Sahaj Kaur Kohli is the founder of Brown Girl Therapy, the first and largest mental health and wellness community organization of its kind for children of immigrants living in the West.
Why you should listen
Sahaj Kaur Kohli creates and curates resources that promote bicultural identity exploration, and she aims to democratize and remove the stigmas around therapy and mental wellness in immigrant communities. Her work has been featured in TODAY, Bustle, Glamour, SELF and HuffPost.
Kohli is a second-year master's student at George Washington University, where she studies clinical mental health counseling and works as a counseling intern. As a former journalist, her passion lies at the intersection of narrative storytelling and mental health advocacy. In her work as a professional writer and speaker, she has created original workshops and presentations on different topics ranging from diversity and inclusion in workplaces to culturally-responsive practices for mental health professionals. She has presented and spoken at various companies and institutions such as The College of William and Mary, Amazon, Google and Los Angeles County Psychological Association.
Kohli is most interested in the mechanics of community building and how we can collectively develop intersectional and inclusive care, workplaces and relationships.
Sahaj Kaur Kohli’s TED Talk
Sahaj Kaur Kohli, Cloe Shasha Brooks
Why children of immigrants experience guilt -- and strategies to cope
9 minutes 21 secondsChildren of immigrants in the US often experience a unique kind of guilt, brought on by the pressures of navigating different cultures, living up to their parents' expectations and taking on extra family responsibilities. Mental health advocate Sahaj Kaur Kohli offers helpful strategies for dealing with these difficult feelings -- starting with defining your own values and creating space for self-compassion. (This conversation, hosted by TED speaker development curator Cloe Shasha Brooks, is part of TED's "How to Deal with Difficult Feelings" series.)Posted May 2021
