About Dr. Hamaseh Kianfar

Dr. Hamaseh Kianfar holds a doctoral degree in Education with a focus on Organization and Leadership and a Master’s degree in Counseling Psychology. Her professional journey reflects a commitment to addressing complex social and psychological challenges, particularly in underserved communities. Dr. Kianfar has extensive experience working with HIV-positive women and children, providing integrated medical and psychosocial services. Using an interpretive approach and narrative identity theory, her research has focused on enhancing public policies and educational programs related to HIV.

Her professional experience includes developing HIV outreach initiatives centered on prevention and education for non-profit organizations in Thailand, Laos, and Myanmar. In Northern California, she served as a medical case manager, advocating for and providing home-based medical and psychological care for homeless women living with disabling HIV. Additionally, she has worked as a Mental Health Specialist, conducting diagnostic court evaluations and collaborating with families and public defenders to address the psychological needs of minors. In the Bay Area, she also provided mental health counseling, case management, psychodiagnostic evaluations, and group therapy for incarcerated individuals from diverse cultural and socio-economic backgrounds.

Dr. Kianfar has contributed to various university and community programs. At Stanford University, she was involved in the Forgiveness Project, analyzing the relationship between cardiovascular health and forgiveness. At the University of California, she worked on autism research in the Department of Neuroscience and contributed to the Cardiovascular Rehabilitation Project, analyzing data for a longitudinal study on lifestyle interventions aimed at reducing cardiac risk factors.

Her research and writing portfolio include numerous articles and projects, such as *Living Positively: Narratives from HIV Positive Women*, which explores effective methods for developing and implementing HIV programs and public policies for women and children. Dr. Kianfar has collaborated with humanitarian organizations like UNESCO, Amnesty International, and others to advocate for human rights, with a special focus on women’s and children’s rights. She has been instrumental in programs like *Voices for Justice*, a global youth initiative advocating for gender equality, and the *Women’s Wisdom Women in Action* program, which creates forums for dialogue on leadership and equality. Notably, she served on the program committee that brought Nobel Peace Laureate Shirin Ebadi to the Bay Area.

Dr. Kianfar is a sought-after speaker and has presented at numerous conferences, including the Parliament of the World’s Religions in Barcelona, Spain. She is bilingual in English and Persian and has knowledge of French and Spanish. In March 2022, Dr. Kianfar delivered a talk titled *The Role of Forgiveness in Healing Trauma* at the annual Beyond Identification event, focusing on heart-based approaches to trauma treatment.

For more information, visit: IAS Department of Sufi Psychology.