Nafeesa (Naz) Nizami

Email: NafeesaNizami@gmail.com

Nafeesa is a Psychotherapist, Consultant, Lecturer, Researcher & Social Activist. Her clinical background includes working for the NHS, voluntary care sector (with couples, families, young people & bi-lingual therapy), child protection services and on project for a national inquiry. She specializes in the areas of child protection, domestic abuse, trauma, mental health and complex cases.

Nafeesa is also undertaking a PhD formerly at the University of Manchester & currently independently by publication. Her research focuses on using the works of Foucault and Fanon in deconstructing pre-trial therapy and systems of abuse; a problematization of the power relations between law, therapy, sexual abuse and its socio-political and historic evolution in the oppressive construction of subjects, through a discourse analysis. The research considered through its examination to be a theoretical, political and ethical exercise.

Nafeesa has presented her research both nationally and internationally, including at the Islam & Psychoanalysis Conference (2017) Manchester, the Discourse Unit Global Seminar (2017) Manchester, the Bedfordshire International Systemic School (2016) Ambleside, BCB Radio (2019), QRMH7 (2018) Berlin Germany & ISTP (2017) Tokyo Japan, Her Convention (2022), Singapore. In addition, she has been invited to give a Ted Talk at TedxBradford in 2019.

Nafeesa is currently working as a principal psychological therapist (NHS, UK) and as a psychotherapist (Eden Project, Singapore). She is also a director for Lenticular Futures, an editorial team member for Murmurations: Journal of Transformative Systemic Practice and a researcher with the Discourse Unit.

Nafeesa has a keen interest in the areas of trauma, mental health, liaison psychiatry, psychotherapy, relational therapy, critical psychology, social justice, theology, politics, policy analysis, discourse analysis, legal theory, linguistics, ethics, philosophy, post-structuralism, colonial studies, childhood studies, systemic theory, feminist theory and intersectionality.