Third Culture Therapy: mental health through a cultural lens

How do a father and son maintain a strong relationship while working together on healing others?

Can professional collaboration strain personal family ties?

Daniel Mate, musician, author, mental chiropractor, and Palestine advocate, joins us to explore these questions. Co-author of The Myth of Normal with his father, Gabor Mate, Daniel shares insights into their father-son partnership and their joint project, "Hello Again: A Fresh Start for Parents and Their Adult Children."

Together, we dive into Daniel’s healing journey, his unique mental chiropractic approach, and the transformative experiences that shaped him, including Ayahuasca in Peru. We also explore the challenges of growing up in the shadow of a famous father and how Daniel has created his own path.We further discuss Daniel’s recent involvement in the Israel-Palestine debate and how his healing work applies to larger societal conflicts. Join us as we discuss personal healing, family collaboration, and activism.

To not miss a single episode, make sure to subscribe to the podcast and follow us on our twitter and instagram, and if you'd like to support our work, consider donating to our Patreon here.

Finally, to hear more from our brilliant guest Daniel, you can find them on instagram here, and their website here.

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How can embracing both Arab and Jewish identities offer a new vision for healing in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict?

What does it mean to love Judaism but reject Zionism?

Hadar Cohen, an Arab Jewish scholar, mystic, and artist, joins us to explore these complex questions. Founder of malchut, a spiritual school focused on Jewish mysticism and direct experience of God, Hadar’s work bridges spirituality, politics, and social issues. As a 10th-generation Jerusalemite with roots in Syria, Kurdistan, Iraq, and Iran, her personal and ancestral experience brings a unique perspective to her teachings on healing and justice.

Together, we discuss growing up in a divided Jerusalem, the challenges and beauty of identifying as both Arab and Jewish, and why true healing between Israelis and Palestinians requires the recognition of shared pain. Hadar also shares her thoughts on spiritual maturity, why personal healing is vital for societal change, and how building interfaith spaces can strengthen Arab communities across different religions. Join us for a conversation about identity, spirituality, and the path to peace.

To not miss a single episode, make sure to subscribe to the podcast and follow us on our youtube and instagram, and if you'd like to support our work, consider donating to our Patreon here.

Finally, to hear more from our brilliant guest Hadar, you can find her instagram here.

This episode is sponsored by Paradise Fold, the silk hair wrap company. Listeners get a special discount on all products with the code TCT12

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How can we navigate personal loss while holding space for collective grief during times of crisis?

What does it mean to find healing through the mind, body, and spirit after deep personal and communal trauma?

Hana Elrais, a British-Libyan creative, grief counsellor, and end-of-life carer, joins us to share her unique approach to processing grief and trauma. Founder of Permission to Grieve, where she leads monthly grief circles and one-on-one sessions, Hana uses a holistic approach, including vibrational sound medicine, to create a safe space for others to heal. Drawing from her own experiences of loss—her brother, her marriage, her country—Hana helps others through the complex layers of grief.

Together, we discuss how death and divorce shaped her understanding of loss, her journey through an identity crisis as a Libyan-Brit, and how history played a role in resolving it. Hana also shares how she weaves Sufi practices into her work, and what it's been like to support the Arab and Palestinian community in the UK through grief circles during the ongoing crisis in Gaza.

Join us for an intimate conversation about trauma, healing, and the power of collective grief.

To not miss a single episode, make sure to subscribe to the podcast and follow us on our youtube and instagram, and if you'd like to support our work, consider donating to our Patreon here.

Finally, click this link to hear more from our brilliant guest, Hana.

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What does it mean to live outside the stereotypes, and how can we free ourselves from shame?

How do we stop caring about others' judgments and start living for ourselves?

Alya Mooro, Egyptian-born and London-raised writer and best-selling author of The Greater Freedom: Life as a Middle Eastern Woman Outside the Stereotypes, joins us to explore these themes. Many of you may know Alya from her newsletter and community, The Greater Conversation, but did you know she’s also a TV producer with exciting projects on the horizon? In this episode, we dive into her journey of self-development, her mental health toolkit, and how she’s learned to trust herself more through life’s challenges.

Together, we discuss what it means to be a “woman outside the stereotypes” and why Alya might rethink putting "Middle Eastern" in her book title today. We also touch on body image, how illness taught her self-trust, and why looks are the least interesting thing about her (though she still loves a good selfie!). Alya also reflects on hosting her podcast The Talk of Shame and explores how confronting shame can empower us, especially for women.

To not miss a single episode, make sure to subscribe to the podcast and follow us on our youtube and instagram, and if you'd like to support our work, consider donating to our Patreon here.

Finally, click this link to hear more from our brilliant guest, Alya!

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How can we practice self-compassion and set boundaries while facing collective grief during a genocide?

What does it mean to decolonize therapy, and how can it help communities struggling with generational trauma?

This week, we’re joined by Palestinian-Polish therapist Tasha Matar, who specialises in generational wounds, diasporic grief, and complex trauma. Raised in Canada by a Polish mother and a Palestinian father, Tasha brings her third-culture perspective and decolonial approach to her work, connecting deeply with clients—many of whom are Palestinians. Her eclectic practice includes Sensorimotor, DBT, internal family systems, and art psychotherapy.

In this episode, Tasha shares how her experience as an intersectional therapist has been especially invaluable during the ongoing genocide in Gaza. We explore tough but critical questions: How can we be self-compassionate during a genocide? How do we deal with survivor’s guilt? And how can we stop intellectualizing trauma and learn to sit with our grief?

