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Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) who strives to bring effective blend of experience, clarity, empathy and action to the counseling process in order to experience beneficial outcomes and provide authentic healing and wholeness to individuals, families and communities. Member of HPN4Tigray sub-committee Wellness and Mental Health.
Languages: English
Expertise: Licensed Therapist
Healing for me is reconciling myself with my history, my family, and my community. I hold my healing in the highest regard, because I am unable to give without being resourced enough to give.
Healing is an act of resistance. When I make time for self care, I honor myself and 7 generations forwards as well as backwards. Healing also isn’t linear or structured to look a certain way, it’s decolonized and doesn’t follow any *rules*, it’s about following your body and spirit. For me, it can look like taking 30 minutes to meditate with sound bowls, other times that means taking long walks blasting UK rap/drill. Either way, it’s a moment where I can stop, listen, and give my body what it needs in that moment
Languages: English
Expertise: Mental Health Advocate, Sound Therapist, Yoga Instructor
Professor Brent Diaz is a Trauma Therapist for Newcomers and Refugees to Toronto, Canada. He provides individual and group trauma support to communities of people from around the world who have experienced genocide, war, and political violence. He has taught on trauma, conflict and mental health in post-secondary institutions in Canada, Ukraine, Lithuania, Kenya, India and Slovakia, and has worked with local community leaders dealing with genocide and sexual violence in Rwanda, Tigray (Ethiopia) and Malawi.
Languages: English
Expertise: Licensed Therapist, and Professor
Aspiring program manager, mental health advocate, and community coordinators.
Languages: English, Tigrinya
Expertise: Mental Health Advocate
Hilena Tadesse is the Program Manager of Health Professionals Network for Tigray non-profit working to address the Humanitarian Crisis in the Tigray region. Assistant Director in Film & Commercials and Creative with an educational background in English/Psychology.
She is currently leading mental health initiatives in the Tigray community. She is also co-lead of HPN4Tigray’s Advocacy subgroup and runs @TranslateET ,a translations & archival of hate speech and disinformation against Tigrayans site.
Languages: English, Tigrinya
Expertise: Mental Health Advocate, Program Manager, Assist Director in Film & Commercials
Currently leading multiple community initiatives in response to the Emergency Crisis in Tigray.
Formerly CEO and Board Chairman of Tigray Development International (TDA, Int.): co lead statewide recovery and rehabilitation programs during and after the 1998-2000 Eritrean invasion. Oversaw the development of and access to primary education and health care services in rural areas. Policy analyst, Epidemiologist, nutritionist and food scientist by training and practice. Did undergraduate at Addis Ababa University and graduate and doctoral studies at Tufts University.
More than 30 years of work experience with local, state and federal government and the private sector in the USA. Advocate on governance, human rights, and democratic rights. Mediator in conflict resolution and a community leader. Public speaker, writer and founder of North Star Tribune and community Radio Wegahita. Originally from Tigray, currently resides in Metro Boston, Massachusetts, USA.
Languages: English, Tigrinya
Expertise: Mental Health Advocate, Policy analyst, Epidemiologist, Nutritionist and food scientist
Has worked as physician and GP in Sweden for last 32 years. He studied medicine in Uppsala University Sweden and thereafter completed his specialization in General Medicine. He has worked in different capacities as a physician amongst others as the CEO of Märsta Närvård a primary health center in the region of Stockholm, teacher of medical students and as examiner of the specialist in General Practice/Family Medicine under the auspices of The Swedish Association of General Practice and the Swedish Society of Medicine. He holds even a bachelor degree in Political Science and Development Studies and a Diploma in Medicine in Low-income countries -both from Uppsala University. He is now the owner and director of Uppsala International Health Consultants AB in Uppsala Sweden. He is married and a father of three adult children.
Languages: English, Tigrinya
Expertise: Internal Medicine Doctor, focus on mental health
She was born in Tigray, Ethiopia during the years of communism, making her family moving from one city to the capital due to the civil war during this period. She learned the secrets of the traditional since very young age. She is the number seventh of eleven children in the family and her family was constituted with twenty members in the house hold. Having a family this big, the cooking process was a routine that included preparing meals from the scratch. Since the very young years Tigist was a good helper at kitchen, assisting her elders in the preparation of the meals, who transfer their knowledge of spices and ingredients of Ethiopian food.
She came to The United States in 1997. As an immigrant she worked different jobs while going to school, and she want to make a career of doing what she loved. She had a passion for cooking and entertaining, and wanted to combine these and create a career and a better living. In 2007 with the help of her then husband, Tigist decided that she could combine her passion for cooking and entertaining to open her own restaurant. Demera Restaurant opened its door by her desire of providing authentic cuisine, culture, and hospitality in the area of Uptown and later in Chicago French Market as quick access for Ethiopian Food.
Due to current war in Tigray, Tigist has focused her attention to help the women who are survivor of gender based violence. Tigist has worked closely with HPN4TIGRAY to fundraise for mental health center and other needs of the survivors of GBV.
Tigist is currently working on creating a non-profit that support GBV survivors with medical need, mental health needs, and creating small business to support their lives.
Languages: English, Tigrinya
Expertise: Mental Health Advocate, Chef, Entrepreneur, Activist
is a talented educator and community member. She currently teaches high school in the public education system at her alma mater, Wheaton North High School. She is an avid advocate for equity and a champion for women. Whether serving as a teacher in the classroom, a community organizer, a peacemaker, or a life coach, she finds great fullness in serving others. Poetry is one of her passions and she finds great joy and healing through it. She values sharing her expertise in trauma and grief. Having studied with the Holocast Educators Network, and having experienced war three times throughout her lifetime, she understands the value of peace and treasures equipping society members to protect it. Currently, she serves on the board of Exodus World Service, an organization that mobilizes the global community to understand and serve immigrants and refugees. In part, this position allows her to serve as an advocate for the refugee/immigrant mental health experience. Mehret is grateful to engage in life as an equipping voice of hope.
Languages: English, Tigrinya
Expertise: Mental Health Advocate
Hi everyone, my name is Sara. I am from NYC. I work within the criminal just system as a case manager, currently going for a masters in Social Work. In her spare time she a teacher of Bollywood dance.
Languages: English
Expertise: Candidate for Masters in Social Work (Therapist)
“What I think of when I hear the word healing is a process. It has many different phases and it may not look like the same for each person. I think acceptance is another word I associate with healing. When you accept the hurt and allow yourself to feel whatever emotions you feel from the situation and then process them that is healing. It’s best to not hold it in and know that you are not truly alone in those feelings.”
Rahel Haile is one of our Tigray Community Mental Health advocates, an HPN board member and also serves one of the Co-Leads for HPN4Tigray’s Mental Health/Wellness committee. She has been a huge part of creating HPN4Tigray’s psychoeducational curriculum for Children ages 0-18 and has participated in many wellness events highlighting the importance of Mental Health. She hopes to continue to advocate and shine a light on the importance of Mental Health in the Tigray Diaspora and beyond.
Languages: English
Expertise: Mental Health Advocate, Industrial Psychologist
“Healing to me means growth. Acknowledging our hurt and choosing to not let it define us.”
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