Meet Merfat Saleh

Educational Background

Merfat has a master’s degree in Mental Health Counseling from Mississippi College in Clinton, MS. During her time in college, she was influenced by her own life experiences to pursue the mental health field. Merfat is also bilingual, speaking both English and Arabic. Her experience at Count It All Joy has furthered her education by opening her mind to the possibilities of different problem-solving approaches. She's grown her skillset to better help clients navigate how to set boundaries, reduce codependency habits, and use coping skills for stress and anxiety.

Merfat's Area of Expertise: How to Set Boundaries

Merfat is very adaptable when helping patients heal. Her educational background has influenced her understanding of how to better assist patients. While she has established certain areas of expertise in counseling, she adjusts to meet her clients' needs as they evolve. Her sessions help clients struggling with relationship dynamics understand how to set boundaries in place. She also specializes in helping with related issues like reducing codependency and using coping skills for stress and anxiety.

“I always tell people that I’m not going to tell them what to do (when setting boundaries), but help you use what you need to get there.”

She takes pride in helping her patients transform from feeling emotionally exhausted to gaining self-trust and forming healthier relationships. With her help, patients have transformed their behaviors by understanding their triggers and patterns in a more mindful way. She aims to help others break unhealthy cycles and feeling stuck in loops to improve their mental wellbeing. Merfat helps her patients know how to set better boundaries by using evidence-based techniques and self-awareness tools while regularly checking in on patients’ progress. 

Merfat's Approach: The Gestalt Technique

Merfat takes a client-centered, compassionate approach to help clients form boundaries within their relationships. She aims to support patients through teaching them coping skills for anxiety and stress. She regularly assesses her clients’ anxiety and stress levels to ensure that the weekly sessions are helping them grow. 

“We establish goals to help us understand what we’re working towards and discuss the topic of the session each time we meet.”

If patients have trouble adjusting to practices, Merfat willingly modifies the plan to help them stay on track with something that works for them. Using Gestalt techniques and Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT), Merfat helps individuals become aware of their thoughts, feelings, and behaviors in the present moment. She uses these methods to help patients stay with their feelings, understand them deeply, and process how they show up in their lives and relationships. This, in turn, helps them break codependent patterns and better apply coping skills for stress and anxiety.

What Brings Merfat Joy?

“My alone time. I’m an introvert, and I value my alone time very much.”