The Six Degrees Podcast

In this episode, we're joined by Mohammad Al Kayani, a respected UK-based Islamic teacher (Ustadh) who provides leadership and strategic oversight to Roots Academy. We were lucky to have him on the podcast while he was visiting Australia.We live in a time where people are more connected than ever, yet lonelier, more emotionally exhausted, and more spiritually numb than ever – unsure of how to anchor ourselves, wanting peace and meaning, but searching for it in a world built to distract us. Sheikh Kayani explores what has happened to the human heart in the modern world, and how disconnection, overstimulation, and the constant pull for our attention shape our mental and emotional wellbeing. Drawing on the Quran and Sunnah, he speaks to how we anchor ourselves when so much around us pulls us toward burnout and numbness – and to the idea that people aren't rejecting spirituality, they're looking for it, often in the same place they're searching for peace of mind.You can listen to this episode on Spotify, Apple Podcasts or watch on YouTube, and find out more about our organisation on instagram: sixdegreespodcast

In this episode, we're joined by Hajer Jemai, who shares her lived experience of living with Myasthenia Gravis – a rare autoimmune condition affecting around 1% of the population, where the immune system disrupts the signals between nerves and muscles, causing muscle weakness that can affect movement, speech, swallowing, and even breathing.

Hajer takes us through her journey to diagnosis, the experience of not being believed, and how her faith became a source of strength through it all – knowing that Allah (God) is truly the only one who understands what you are going through. It's a journey many living with chronic illness will recognise. Hajer also shares how she came to a place of profound self-love, describing this as her favourite version of herself.

You can find out more about our organisation on instagram: sixdegreespodcast

#myastheniagravis #chronicillness #sixdegreespodcast #livedexperience

In this episode, we're joined by our guests Yasmeen El-Shawy and Ibrahim Nasser – who share their lived experience of living with a disability.In this episode, Ibrahim shares with us his world view of living with the rare disability of an absence of a corpus callosum (integral to how the brain processes thoughts, sensations, and movement). We then delve into Yasmeen, an Egyptian-Australian graphic designer, who shares her story of growing up with Spinal Muscular Atrophy. Both speak to the importance of community as a core component of their wellbeing, where they have felt welcomed, and moments where our community leaves much to be desired. You can listen to this episode on Spotify, Apple Podcasts or watch on YouTube, and find out more about our organisation on instagram: sixdegreespodcast

Dr. Samah Jabr is a Palestinian consultant psychiatrist, author and human rights advocate from East Jerusalem and the West Bank, and former Head of the Mental Health Unit at the Palestinian Ministry of Health. In this conversation. In this episode, Dr Samah speaks to the pressure on us to self-eliminate, to shrink, to stay silent about what we witness. Why silence in the face of power is never neutral. And what it looks like to refuse that.

You can listen to this episode on Spotify, Apple Podcasts or watch on YouTube, and find out more about our organisation on instagram: sixdegreespodcast

In this episode, we sit down with Ameen Soliman - community leader and mentor - as he reflects on the grief of losing his father and what it truly means to surrender to Allah (SWT).

Through personal reflections and raw honesty, Ameen shares how grief shaped his understanding of tawakkul: trusting in Allah not just in ease, but in life’s hardest, most uncertain moments. He speaks about navigating du'a, disappointment, and acceptance — and how faith can quietly carry us through what feels unbearable.

This is a deeply moving conversation on loss, divine wisdom, and healing through surrender.

🟢 Listen now on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or watch on YouTube

🔗 Links in bio or descriptionIf you or someone you know is in crisis, please seek help:

📞 Lifeline Australia: 13 11 14

👐 Helping Hands – Our peer support program is available via sixdegrees.org.au

🎵 Music credits: @HalalBeatsWorld

License ID: P358-68

In this episode, hosts Hana and Ahmed sit down with Hiba Adam - student, organiser, and advocate.

Hiba shares her family’s story of fleeing Libya during the Arab Spring and rebuilding life in Australia as a refugee. From carrying the weight of multiple identities - Muslim, Black, refugee, woman - to navigating expectations placed upon her by different communities, Hiba reflects on the personal and political toll of displacement.

This conversation explores the mental health impact of forced migration, identity fragmentation, representation fatigue, and the complexities of belonging as a young Muslim in the West.

🟢 Listen now on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or watch on YouTube

🔗 Links in bioIf you or someone you know is in crisis, please seek help:

📞 Lifeline Australia: 13 11 14

📞 Kids Helpline: 1800 55 1800

👐 Helping Hands – Our peer support program is available via sixdegrees.org.au

🎵 Music credits: @HalalBeatsWorld

License ID: P358-68

#SixDegreesPodcast #RefugeeStories #MuslimIdentity #ForcedMigration #MentalHealthAwareness #RepresentationMatters #Intersectionality #ArabSpring #IslamAndMentalHealth #StoriesThatMatter #PodcastSeasonTwo #CommunityHealing #BelongingAndIdentity

Hosted by Hana and Ahmed, this episode features Heba Moubarak - a maternal and child health nurse, and a mother navigating the silent heaviness of postnatal depression.

Heba shares her raw, deeply personal journey through early motherhood - the emotional numbness, the guilt, and the pressure to hold it all together. From silent tears to intrusive thoughts, she speaks openly about the mental load too many mothers carry alone.

