Shoutout LA Interview

Check out my feature in SHOUTOUTLA! I talk about my upbringing, values, journey of becoming a therapist, and starting my own business.

Hi Tannaz, can you tell us more about your background and the role it’s played in shaping who you are today?
This is always a hard question for me to answer because I feel like I have lived two very different lives. I was born in California, raised in Tehran, Iran, and immigrated to California at the age of 17. I spent my formative years from age 3 to 17 in Tehran, Iran, growing up with a big and loving extended family. This was the main reason my parents moved back to Iran- so my sister and I could grow up with a sense of community. My favorite memories growing up are the two-week Nowruz Holiday (Persian New Year). We would spend this time with both sides of my family near the Caspian Sea, which included sharing delicious fresh meals, playing outside with my cousins, and listening and dancing to Iranian and American music. Community, family, and shared connections around food and music have played a significant role in who I am and what I value.

There were parts of my experience that felt isolating and challenging due to growing up under the Islamic Republic Regime. Schools are segregated by gender under the current regime and girls have to wear compulsory hijab with a uniform from the first day of elementary school. With the Islamic Regime controlling/dictating the school curriculum, there is no freedom of expression, discourse, or dialogue in the classroom. Living under the regime meant that I (along with my fellow Iranians) had to live a double life, where inside our home, I could be myself, listen to the music that I liked, speak freely, and dress freely. But the moment I stepped outside, I had to censor and hide my authentic self to avoid being harassed or getting in trouble in school and on the street.

As I came close to finishing high school and my sister finishing college, my parents decided that it was best for us to leave Iran so my sister and I could live freely while continuing to pursue our education. The option was California because this is where we lived before. As you can imagine, this was a very hard transition because I had to leave my home and community behind to start a new life.

I was lucky to have my parents’ support during this transition. After moving here and starting community college, the feeling of living a double life continued. Even though I was now living in a free country, I missed my friends and family in Iran. I didn’t feel like I fit in or belonged. I tried to fit in by perfecting my English and learning all the slang and pop culture references. I worked very hard in school and got into honors classes in college to prove to myself that the move across the world was worth it. I felt drawn to a career in social work because of the emphasis on social justice, human relationships, and community, which were the things I valued because of my own experiences. I’ve always been an introspective person and loved connecting with others on a deeper level, so becoming a psychotherapist felt truly meaningful and exciting. These values continue to play a significant role in who I am and how I practice as a therapist.

What should our readers know about your business?
I have a psychotherapy practice based in Los Angeles. I offer in-person and virtual psychotherapy to individual adults residing in California as well as mindfulness meditation sessions to individuals, groups, and businesses across the world. My areas of focus in psychotherapy are anxiety-related concerns, familial and relational trauma, issues related to self-worth and perfectionism, issues unique to being a first- and second-generation immigrant, and perinatal and postpartum mental health. In addition to psychotherapy, I offer mindfulness meditation sessions to groups and businesses to promote wellness.

What I love most about what I do is being in a profession that allows me to build deep connections with others and join them in their journey of healing and growth. My passion and curiosity to connect with my fellow human beings has been a constant for me throughout all the twists and turns of my career.

The more I practice as a therapist and explore my own healing, the more I’ve been able to show up as my full self in the therapeutic relationship. I believe people who seek therapy want to feel that their therapist gets them and can relate to them in a human way. The areas that I focus on in my practice are all areas where I’ve have done personal healing around. What’s unique about my psychotherapy approach is that I incorporate mindfulness and the body into talk therapy as I see it as an essential part of healing. What this means is that I often ask my clients to notice what’s happening in their body as they tell me about their challenges, thoughts, and feelings. This allows clients to become more present with themselves, to practice emotion regulation, to connect with their body as a resource, and ultimately, release emotions that remain in their body from past experiences. This approach can allow clients to get to their core beliefs and to shift from patterns that no longer serve them. I am an EMDR-trained therapist and practice from a trauma-informed lens.

