Staff Profiles
Ayesha Mujeeb joined C3A in September, 2014. She brought with her fifteen years of extensive experience of working on social issues in the development sector. She earned seven years of working experience as a Senior Programme Officer/Trainer/ Clinical Psychologist with Rozan, an organization in Islamabad working on violence against women and children specifically domestic violence and child sexual abuse. She worked as a project coordinator for one and a half year with Plan International Pakistan on the project ‘Adolescent Sexual and Reproductive Health”. Ayesha also worked as a free-lance development consultant/trainer/psychologist for six years with different international and national organizations.
She has done her MS in Counselling from University of Queensland, Australia and Master’s in Clinical Psychologist from University of Peshawar. She is a certified therapist and has attended certification in Cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT), art therapy, play therapy, acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT), solution focused therapy and mindfulness from Australia.
She is also a certified master trainer and has conducted numerous trainings and training of trainers on various issues. Her specialized area of interest includes counselling skills, child sexual abuse, domestic violence, child protection, adolescent reproductive health, women and child rights, gender, communication skills, stress and anger management, life skills, self-awareness, behaviour change modification, facilitation skills and psycho- social intervention.
Sidra Azhar works as a Senior Career Counsellor, whose impactful journey commenced in July 2015 upon joining C3A. She wields an Advanced Diploma in Career Counselling and education from NUST, illuminating pathways toward professional aspirations. Her profound commitment to growth is evident as she recently attained her MS in Clinical Psychology from Foundation University Rawalpindi, delving into the intricate psychosocial adjustment of differently-abled students in higher educational institutions through a multi-informant approach.
Ms. Sidra also earned her master’s degree in applied psychology from the Virtual University of Pakistan. Her research scrutinized the interplay between parenting styles and adolescent self-esteem, offering insights into secondary school dynamics. Her proficiency spans diverse career and educational counselling domains, encompassing career interest discernment, guidance, and advanced testing/assessment techniques. Ms. Sidra adapted the Card Sort technique invented by Leona E. Tyler in 1960 —a potent tool for career counselling.
She has also worked at the Career Development Centre (CDC) NUST in 2018. She conducted impactful workshops and mock interviews, honing students’ resume crafting and interview readiness. Her contributions extend further as she co-authored research papers featured in esteemed indexed journals.
With her wealth of expertise and resolute dedication, Ms. Sidra Azhar is your steadfast ally in sculpting a gratifying and successful career trajectory.
Maham Rizwan joined C3A in December 2020 after completing her MS in Clinical Psychology from the Department of Behavioral Sciences, S3H, NUST. Her clinical training/internship was conducted at the Armed Forces Institute of Mental Health, Rawalpindi where she has also been oriented to the area of community mental health as she worked at Dhok Hassu, Rawalpindi for three months. Her thesis was on translating and culturally adapting the Adaptive Behavior Assessment System-3. This tool was developed by Pearson, USA and is used to measure the adaptive behaviours of children with developmental difficulties.
Her bachelor’s thesis was focused on borderline traits, non-suicidal self-injury, and negative emotional reactivity among young adults. She has also presented a research paper on the association between aggression and academic performance among students in an international conference at Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, and another on the association between anxiety and academic performance among students in Punjab University, Lahore.
She has also gained experience as a clinical intern at multiple institutes including government hospitals, rehab centers and special education schools and has worked as a research assistant at her parent department at NUST. In addition, she is a recipient of rector and dean merit awards during her bachelor’s degree. She also has a certification from the Johns Hopkins University on Psychological First Aid.
Ms Khadija Sultan joined C3A in December 2022 as a Psychologist. She is also an affiliate member of American Psychological Association (APA). She holds an MS in Clinical Psychology from the Department of Behavioral Sciences, S3H, NUST. Her master’s thesis focused on the investigation of risk and protective factors of Suicide among young adults of Gilgit Baltistan.
In March 2023, Ms. Sultan had the honor of presenting her research paper titled as ‘Relationship between Interpersonal Needs, Basic Psychological Needs and Suicidal Ideation, Mediated by Depressive Symptoms and Moderated by Family Functioning Among Young Adults of Gilgit Baltistan,’ at World Psychiatric Association (WPA)’s Thematic Conference. She secured the 2nd position among all the contestants for her unique and captivating research project and was awarded 26 CPD points.
Ms. Sultan is trained in the humanistic paradigm as well as Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT). She brings with her a wealth of clinical internship experiences, including Benazir Bhutto Hospital (BBH) Rawalpindi and DBS Tele Counselling Services (NUST). Additionally, she has been actively engaged in a pilot study program titled ‘Mental Health & Psychosocial Support’ (MHPSS), an initiative of the Ministry of Planning & Development.
As an enthusiastic researcher, Ms. Sultan conducted two more research projects during her bachelor’s degree. One project studied the association between emotional intelligence and marital satisfaction among both males and females, while the other focused on finding out the relationship between self-concept and academic achievement among college students.
At C3A, Ms.Sultan serves as a psychologist and aims to help students and employees of NUST feel more comfortable in reaching out for professional counselling without the burden of societal stigmas associated with mental health. She is also actively involved in revising and translating NUST policy on protection against Harassment into our national language as well as digitization of C3A services.
Rohia Nusrat is a dedicated clinical psychologist who joined C3A in December 2022 after successfully completing her Master of Science (MS) in Clinical Psychology from the Department of Behavioral Sciences at S3H, NUST. Her academic journey culminated in a thesis titled “Meta-Analysis of The NICHD Investigative Interview Protocol for Child Sexual Abuse Cases,” demonstrating her commitment to addressing critical issues in the field. Her clinical training and internship experiences have been diverse and comprehensive. She honed her skills through internships at Fauji Foundation Hospital and NUST Tele-Counselling Service. Additionally, she also gained valuable hands-on experience as a clinical intern at various private counselling and rehabilitation centers in Islamabad.
A notable aspect of her career is her involvement as a founding member of Down Syndrome Club Pakistan (DSCP). DSCP is a youth-based organization with a vision to foster an inclusive society that celebrates diversity and provides support to individuals and families facing challenges related to being differently-abled. She has also been part of Mental Health and Psychosocial Support (MHPSS) pilot project initiated by the Ministry of Planning, Development & Special Initiatives of the Government of Pakistan as a Tier 2 Counsellor. Complementing her clinical expertise, she has served as a visiting lecturer for Bachelor’s program at UIHE for two semesters. Her training and areas of interest encompass a wide spectrum of psychological interventions and her proficiency in the administration and interpretation of various psychological instruments enhances her ability to provide comprehensive care to her clients.