Dr. Leila Jarrahi came to the Counseling and Psychological Services at Mason in the Fall of 2002. She completed a B.A. in Psychology at The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. From there, she received an M.S. in Counselor Education from Indiana University-Bloomington and a Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology from Texas A&M University. Before coming to GMU, she completed her internship at the University of North Carolina-Charlotte. Dr. Jarrahi has worked with clients at counseling centers, various clinics and hospitals, a women’s prison, and a home for older adults.

Dr. Jarrahi uses an integrative approach and primarily draws from interpersonal, family/systems, and cognitive behavioral models when working with her clients. She believes it is important to explore primary relationships as well as significant childhood experiences that may have shaped one’s current coping style and overall functioning within relationships. Not only does she encourage client movement toward increased insight, she also facilitates clients’ efforts to make important life changes.

Dr. Jarrahi’s areas of clinical interest include issues related to cultural diversity, identity development, self-esteem, mood, and relationship difficulties. She feels highly energized by her individual work with the general student population, and has worked extensively with Middle Eastern, Arab, and Muslim students, as well as Latino and Hispanic students. Dr. Jarrahi is an Iranian-American and speaks Farsi.
In her spare time, she enjoys playing piano, hiking, snow skiing, horseback riding, and traveling.