Tannaz Alagheband, LCSW is an EMDR and somatic-based therapist, who specializes in working with professionals and creatives with anxiety and perfectionism, adults who have experienced early relational trauma, those impacted by infertility/reproductive trauma, the perinatal population (pregnancy and postpartum), and immigrant/BIPOC clients.
Tannaz is deeply passionate and committed to helping her clients develop self-compassion, heal their emotional wounds, and build stronger connections. She uses a combination of EMDR therapy, talk therapy, and somatic-based practices in helping her clients tap into their innate healing abilities and create long-lasting change.
What would your clients and colleagues say is your therapist superpower?
I have two superpowers:
I have been told that I’m very easy to talk to and people feel comfortable and at ease as they start talking to me.
I am told that I ask really good questions that allows my clients to reflect and arrive at answers for themselves.
How have your personal experiences helped your work with your clients?
My areas of specialty are all areas that I have had my own challenges and growth in. I know the struggles of being a first-generation immigrant or child of immigrants, the internal battles of being a perfectionist high achiever, the pain of childhood relational trauma, the grief of navigating infertility, the anxiety that comes with being a new mom/parent, and the juggle of being a working mama/parent who is wanting to break generational cycles/trauma.
My personal journey has allowed me to deepen my understanding and connection with my clients and helping them feel seen and supported in their growth.
How do you approach the stigma surrounding mental health and therapy?
As an Iranian-American immigrant woman/therapist, I’ve witnessed and experienced the stigmas around seeking mental health care/therapy both within and outside my community. I talk openly about mental health in my casual conversations with friends and acquaintances to normalize it and make it less taboo. In my role as a therapist, I’m intentional about creating a welcoming and affirming space for my BIPOC/immigrant identifying clients, who may have faced additional stigmas around seeking mental health care.
What is your approach to therapy?
My approach is allowing you to show up fully as a person while also gently and safely helping you face feelings and parts of you that you may be otherwise pushing away. A lot of my work with my clients centers around expanding their self-compassion and capacity to be with various parts of themselves, including the parts they may not like (ie., anxious perfectionist part). It is from this place that healing begins to take place.
For more information, please visit www.mindfultherapywithtannaz.com
Short Term (Solution-focused, etc.)
Ideal for those who are coming in with a specific problem they’d like to address and gain clarity on. Typically, short term therapies are present focused and do not dive deep into your past.
Structured
Structured therapies are goal and progress oriented. Therapists may incorporate psychoeducation and a specific “curriculum.” In order to stay on track, therapists may provide worksheets and homework.
Insight-oriented (Psychodynamic, Existential, etc.)
Exploring the past and making connections to present issues can help clients gain insight. Getting to the root of the issue and finding deeper self-awareness can help with long-term change.
Non-directive (Humanistic, Person-centered, etc.)
Going with the flow and seeing where it leads.
Behavioral (CBT, DBT, etc.)
Focuses on changing potentially unhealthy or self-destructive behaviors by addressing problematic thought patterns and specific providing coping skills.
Trauma Focused (EMDR, TF-CBT, etc.)
Recognizing the connection between trauma experiences and your emotional and behavioral responses, trauma focused therapy seeks to help you heal from traumas.
