Laleh Mehrad

Laleh Mehrad, Psy.D., is an educator, researcher, author, and advocate for gender equality, mental health, and social justice, with more than 35 years of experience in psychology, education, and human development. Her areas of expertise include trauma, liberation psychology, mindfulness-based approaches, Jungian perspectives, cultural influences on mental health, and art therapy, with a particular focus on immigrants, women, Middle Eastern communities, and marginalized and oppressed populations. Her work explores how personal experiences, relationships, culture, and unconscious patterns shape human behavior.

Dr. Mehrad is the founder of Joy Self-Awareness Center, a private psychoeducational and counseling practice serving clients internationally, and Hope and Equality Educational Center, a nonprofit organization dedicated to mental health awareness, suicide prevention, and gender equality. She also co-founded the Ghahrenam Campaign, supporting survivors of sexual torture in their journeys toward healing, recovery, and rebuilding their lives. Through Professionals Without Borders and volunteer initiatives in Latin America and the Middle East, including El Salvador and Afghanistan, she works to expand psychological support for underserved communities. Through international television, podcasts, YouTube, and social media, she has reached millions of Persian-speaking people worldwide, offering psychological education, raising awareness, and fostering hope and resilience. As an author of several books and educational works, she brings together research, writing, teaching, and humanitarian service through a guiding belief: Awareness makes choice possible, and through conscious choice, we find our path toward freedom.