Episode 027 Featuring Melika AzizHaghighi

"Any kind of traumatic event has a shock component to it. Until you’ve verbalised it, until you’ve talked about it, it stays in your body and your brain." – Melika AzizHaghighiIn this powerful episode, we sit down with Melika AzizHaghighi, a psychologist and psychotherapist based in Athens, Greece. With a BA in Psychology and an MSc in Counseling Psychology and Psychotherapy from The American College of Greece – Deree, Melika brings a deeply informed and compassionate approach to mental health.Her career has focused on working with NGOs across Europe, addressing gender-based violence among migrant and refugee populations. Drawing from psychodynamic and existential frameworks, she blends techniques from multiple psychological schools to tailor her therapeutic practice to each individual.Melika’s work emphasizes trauma, diversity and stigma, LGBTQ+ issues, and personality disorders. She is currently in training at The Athenian Institute of Anthrōpos (AIA), exploring systemic approaches and family dynamics, and serves as a mental health counselor at Teleperformance in Athens. A member of the British Association for Counseling and Psychotherapy, Melika also runs a private practice offering psychotherapy in English and Persian.Tune in as we explore the impact of unspoken trauma, the healing power of language, and the importance of culturally competent care in mental health.