The road to getting to where I am was certainly not smooth or easy. Having my own practice was always a dream of mine. I’ve worked in various public and private settings for around 10 years before I fully made the transition to private practice. I had my part-time private practice for a few years as I worked a separate full-time job. I knew I wanted to take the leap, but I felt scared to let go of my full-time salary to be on my own. After the pandemic and the birth of my daughter, I found myself feeling unfulfilled in my job and I realized that it was time for me to make a shift. I still had a lot of fears and self-doubt and decided that I was going to make the shift anyway. I think living through the pandemic and becoming a mom gave me the courage to take the leap. I knew that it was important for me to be fulfilled in what I do to show up as my best self as a mom. What I learned through this process is that I don’t need to overcome fear or self-doubt or have everything figured out before I make a shift in my life; that I could roll with the fear and grow along the way. I’m still learning and growing, and I still have doubts and fears, but they are just background noise. What feels stronger is having built a practice that feels true to who I am and aligned with what I value.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
What I love about LA is its diversity and all of the communities that make LA the unique place it is. I’ve been living here for 12 years and it still feel like there’s so much for me to see and discover.

I would suggest starting with a bike ride from the Venice boardwalk (you can rent bikes there or bring your own bike), stopping for lunch at the Back on the Beach Cafe for burgers and beers, and then continuing on the bike path to Will Rogers State Beach. Will Rogers Beach is a calmer and more chill version of Santa Monica and Venice Beach.

For delicious Persian food, I would suggest going to Taste of Tehran in Westwood (this area is also known as Persian Square or Tehrangeles as it’s filled with restaurants, shops, and businesses that are run by Iranian-Americans). The owner of this place is very warm and welcoming, and you will not regret trying anything on their menu. They also have vegetarian options. My favorites from their menu are quinoa salad with lentils, ashe reshte (this is great for colder days), boneless chicken kabob, and loobia polo.

While you’re in Westwood, I would recommend going to Saffron and Rose Ice Cream. My favorites are their saffron pistachio and cucumber ice cream. The saffron pistachio ice cream is a creamy, heavenly mix of saffron, pistachio, and rosewater that instantly sooths my senses and connects me to my roots. The cucumber ice cream is very refreshing especially on hot LA days.

I also love going to Grand Central Market in Downtown LA; it’s one of the places in LA where I feel like you can see all of the diverse communities of Los Angeles coming together. There are plenty of food and dessert options and you can’t go wrong with any booth here. After strolling around the market, I would suggest walking across the street to Angel’s Flight, which is a historic landmark and a railway that you can ride for $2, from what I remember. There are a lot of movies that have been filmed at this site and it’s very cool to experience the ride and sights.

For a hike, I would recommend Solstice Canyon in the Santa Monica Mountains. It’s a relatively easy hike with nice views of a creek, a waterfall, ruins of a ranch house, and views of the Pacific Ocean.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
There are so many people who deserve a shoutout. First and foremost, my parents who sacrificed so much so I could pursue my dreams and goals freely. I would not be where I am in life without them. My grandparents who loved me wholeheartedly and unconditionally. It was with their love that I learned to love myself. To my sister who has always inspired me to work hard and push myself to grow in my career. To my husband who has been there for me the past 10 years, has seen me grow from a new to seasoned therapist, and encouraged me to pursue my dream of starting my own private practice. To the friends and colleagues I’ve had during the years, who have helped me grow as a human and therapist, with special shoutout to Mastanegh Moghadam, LCSW, for seeing my strengths and hiring me for my first job as a clinical social worker; it was in this role that I learned to trust myself, connect with my voice, form a sense of community, and find life-long friends. Another shoutout to my fellow therapist and dear friend, Daphne Rahnama, LCSW, who has been there for me and alongside me as we have built our careers in private practice. And most importantly, shoutout to my little daughter who pushes me to grow every day while brightening up my life.