This episode explores the intersections of mental health, motherhood, and faith - and asks what it really means to show up for the mothers in our communities.

Trigger Warning:

This episode contains discussion of postnatal depression and suicidal thoughts. If this content may be distressing, we encourage you to prioritise your wellbeing - pause, skip, or seek support as needed.If you or someone you know is in crisis, please contact:

📞 Lifeline Australia: 13 11 14

🟢 Available now on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and YouTube

🔗 Links in bio

#SixDegreesPodcast #PostnatalDepression #MuslimMothers #MentalHealthMatters #StoriesThatHeal #PodcastSeasonTwo #FaithAndHealing #MaternalMentalHealth #IslamAndWellbeing #YouAreNotAlone

What happens after someone embraces Islam? In this episode, Josh - founder of Convert Collective - shares his powerful journey of hiding his faith, navigating community isolation, and the emotional realities of being a Muslim convert in the West.

We discuss the spiritual highs, the burnout, and the friendships that helped him hold on. Hosted by Hana (Psychologist) and Ahmed (Community Organiser), this conversation is an honest look at the gaps in support and the deep need for care that goes beyond the Shahada moment.

🟢 Listen now on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or watch on YouTube

🔗 Links in bio

If you or someone you know is in crisis, please seek help:📞 Lifeline Australia: 13 11 14📞 Kids Helpline: 1800 55 1800👐 Helping Hands – Our peer support program is available via sixdegrees.org.au

🎵 Music credits: @HalalBeatsWorldLicense ID: P358-68

#SixDegreesPodcast #MuslimConverts #ConvertSupport #FaithJourney #IslamAndIdentity #RevertStories #SpiritualHealing #ConvertCollective #JoshR #PodcastSeasonTwo #MuslimCommunity #StoriesThatMatter #FaithBeyondTheShahada

⚠️ Trigger Warning:Before we begin, we want to let you know that today’s episode includes discussions on sensitive topics such as child abuse, sexual abuse, and suicide. These are heavy and important issues, but we acknowledge they may be triggering or distressing for some listeners.If you feel this content could impact you negatively, please prioritise your well-being. You are welcome to pause, skip this episode, or seek support if needed. If you or someone you know is struggling, we’ve included helplines and support resources below:CASA HouseFree, confidential support for people impacted by sexual assault.casahouse.com.auBlue Knot FoundationSpecialist support for adult survivors of childhood trauma.Helpline: 1300 657 380blueknot.org.au1800RESPECT24/7 national support for sexual assault, domestic and family violence.Call: 1800 737 7321800respect.org.auBraveheartsSupport and education for survivors and their families.bravehearts.org.au---------------------------------------------------------------------Childhood Trauma and the Search for MeaningS2 | EP1 — The Six Degrees PodcastSeason 2 of The Six Degrees Podcast opens with a story that is both heart-wrenching and profoundly hopeful. Michael Sunderland — medical student, father, revert to Islam, and founder of @90plusgamsat — shares his journey through childhood sexual abuse, isolation, bullying, and injustice.In this episode, Michael reflects on what it meant to survive, the moment everything changed, and how the path of healing eventually led him to Islam, medicine, and fatherhood.This is a deeply reflective conversation about trauma, masculinity, and spiritual growth — a reminder that even in silence and struggle, meaning can still be found.The Six Degrees Podcast amplifies the lived experiences of Muslims navigating mental health. Through honest stories and faith-based insight, we’re creating space for healing, connection, and community.🟢 Listen now on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or watch on YouTube🎧 Subscribe to catch every new episode🔗 Link in bio or descriptionIf you or someone you know is in crisis, please seek help:📞 Lifeline Australia: 13 11 14📞 Kids Helpline: 1800 55 1800👐 Helping Hands – Our peer support program is available via sixdegrees.org.auMusic credits: ‪@HalalBeatsWorld‬ License ID: P358-68#SixDegreesPodcast #ChildhoodTrauma #SexualAbuseAwareness #FaithAndHealing #IslamAndMentalHealth #MuslimStories #MichaelSunderland #TraumaRecovery #BullyingAwareness #SuicidePrevention #SpiritualHealing #IslamicPsychology #MentalHealthMatters #StoriesThatHeal #PodcastSeasonTwo

In this episode, hosts Hana (Psychologist) and Ahmed (Community Organiser) sit down with Dr. Yassir Morsi - academic, writer, and provisional psychologist.

Together, they explore the complexities of Arab Muslim identity in the West: how masculinity, vulnerability, and language shape the mental health journey, and what it means to navigate belonging in a world that constantly sees you as an outsider.

🟢 Listen now on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or watch on YouTube

🔗 Links in bio

If you or someone you know is in crisis, please seek help:

📞 Lifeline Australia: 13 11 14

📞 Kids Helpline: 1800 55 1800

👐 Helping Hands – Our peer support program is available via sixdegrees.org.au

Music credits: @HalalBeatsWorld

License ID: P358-68

#SixDegreesPodcast #MuslimIdentity #MasculinityMatters #ArabMuslimVoices #IslamAndMentalHealth #StoriesThatMatter #PodcastSeasonTwo #SpiritualHealing #ReflectionsInFaith #MentalHealthAwareness #BelongingAndHealing