Arij Abdul holds a MA Degree in Psychology/Mental Health Counseling (2014). She has worked with non-profit/non-sectarian organizations and experience in the Child Welfare System since 2014. She has over 8 years of experience working city-wide with, but not limited to, strengthening family dynamics, addressing domestic violence, sexual, physical, and emotional abuse, psychological disorders, homelessness, and a vast amount of knowledge relating to child abuse, maltreatment, and neglect. She has provided clinical casework support, therapeutic, and mental health care for seriously disturbed youth, adults, couples, and traumatized families. She has been exposed to multiple populations, cultures, religions, legal/socioeconomic statuses, with a focus on the AMEMSA population (Arab, Middle Eastern, Muslim, and South Asian), immigrants, refugees, and the under privileged while applying trauma and culturally informed skills.

She has worked in case management and served as a Director of Program Operations for family shelters in NYC; assisting families triumph over homelessness, locating services to aid them and their children, and supporting staff in their roles. Mrs. Abdul has over 7 years of experience in program management, supervising staff, collaborating and maintaining partnerships with stakeholders such as the Department of Homeless Services (DHS), Administration of Children’s Services (ACS), and the Office of Children and Family Services (OCFS). She has carried a role in program implementation and strategic planning as it relates to launching family shelters, Solution Based-Casework (SBC), and a Functional Family Therapy (FFT) program. She also served as the Deputy Director for a Functional Family Therapy Program serving NYC and a Director for Parent Engagement in Putnam County for a residential school.

She utilizes the Community Resiliency Model (CRM) which focuses on bringing awareness to the biological and neurophysiological parts of trauma and stress on our bodies, as well as, how to utilize biologically based wellness skills to strengthen one’s resiliency. She is currently continuing her education to obtain a PhD in Counseling Education and Supervision. Mrs. Abdul's graduate thesis study examined the impact of coping self-efficacy behaviors, perceived social relationships, and perceived stress on psychological well-being and life satisfaction to recognize the importance of happiness on human life. She also aims to continue to work with culturally sensitive populations; delivering services to meet client/funder needs, overseeing program management, sustainability, and ensuring the fidelity to the models are being practiced. She is an extremely passionate and compassionate counselor.

She is dedicated to helping and empowering anyone during stressful times, dealing with past traumas, feeling “stuck,” or wanting to set goals. She is committed to working together to bring out the therapist and expert within to reach an appropriate state of mind, body, and spirit that is unique to the person. “The good life is a process, not a state of being. It is a direction not a destination. The direction which constitutes the good life is that which is selected by the total organism, when there is psychological freedom to move in any direction." Carl Rogers