Third Culture Therapy: mental health through a cultural lens

How can emotional intelligence help us navigate the challenges of migration and identity?

In this episode, we speak with Tania Khojasteh, a UK-based Iranian-Canadian entrepreneur, educator, and emotional intelligence expert. Tania is the founder of Uber Tutors and Fearless Knowledge, and hosts a podcast by the same name, where she delves into the intersection of emotional, social, and political intelligence.

Tania shares her personal story of leaving Iran as a child during the Iran-Iraq war and how the emotional toll of migration and conflict influenced her passion for emotional well-being. Together, we explore her journey through chaos, the immigrant experience cloaked in fear, and why emotional intelligence is key to improving both personal and business environments. Tania also breaks down the pillars of emotional intelligence and explains why companies are increasingly seeking to learn it.

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How can we build stronger connections with one another? What drives the need for deeper emotional bonds, and how can this lead to greater well-being?

In this episode, we chat with Omar Lababedi, a British Syrian entrepreneur and men’s work coach who grew up in France, Syria, Lebanon, and Nigeria. After years in real estate and construction, Omar felt a professional void and personal unhappiness. This led him to leave his job and embark on a transformative journey of self-discovery.

With the support of daily practices, professional coaching, and a men’s circle through the Mankind Project, Omar co-founded Growth Velocity Academy, an international tech academy operating in several Middle Eastern cities. Now, as he explores new ventures in the mental health space, Omar opens up about battling the inner critic, the benefits of somatic work, and the vital importance of fostering loving connections among men.

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It means so much to the TCT team to have you as one of our listeners, but if you want to support us even more, feel free to donate to our Patreon here.

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How does literature help us understand trauma and recovery in Arab cultures?

What insights can Arab women’s fiction offer about the connection between personal and collective trauma?

In this episode, we sit down with Layla Al Ammar, a writer and academic from Kuwait. With a master’s in Creative Writing from the University of Edinburgh and a doctorate focusing on Arab women's fiction and literary trauma theory, Layla brings a unique perspective to the conversation. Her debut novel, The Pact We Made, was longlisted for the Authors’ Club Best First Novel Award, and her second novel, Silence is a Sense, which explores the daily trauma of a Syrian refugee in the UK, was shortlisted for the William Saroyan International Prize for Writing.

Layla and I discuss her deep interest in trauma, memory, and recovery, emphasizing how Arab literature reveals crucial links between individual and collective trauma. We trace these issues back to a ‘stunted’ nahda—Arab enlightenment—and highlight the challenges posed by a shared Arab psychic wound and the absence of authentic psychological studies in the region.

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.

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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Here's the what, who and why of this podcast!

Podcast cover art created by Rami Kanso

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Welcome to Third Culture Therapy with Layla Maghribi, a podcast that looks at the unique ways our cultural heritage impacts our mental and emotional well-being. Mental ill-health is a big concern across all societies and the topic is thankfully gaining more prominence in the media and within social circles. However, these discussions largely remain Western-centric and without enough regard to the unique aspects of a person’s culture, politics, religion and social history and the impact they have on our inner wellbeing.

Where we come from and the parts of that place or places that we carry with us shape our view of the world as well as many of the challenges that we face and the traumas we carry.

In our increasingly mobile and diasporic world, how do our multiple, sometimes conflicting, identities affect how we feel about ourselves and others? How do conflict, discrimination and repression harm us mentally? How do traditions, community and faith heal us emotionally? How does the discourse around mental health differ from country to country?

Every week, Layla speaks to people from diverse background, professions and mental health journeys to find out what aspects of their culture have helped or hindered their mental health.

Podcast cover art created by Rami Kanso

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