Class of 2024: In the language of Afghan patients, Marjan Habib supports their mental health

By Joan Tupponce

Marjan Habib's fluency in Dari, one of the two official languages of Afghanistan, came from her parents, who settled in the United States as refugees and made sure she spoke it at home. Growing up in a community of Afghans in Northern Virginia, Habib saw that mental health services for the immigrants in their native language was limited.

"They may not know where to go to get access to these services. There is also a lot of stigma around the topic of mental health within our community. I hope to help bridge the gap around these conversations," said Habib, who earned a bachelor's degree in psychology from Virginia Commonwealth University and graduated in August with her master's in rehabilitation and mental health counseling from the College of Health Professions.

Habib completed her practicum and internship at Synergy Counseling LLC in Fairfax, and she is now a licensed resident in counseling at the practice.

"Approximately one-third of my clients are from my background or speak my language, and I hope to see this continue to grow," she said.

Ever since she was young, Habib wanted to work in the medical field. At first, she thought becoming a doctor would be the best route to serve people. But she came to realize how mental health is crucial to overall health and well-being.

"When I started at VCU, I was doing the medical route, but I switched to psychology in my sophomore year. I felt you can help people in many ways, and mental health stood out to me," Habib said.

After earning her undergraduate degree, she served as a behavior technician, working with children with autism.

"I enjoyed that," she said. "I would go to their homes a couple of hours a week. I realized I have relationships with their families, and I liked that dynamic. I also realized my own limitations."

Habib wanted to become more immersed in the mental health field and decided to get her master's. She praised her professors and her academic supervisor, Jared Schultz, Ph.D., professor and chair of the Department of Rehabilitation Counseling.

"[They] have all been great in allowing me to see my background as one of my strengths," Habib said. "They help me stay motivated. They help push me toward my dreams and know that it is possible to fulfill my dreams of serving my community."

During her internship, Habib discovered how challenging it can be to balance the cultural aspects of her job.

"It's hard to put words to feelings sometimes," she said of speaking Dari. "I have been taught to speak in my mother's tongue, which is in a respectful manner. I haven't been shown how it works in a professional sense. It's all about understanding the balance and interpreting correctly."

Habib plans to continue to serve a community that is close to her heart.

"I want to reach out and continue to help Afghan immigrants navigate bicultural living with a focus on healthy integration," she said. "I want to help families through the acculturation process and help kids transition into the American school system."