Join us as Tasha discusses how art therapy bridges the brain’s divide, what ‘good’ therapy looks like during a crisis, and why decolonizing therapeutic practices is essential for more effective healing.

To not miss a single episode, make sure to subscribe to the podcast and follow us on our youtube and instagram, and if you'd like to support our work, consider donating to our Patreon here.

Finally, to hear more from our brilliant guest, visit their instagram here!

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How can healthcare workers cope with the emotional toll of witnessing a humanitarian crisis, and what can be done to protect them in conflict zones?

What are the mental health impacts of being an outspoken advocate for Palestinians in politically hostile environments?

In this episode of Third Culture Therapy, Dr. Omar Abdel-Mannan, a British-Egyptian paediatric neurologist and humanitarian activist, joins us to discuss these questions. As a leading voice in the global movement to protect healthcare workers in Palestine, Omar shares the mental and emotional challenges he’s faced after witnessing the horrors in Gaza. He also reveals advice he received from PTSD experts on how to process such trauma healthily.

We dive into Omar’s experience as a UK-based activist, the personal challenges of advocating for Palestinian rights in a politically difficult environment, and the reasons he decided to speak publicly about the mental health struggles faced by medics, including suicidal ideation. Omar sheds light on why it’s essential to destigmatise mental health issues among healthcare workers, particularly those on the frontlines of conflict.

Together, we explore Omar’s journey as a humanitarian, from his early trips to the West Bank and Gaza to co-founding Gaza Medic Voices, a platform amplifying the voices of Palestinian healthcare workers. We also discuss his work with Health Workers for Palestine, a global civil society movement holding vigils for healthcare workers killed in Gaza.

To not miss a single episode, make sure to subscribe to the podcast and follow us on our youtube and instagram, and if you'd like to support our work, consider donating to our Patreon here.

Finally, To hear more from our brilliant guest you can follow Omar's work here and here.

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In this episode, I share some of my reflections on my recent trip to Damascus, the place my mother was born and raised in, the place I spent all my childhood summers, the place I have some of my most loving and joyful memories and the place that is at the heart of one of the worst wars of the past century.

Here is where I answer some of the many questions I've been asked about how Damascus is today - the good, the bad, the ugly and the painful.

You'll hear about:

• My enduring love affair with Damascus, why I was worried I wouldn’t be welcomed by its residents and how I found gracious and loving acceptance instead
• On what the Damascus I saw is like - the daily life struggles, the mental and emotional pressures and the societal changes that promise a sliver of hope for the future of the country 
• And why being a third culture person and coming from painful countries of origin is a burden and responsibility we must bear, and why it can be difficult, but not impossible, to find safe spaces and people to share our love and pain with. 

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How does growing up between cultures shape one’s perspective on business, technology, and mental well-being?

In this episode of Third Culture Therapy, we’re joined by Amir Bozorgzadeh, co-founder and CEO of Virtuleap, a startup combining neuroscience with virtual reality to address cognitive disorders like ADD, ADHD, addiction, and phobias. Born to Iranian parents in Canada, and having lived in the UAE for over a decade, Amir reflects on how his third-culture upbringing influenced his entrepreneurial journey. He shares how his connection to Iran’s ancient culture clashes with his Canadian upbringing and the challenges of doing business in contemporary Iran.

Amir discusses the mental health benefits of VR but also warns about the risks of overusing this technology. We also dive into his views on the venture capital world, why it’s often problematic, and how being outspoken has sometimes left him at odds with the entrepreneurial community. Join us as we explore how Amir’s third-culture experience has shaped his approach to technology, business, and personal growth.

To not miss a single episode, make sure to subscribe to the podcast and follow us on our youtube and instagram, and if you'd like to support our work, consider donating to our Patreon here.

Finally, to hear more from our brilliant guest, you can follow Amir here.

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How do we find our sense of belonging after years away from home?

What happens when the place we return to no longer feels familiar?

Dubai-born Reema Baniabbasi is a USA-trained counselling psychologist who faced these exact questions when she returned to her hometown after a decade in the United States. Reema currently works at The Psychiatry & Therapy Centre in Dubai, and as a consultant for Takalam, the UAE-based online counseling platform. She is also a mental health columnist for Sail magazine, bringing her unique perspective to the forefront of public discussion.

Together, we breakdown concepts of placelessness and disintegration, explore Reema's insights on the evolving mental health space in the UAE, and discuss how narrative therapy can help clients reclaim their life stories, fostering a deeper understanding of themselves.

To not miss a single episode, make sure to subscribe to the podcast and follow us on our youtube and instagram, and if you'd like to support our work, consider donating to our Patreon here.

Finally, to hear more from our brilliant guest Reema, you can see what she's up to here.

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What hurdles do survivors face when trying to heal from their past?

How does leaving your home country shape your journey toward finding peace and purpose?

In this episode, we speak to Hazara-Brit Roh Yakobi, a UK-based activist and journalist who escaped Afghanistan as a child after being tortured by the Taliban. Roh, now standing as a Labour Party candidate in Shrewsbury, shares his story of survival, from his persecution as part of the Hazara minority to his search for inner peace after arriving in the UK.

Together, we discuss how political activism has given him a sense of purpose and sanity and explore his battle with depression and PTSD. Roh reflects on how his journey has shaped him and why he’s determined to fight the stigma surrounding mental health in his community.

To not miss a single episode, make sure to subscribe to the podcast and follow us on our youtube and instagram, and if you'd like to support our work, consider donating to our Patreon here.

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