For Kumam Khasar, therapy goes beyond addressing mental health—it’s about ensuring that clients feel truly seen, heard, and understood. As a Therapist I at the Didi Hirsch Taper Center, she works closely with families from communities of color, many of whom have faced significant barriers to accessing mental health care.
Understanding the cultural stigma surrounding therapy, Kumam approaches each client with patience and sensitivity. She tailors her techniques to make therapy more accessible, recognizing that even starting the process can be a long and difficult journey. Her goal is to ease that transition, creating a safe and supportive space.
“Every time I’m working with these populations, a lot of this work really hits home. Being able to relate makes the work easier for me to do. I really try to do as much as I can to move at the pace of my clients to build trust with them.”
As a Nigerian-American and first-generation therapist, Kumam is attuned to the cultural nuances that shape her clients’ experiences and how social systems can uniquely impact their mental health and lives. To ensure comprehensive support, Kumam collaborates with a team of care coordinators and psychologists, offering whole-person care for improved outcomes.
Her empathetic and collaborative approach helps clients feel more comfortable and engaged in their healing process.
“I love that I get to be invited into very deep and intimate parts of people’s lives – walking alongside them in their journey. It can be really hard to relive certain parts of our lives, and I don’t feel like that should be done alone.”
For Kumam, the impact of her work is generational. “Maybe I’m not going to be able to be there for the whole journey, but at least I was able to help [my client].” Working with clients equips them with the tools and skills to improve their relationships with themselves and their families, ultimately transforming future family dynamics and community wellness.
