Farah Lodi, MA, CCC

Canadian-Certified Counselor

I am the owner and CEO of Moving Forward, a counseling and consulting service based in Dubai. For the past 20 years, Dubai has been my home, following over three decades living in the United States. I hold a Master’s Degree in Mental Health Counseling from Seton Hall University, New Jersey, and I am a Professional Certified Counselor with the Canadian Counseling and Psychotherapy Association (CCPA). I have also been a featured writer for the CCPA’s online publication, Counseling Connect.

As a published author, my work appears in Islamically Integrated Psychotherapy: Uniting Faith and Professional Practice (Templeton Press, 2018) and Maya and the Seven Limbs (Ihya Press, 2020). I am regularly invited to speak at local and international psychology events, and have presented research at the International Psychology Conference in Dubai (IPCD), the Middle East Psychology Conference (MEPA) in Kuwait, and most recently at Effat University in Jeddah.

Postgraduate Training & Specializations

My advanced training includes certifications in:

• Strength-Based Cognitive Behavioral Therapy

• CBT for Obsessive Compulsive Disorder

• Emotion-Focused Therapy for Couples

• Integrative Approaches for Treating Depression

• Building Resilience

• Spiritual-Based Counseling

Academic & Leadership Roles

I have served as an Adjunct Instructor of Psychology at Zayed University, supervising and mentoring psychology student interns. I am also the Vice President on the Board of Directors for Alkaram Institute (www.alkaraminstitute.org), a US-based nonprofit dedicated to advancing Islamic psychology for societal benefit. Additionally, I contribute to the field as an editorial peer reviewer for the APA journal Spirituality in Clinical Practice.

Therapeutic Approach

Having lived on three continents, I bring deep multicultural awareness and sensitivity to my work, understanding that each client’s journey is shaped by unique cultural and personal experiences.

With individuals, I use Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to help identify and transform unhelpful thinking patterns, strengthen problem-solving skills, and build adaptive coping strategies. With couples, I integrate Dr. John Gottman’s evidence-based methods and Emotion-Focused Therapy to improve communication, foster empathy, clarify needs and expectations, and create emotional closeness — ultimately helping partners cultivate more authentic and fulfilling relationships.