to set up healthy boundaries in the workplace and Dr. Anjabeen's social justice work as part of the hate crime law implementation committee in Oregon. In this Episode, We Talk About: What is 'vicarious trauma'? What Dr. Anjabeens research study reveals about vicarious trauma Honoring your mental health Healing through community Coping with your stress and trauma through 'grounding' What to do when you have symptoms of postpartum depression Boundary work and why it matters Setting boundaries in the workplace Dr. Anjabeen's social justice work on the hate crime law implementation committee in Oregon Dr. Anjabeen's advice to young Muslim women who are thinking of a career in counseling, psychotherapy, mental health, and psychology Where to reach Dr. Anjabeen Ashraf: Instagram   Dr. Anjabeen Ashraf Bio:   Dr. Anjabeen Ashraf holds a doctorate in Counselor Education and a Master's degree in Counseling. Her work has focused on vicarious trauma in American Muslims, mental health counseling, and anti-oppression work. She has presented on a number of topics including working with Muslim clients, social justice issues, mental health issues, and courtship/marriage. Dr. Ashraf is currently serving on the Hate Crime law implementation committee in Oregon. This groundbreaking legislation passed in Oregon in 2019 and amends the criminality of hate crimes and expands the state's tracking of hate crimes and hate incidents. Dr. Ashraf's work on the steering committee focuses on trauma-informed practices and support for survivors of hate crimes. Dr. Ashraf firmly believes in the power of counseling and personal growth work. Her online presence is focused on destigmatizing mental health and wellness in South Asian and Muslim communities. Engaging with the public outside the siloes of academia is important in Dr. Ashraf's anti-oppression framework.   Please subscribe on Apple Podcast, Stitcher or on your favorite podcast platform. Get notified so you never miss out! Join The Strategy Room inside Defiance Academy → The Strategy Room