Today we’d like to introduce you to Emily Bashah.
Hi Emily, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
When I was twelve years old, I made a promise to myself. Growing up in Canada as the daughter of Iraqi Jewish refugees who escaped Saddam Hussein’s regime, I witnessed the weight of intergenerational trauma in my parents’ eyes. My maternal grandfather had been “disappeared”—last seen being pushed into a government vehicle and taken to an underground prison chillingly known as “the Palace of No Return.” My father, at just seventeen, had watched seven innocent Jews publicly hanged in Baghdad’s Tahrir Square, falsely accused of being Israeli spies. That twelve-year-old girl committed her life to understanding how ordinary people become capable of extraordinary cruelty—and to finding a path toward healing.
Today, I’m a licensed clinical psychologist and forensic expert based in Scottsdale, Arizona, where I’ve transformed my family’s painful legacy into a distinguished career helping others navigate trauma, addiction, and the complexities of the human mind.
My path to psychology was anything but conventional. After earning my Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from the University of British Columbia, I followed my curiosity—and, I’ll admit, my heart—to Australia, where I completed my Master’s in Clinical Psychology at Flinders University. Before settling into my career, I spent a year as a self-described “nomad,” traveling through Europe, the Middle East and Africa, working as a dive master, learning the local cultures and languages, and regional performing arts.
My academic journey culminated with a Doctor of Psychology degree from Arizona School of Professional Psychology. I now hold Arizona licensure (PSY-004816), National Register Health Service Psychologist designation, and PsyPact certification enabling telepsychology services across participating states.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
No it wasn’t necessarily smooth, but I’m fairly certain I’d want it to have some peaks and valleys along the way. The challenges have shaped everything about how I practice and why I do this work.
Growing up as the child of refugees meant carrying stories that were almost too heavy for a young person to hold. My family didn’t talk about trauma in abstract terms—it was woven into our dinner table conversations, our silences, our avoidance of certain topics. Learning what happened to my grandfather, understanding what my father witnessed as a teenager in Baghdad—these weren’t just family stories. They were formative experiences that left me grappling with questions most kids don’t ask: How does trauma change people? What makes communities turn on each other? Can we heal from that kind of pain?
The academic path had its own obstacles. Moving from Canada to Australia for graduate school meant starting over in a new country, navigating different systems, being far from family during an already demanding time. Then spending a year traveling—some people saw it as reckless or unfocused, but I needed to understand my heritage in a tangible way, to connect with various cultures for growth.
The forensic work itself requires a resilience that’s hard to describe unless you’ve done it. I sit across from people on the worst days of their lives. I evaluate individuals accused of terrible crimes. I work with asylum seekers who’ve survived torture, and I hear stories that stay with you long after the session ends. There’s vicarious trauma that comes with this work—you can’t witness that level of human suffering without it affecting you and that is precisely my motivation to search for the individual truth within each person and keeping that promise to my younger self.
The biggest challenge, honestly, has been maintaining optimism while staring directly at humanity’s capacity for cruelty. But that’s also become my mission. If I can find hope in this work it’s my mission to share it. Writing Addictive Ideologies with Paul Johnson was part of that—it forced me to articulate not just what breaks people down, but what builds them back up.
So no, it hasn’t been smooth. But those challenges are exactly why I’m diligent in understand the people I work with. They’re why I can sit with someone’s trauma without flinching, why I can help them find agency when they feel powerless. The road hasn’t been easy, but it’s been authentic—and I think that matters more to be a psychology provider.
As you know, we’re big fans of Bashah Psychological Services. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
Bashah Psychological Services is my practice in Scottsdale, Arizona, where I specialize in forensic psychology and trauma-informed care. At its core, my work bridges two worlds: the legal system and the human mind. I provide psychological evaluations and expert testimony for criminal, immigration, civil, and family court cases—work that requires both clinical expertise and the ability to translate complex psychological concepts into language that judges, attorneys, and juries can understand and act upon.
We’re known for high-stakes forensic work, but we also provide clinical services for individuals dealing with trauma, addiction, mood disorders, and life transitions. My therapeutic approach integrates existential-humanistic psychotherapy, dialectical behavioral therapy, and trauma-informed care—working with combat veterans, survivors of intimate partner violence, and people navigating profound loss or upheaval.
What sets us apart: I bring lived experience of intergenerational trauma, cultural displacement, and the immigrant experience to every evaluation and therapy session. Cultural responsiveness isn’t just a buzzword in my practice—it’s foundational. I speak multiple languages, and I understand the nuances of how trauma manifests differently across cultures. When someone walks into my office, they’re getting someone who sees their full humanity and contextualizes their experience within their cultural framework, to define a path forward.
What I’m most proud of: We don’t just diagnose or evaluate – we are honest, fair, and truthful. In court, I ensure that the psychological realities of trauma, addiction, and mental illness are understood. In therapy, I help people reclaim agency when they feel powerless. Beyond clinical work, I provide training workshops for attorneys, first responders, and mental health organizations on topics like vicarious trauma and trauma-informed practices.
What I want readers to know: If you’re in Southern California and planning to visit Arizona, or if you need forensic consultation for a case, we’re here. Our services extend beyond traditional therapy—we’re a resource for legal professionals, families navigating complex court systems, and individuals seeking specialized trauma care. We also offer telepsychology services through PsyPact for eligible cases across participating states. Please reach out to us to identify a path forward if you are unsure how to proceed at www.BashahPsychological.com.
Whether someone comes to me for a forensic evaluation, trauma therapy, or help navigating addiction, they leave knowing they’ve been seen, heard, and treated with the dignity they deserve. That’s what Bashah Psychological Services stands for: expert care that honors the whole person, delivered with cultural humility and unwavering commitment to justice.
We love surprises, fun facts and unexpected stories. Is there something you can share that might surprise us?
My approach centers on three principles: transformation, inspiration, and universality. I describe my mission as upholding “the dignity, respect and integrity of every individual” while promoting “justice, fairness and equitable rights.” My therapeutic style integrates existential-humanistic psychotherapy, dialectical behavioral therapy, and trauma-informed care, always with cultural responsiveness at the forefront.
Beyond my clinical practice, I’m actively promoting optimism in life, news and political narratives by co-hosting The Optimistic American podcast with Paul Johnson, where we explore psychology, leadership, and pathways out of extremism. Despite working daily with the darkest corners of human behavior, I remain committed to hope. I committed my life work to understanding what it is about people and society that permits atrocities and extremist ideologies, and perservering to improve the lives of those around me.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://bashahpsychological.com
- LinkedIn: https://a.co/d/9r8rGQa
- Other: https://www.optamerican.com
Image Credits
Dr. Emily Bashah, Bashah Psychological.
