“Trauma is a fact of life but it does not have to be a life sentence.”

Yassi Keshavarz, LCSW

I am originally Persian and immigrated to the United States in September 2011 with my husband, leaving Iran due to religious persecution as I was not Muslim and was denied the opportunity to continue my higher education. I held a BA in Sociology from a hybrid program, which allowed me to begin working with the Refugee Foster Care Program at Catholic Community Services soon after settling down in the USA. For over four years, I worked with unaccompanied minors, witnessing their resilience as they built meaningful lives in the U.S. despite experiencing profound traumas. Their strength and courage inspired me to dedicate my career to helping others heal from trauma and grow into their fullest potential.

I earned my Master of Social Work in 2016 while completing an internship at the University of Utah Behavioral Health Program, where I later joined the team and worked until 2022. During this time, I developed my specialty in medical trauma, chronic illness, and chronic pain, which I continue to focus on in my private practice, established in 2018.

I trained in Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) early in my career and was drawn to its effectiveness in trauma treatment. Over the years, I became certified, and later an approved consultant and training facilitator, helping other therapists integrate this powerful approach into their work. I was introduced to Internal Family Systems (IFS) in my own therapy, which led me to complete Level 1 and Level 2 training through the IFS Institute.

In addition, I have completed extensive training in Ego State Therapy and Structural Dissociation, and in 2024 I added Sensorimotor Psychotherapy (Level 1) to my practice, integrating somatic interventions to enhance trauma healing.

I also incorporate music and dance - especially Eastern styles like Kurdish, Turkish, Luri, and Belly dance - into therapy, as I have found these modalities profoundly support emotional expression and trauma integration.

I live with my two young children and husband in Sacramento, California where I practice under both of my licenses of Utah and California.

On my free time I’d love to read, listen to music, dance and sing, and go out to the nature spending time with friends and family.