EMDR Therapy and therapy intensives for High-Achieving Women in Cincinnati & virtually Throughout Ohio
Lighting your path forward
Hi, I’m Sakina.
You don’t have to find your way alone.
If you've found your way here, chances are you've spent a long time being dependable and working hard towards your achievements. You've carried anxiety, responsibility, and high expectations, but never really feel you’ve arrived at a place of contentment.
Your drive to be your best, succeed, or always have it together has left you feeling depleted, exhausted or just weighed down with responsibility.
Over the years, I've come to understand that insight about ourselves and our story alone isn't always enough. We can understand exactly why we feel the way we do or what shaped us and still find ourselves stuck in the same patterns. Healing isn't always found through analyzing ourselves, the families we came from, or our life experiences. Understanding the history is only part of the equation. Often, the places where we feel stuck are held much deeper—in our nervous system, our relationships, and the stories about ourselves we've carried for years.
After working in community mental health and healthcare clinics for years, where I worked with many clients experiencing symptoms of depression and anxiety, I sought training in EMDR to help my clients address the root of their symptoms. EMDR can help shift the beliefs we hold true about ourselves and allow us to reprocess the experiences in our past that inform how we experience and respond in the present.
The name Munira means “illuminated” or “radiant.” I chose it because it reflects the kind of therapist I hope to be — not someone who walks the path for you, but someone who carries a lantern beside you when the way forward feels uncertain. My hope is that, over time, you begin to recognize the strength, clarity, and light that have been within you all along.
It would be an honor to walk to walk alongside you as you reconnect with yourself and begin the next chapter of your healing.
Licensure
Licensed Independent Social Worker (LISW), Ohio
License #I.1801052. Licensed since 2018.
Specialized Training
EMDR Trained, EMDR Consulting (2026)
Education
Master of Social Work (MSW), Northern Kentucky University (2016)
Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) in English and German, Drew University (2004)
What It’s Like to Work Together
I believe therapy should help you do more than cope—it should help you begin to thrive.
Our work begins by getting to know you—being curious about the experiences, stories, and patterns that have shaped you, and the current challenges you're navigating. As we get to know each other, we'll explore your goals for therapy, strengthen the inner resources you already possess, and prepare for deeper healing or processing at your pace.
Using EMDR and other evidence-based, trauma-informed approaches, we will practice grounding in your physical sensations as you process your emotions and experiences. We may identify patterns and particular distressing emotions or memories to reprocess, so that your nervous system no longer becomes dysregulated when facing stress or challenges in the present.
We will move at your pace, based on your desire and capacity to process difficult emotions and shift internalized beliefs, so you can grow to care for yourself with greater capacity and compassion.
In our sessions, you can expect a calm, grounding space, warm support and empathy. I take time to listen, validate your experiences and emotions, and give you the space and time you need to process. I will occasionally offer an honest observation and encourage you to shift your perspective or approach when something is not serving you. We will often practice grounding together in session—breathing, somatic grounding, container exercises—which I model with you instead of simply teach them, so you can begin to feel what safety and calm look like in your body.
I will from time to time connect what you're sharing to books, resources, or other concrete tools that fit your specific life. For Muslim clients who are interested, I will also integrate tools from Islamic psychology and spirituality for perspective, grounding, and spiritual and emotional strength. Clients often tell me they leave feeling calmer and that they are able to redirect their negative thoughts and self-regulate with more ease. Their fears no longer stop them from going towards the positive vision they have for their life, and self-doubt and anxiety no longer feel crippling.
My hope is that you move toward the life you envision for yourself, without fear or self-doubt holding you back.
When I’m Not in the Office
Outside of the therapy office, my life is usually centered around my three children, spending time with family and friends, teaching college students, and playing through creative expression. I enjoy reading, exploring the outdoors, visiting new places, and experimenting with creating things that are both beautiful and meaningful.
I've come to appreciate the value of slowing down and of intentional habits. These practices don't just shape my own life—they also influence the way I show up for the people I have the privilege of working with.
Your healing can begin here.
Healing doesn't begin with having everything figured out. It begins with one conversation. Schedule a complimentary 15-minute consultation, and together we'll explore whether therapy with me feels like the right fit.