Iman Saymeh, M.Ed., MSW

12/02/2025

Q- Salam sister Iman, I came across your page and want to know your opinion about making duaa against someone who wronged me. Is that ok?

A- When we are hurt or wronged by others, whether through family upbringing, marriage, sibling or extended family relationships, friendships, or professional interactions, it is natural to feel anger, sadness, and even betrayal. Acknowledging the wrongdoing and identifying the one who caused the harm is often an important first step in healing. Islam does not ask us to deny our pain or pretend injustice never happened.

However, remaining emotionally stuck in that moment, year after year, can imprison the heart. It can halt your emotional growth, weaken your spiritual maturity, and drain your mental well-being. The world continues to move forward, but the person who remains frozen in old wounds loses the opportunity to grow through them.

Islam fully recognizes the right of the oppressed to call upon Allah against the one who wronged them. Allah says:

“And whoever has been wronged, for him is a way against the oppressor.”
Qur’an 42:41

And the Prophet ﷺ said:

“Beware the supplication of the oppressed, for there is no barrier between it and Allah.”
Sahih al-Bukhari

Yet, while making duʿāʾ against an oppressor is permissible, living in a state of bitterness and waiting for calamities to fall on others so that we may feel compensated or vindicated is spiritually harmful. It closes the heart, fuels resentment, and prevents us from extracting the wisdom and lessons that Allah intended for our growth.

Allah reminds us that trials are ultimately opportunities for purification:

“Perhaps you dislike something, yet Allah places in it much good.”
Qur’an 4:19

And the Prophet ﷺ taught:

“A believer is not stung from the same hole twice.”
Sahih al-Bukhari
This means the believer learns, grows, and becomes wiser, not stuck.

Islam calls us to balance: to name oppression, seek justice, and make dua, yet also to rise above being emotionally imprisoned by what others have done. Healing is not forgetting. It is reclaiming your life, your heart, and your spiritual trajectory. I advice you to see a Muslim mental health provider who can support you with grief recovery.

12/01/2025

12/01/2025

*Rebuilding a Reponsible Umma

I believe it is time for us to revive the true meaning of belonging to a Muslim community, ultimately, the Ummah. As a mental-health provider, I meet people from all walks of life, each carrying unique struggles. One pattern I often see is individuals coming in after a divorce, repeating the same comment they heard from community members: “I wish you had consulted with me before you married that person.”

But let us pause here and acknowledge a communal responsibility that we often overlook.

When someone in your community becomes engaged, and you possess important, factual information about either of the partners, information that could genuinely affect the success or safety of the marriage, you have an ethical and Islamic duty to share it, either confidentially with the local imam or directly with the individual involved. Remaining silent until after a painful divorce is neither wisdom nor a way of “saving face.” Islam teaches us to protect one another, not to watch quietly as harm unfolds.

The Qur’an reminds us:
• “Help one another in righteousness and piety, and do not help one another in sin and transgression.” (Qur’an 5:2)
This includes helping someone avoid entering a harmful marriage when you possess knowledge they do not.
• “The believers, men and women, are protectors of one another.” (Qur’an 9:71)
Being a protector sometimes means having difficult but necessary conversations.

The Prophet ﷺ also said:
• “The religion is sincere advice (naṣīḥah).” They asked, “To whom, O Messenger of Allah?” He replied, “To Allah, His Book, His Messenger, the leaders of the Muslims, and their common folk.” (Sahih Muslim)

Giving sincere advice is not optional, it is an act of faith and love. And in another hadith:
• “None of you truly believes until he loves for his brother what he loves for himself.” (Bukhari & Muslim)

If we would want someone to warn us about a potential harm before marriage, we must be willing to give that same care to others.

Many families do their due diligence when considering a proposal, but they may unintentionally miss something. If you know information that could protect them from hardship, you must gather the courage to step forward, kindly, privately, and with integrity.

This is how we rebuild a healthy, compassionate, and responsible Muslim community. This is how we honor the concept of Ummah.

11/28/2025

When Growth Requires Distance

Whenever you face difficulties, whether illness, loss, setbacks, or any kind of pain, your support circle naturally reshapes itself. It’s a form of divine realignment that brings the right, genuine people closer to you. Don’t mistake others’ reactions or opinions as a need for more explanation. Their behavior during your hardest moments reveals exactly where you stand in their lives and how they truly see you. This can include anyone: relatives, friends, in-laws, community members, and unfortunately, sometimes even siblings.

There comes a point where you have to mature, acknowledge what’s been shown to you, and intentionally clear out what no longer supports your growth.

This will speak to you in proportion to how much you value your inner peace and your sense of self-worth.

