Miss. Lillian Farzan-Kashani LMFT

As a first generation individual and the daughter of Iranian Jewish immigrants, I grew up with a keen awareness of oppression and discrimination. After I began my studies at UCSC, I was heavily influenced by courses including Women's Studies, Community Activism, and Psychology and Law which provided me with a more formal education with regard to systemic injustice. Following my undergraduate studies, I realized I wanted to advocate for marginalized individuals by marrying that passion with my natural ability to connect with others. This lead me to being a therapist focused on working with marginalized populations.

• California, Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, 121953

I began working with clients at the YWCA in Compton, Long Beach, and South Central LA exclusively with survivors of sexual assault. Later on in graduate school, I also worked with elementary school students in East LA. Following graduate school, I worked in residential settings with teens and went on to work at the Institute for Girls' Development in Pasadena. During that time, I was focused on working with teens, girls, and their families. I also ran groups on friendship, communication, transitions to higher ed, as well as groups for queer adolescents. Following my time in Pasadena, I worked in both private practice and rehabilitative (IOP/PHP) programs. Since completing my licensure requirements, I have worked in private practice focusing on marginalized groups including people of color, the queer community and first generation individuals like myself. I am currently also running a group with JQ International on Healthy Relationships in the Queer community.