Meet Merfat Saleh

Educational Background

Merfat holds 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 a career in mental health. 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: Regulate Emotions

Merfat is a compassionate and adaptable counselor who helps clients build the core skills of self-regulation—the ability to understand, manage, and balance one’s emotions even in difficult moments. She believes that learning to regulate emotions is essential for identifying personal triggers, staying grounded, and remaining within the Window of Tolerance—the emotional range where we think clearly, connect with others, and make healthy decisions.

Her counseling sessions are designed to meet clients where they are. Whether guiding someone through relationship challenges, boundary-setting, or reducing codependency, Merfat tailors her approach to each person’s evolving needs. She integrates coping strategies for stress and anxiety, helping clients calm their nervous systems, increase self-awareness, and respond to life with greater clarity and confidence.

With a strong educational foundation and a heart for helping others, Merfat empowers each client to move from emotional reactivity toward resilience and self-leadership—creating lasting change from the inside out.

“I'm not here to tell you what to do—I'm here to help you discover and use your strengths to get there.”

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

Merfat's Approach: Awareness is Key

Merfat believes that awareness is the first step toward healing. By helping clients recognize when parts of themselves are activated—those moments of emotional reactivity, stress, or anxiety—she encourages them to respond with compassion and curiosity rather than judgment. This awareness allows clients to better understand their needs and begin the process of true emotional growth.

Taking a client-centered and compassionate approach, Merfat supports individuals in developing healthy boundaries within relationships and learning effective coping skills for managing anxiety and stress. She continuously monitors her clients’ progress, regularly assessing anxiety and stress levels to ensure that each session fosters meaningful change.

Through her gentle guidance and deep understanding of the healing process, Merfat helps clients cultivate emotional awareness, self-acceptance, and balance—empowering them to move toward a more centered and fulfilling life.

“We collaborate on long-term goals and use each session to work through what's most relevant to you right now, because I want to emphasize the collaborative aspect.”

If clients 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 clients 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. As an introvert, I recharge by reflecting, reading, and journaling—activities that I often share with clients as self‑care practices.”