In Islamic history, nearly every prophet had to step away from toxic environments and harmful influences in order to fulfill the mission they were divinely entrusted with. Their purpose could only unfold once they created distance from what threatened their clarity, integrity, and spiritual strength.

11/28/2025

We often hear about narcissistic personality disorder as if it’s a hopeless diagnosis, but that’s not the full story.

Can a narcissist change?
Yes, but it starts with one crucial step: self-awareness.

Real change requires a genuine desire to understand their own patterns, a willingness to look inward, and the courage to face uncomfortable truths. With consistent self-reflection, professional support, and a commitment to growth, people with narcissistic traits can evolve.

It looks like this:
• Recognizing how their behavior affects others
• Practicing active listening
• Accepting imperfections and criticism
• Taking responsibility
• Learning to show empathy, genuine empathy, not performative

These shifts don’t happen overnight. But with dedication, openness, and the right guidance, meaningful change is absolutely possible.

11/20/2025

There’s an energetic movement happening across the world right now, one that’s stirring emotions, thoughts, and inner shifts within many of us. The world around us has always shaped us, but today the changes are louder, sharper, and harder to ignore.

If we’re not present, we can get swept up in the noise.
If we are present, we can hear the calling beneath it. It all depends on which direction we want to go.

This is a time to pay attention to what’s moving inside you. Global transformation isn’t just external, it awakens something internal. And in that awakening, our mindset becomes everything.

Your mindset determines whether you stand on the defensive line of change or on the receiving end of growth.

Stay aware.
Stay grounded.
Stay open.
The world is shifting, and we are being invited to evolve with it.

11/10/2025

I’m deeply grateful to GilrsFly! Pakistan for inviting me to speak and share in such meaningful dialogue around mental health. It was truly inspiring to engage with professionals and community members who are passionate about understanding wellbeing through diverse cultural lenses.

Exploring how different cultures view, talk about, and support mental health is something that continues to enrich my perspective. Around the world, we see fascinating contrasts and connections between concepts of mental health, services, support systems, attitudes, and stigma.

I’m thankful for every opportunity to learn from these perspectives and to help foster global conversations that make mental health support more compassionate, inclusive, and accessible to all.

10/25/2025

Be patient. Things will fall in place in due times.

10/13/2025

Introducing our third session, we are excited to announce Iman Saymeh, M.Ed., MSW., PPSC as a guest speaker for our Mental Health Awareness Series – Pakistan.

Mrs. Iman Saymeh is an accomplished higher education leader, clinical social worker, and two-time alumna of California State University, Fullerton. Over the course of her career, Mrs. Saymeh has served in a variety of influential roles, including Resident Minister at Georgetown University and Adjunct Professor at The Johns Hopkins University University School of Education where she combined her expertise in counseling, leadership, and student development.
With a strong background in both student affairs and mental health counseling, Mrs. Saymeh is recognized for her ability to lead with empathy, inspire others, and empower diverse communities. She is passionate about fostering equity, inclusion, and belonging in higher education and has been a trusted advisor to students, faculty, and administrators alike.

You will gain a clearer understanding of practical strategies to manage daily stressors and learn how small, consistent actions within our communities can create a powerful network of mutual support, enabling us all to build resilience together.

Dont miss your spot, confirm your registration now!
🗓 Date: Saturday, October 18th, 2025
🕗 Time: 8:00 PM (Asia/Karachi Time)
👩‍🏫 Speaker: Iman Saymeh
Registration link: https://lnkd.in/dBt-qCCv

Save the date + tag a friend who should be part of this conversation.

10/01/2025

Join us!

09/09/2025

As a mental health provider, I often witness a familiar pattern: women come to therapy to work on themselves and their marriages, usually alone, without the support or presence of their husbands. As they begin to find their voice, reclaim their identity, and grow in emotional strength, resistance often follows.

Many times, the men in their lives become uncomfortable with this growth. They may blame therapy, accuse it of “changing” their wives, or even forbid them from continuing. It’s heartbreaking to see, because therapy didn’t change her, it simply helped her remember who she is.

At that point, some women retreat back into the toxic cocoons they were trying to break free from. Others choose to leave the relationship entirely. And yes it gets messy. The wounded pride, the power struggles, the fear of change all of it surfaces.

But in a few powerful cases, something different happens: the men step into the work. They come into the sessions, open themselves up, and look within. When both partners are willing to grow, healing and transformation are absolutely possible. That’s where real connection is born.

So here’s the truth:
Work on your side of the street. Whether you’re the woman, the man, or both. Do the inner work so you won’t spend your life stuck in cycles of disappointment, blame, or victim stories.

Because when a woman is mentally and emotionally strong, she’s not a threat, she’s an asset. To her marriage. To her children. To her community. Empowered women build empowered homes. And healthy relationships can only thrive when both people are doing the work