ABOUT ME

Mariya Javed-Payne, MSW, LICSW, LADC

I am a somatic psychotherapist specializing in healing trauma, complex trauma, addiction, generational and racial trauma, and oppression in the body.

I am a woman. I am a body of culture. I am a person in recovery. I am an immigrant. I am a student of life. I am a partner, educator, sister, daughter, and friend. I am a passionate and curious individual dedicated to creating health and wellness for individuals, communities, and societies. I believe in deep, nourishing, and holistic change that heals from the roots up.

I was born in India and lived in France, Brazil, and the United States all before the age of six. My experience with vastly different cultures piqued my curiosity about humans and diverse societies from a young age. Blending and assimilating my culture of origin with the United States has been and continues to be an integral part of my story. It has also shaped my ability to assist others in reclaiming their identities as multi-dimensional and complex human beings.

These early life experiences in global societies defined my open worldview and appreciation for the diverse walks of life that humanity encompasses. I am grateful for the expansiveness they have provided my foundation.

My own journey with addiction and my challenging path to recovery over ten years ago has also given me depth and compassion as a therapist. I gained a firsthand understanding of the quest of the human mind to find a sense of belonging and settledness in an ever-shifting world. These experiences have given me the ability to approach all people with openness, non-judgment, and patience. They have also taught me to be tenacious in my pursuit of healing self and others. Hope is a powerful survival mechanism.

In my free time, I enjoy spending time with my partner, my animal companions, and in nature. I love to garden, practice meditation and love to read. I also enjoy cooking many different cuisines and always have my nose in a new subject I want to learn about. I am also a poet and writer of creative non-fiction. I spend a lot of time in reflection and connection with self and all that is around me.

I am trained in Brainspotting and primarily utilize this neurophysiological approach in my therapeutic work. I also incorporate tenets of brain science, somatic experiencing, sensorimotor psychotherapy, internal family systems, polyvagal theory, systems theory, and mindfulness into my practice.

For the last two years, I have been studying Somatic Abolitionism under the mentorship of Resmaa Menakem, Carlin Quinn, Erin Trent Johnson, and Karine Bell. Incorporating these somatic techniques to help others build a new communal culture within their own systems and within communities has been an integral aspect of the healing work I offer.

I have many years of experience working with addictions, trauma, medication assisted treatment (for alcohol and opioid addiction), depression, anxiety, relationship issues, life transitions, grief, loss, chronic illness, and brain injury through a therapy lens.

My therapeutic foundation is a hybrid of science-based, neurophysiological knowledge blended with the intrinsic wisdom of the body and mind that has allowed our species to survive and thrive for millennia.

I am also deeply involved in the study of social justice and liberation within individuals, communities, and societies. I facilitate trauma therapy for individuals experiencing racism and oppression and loss of identity, as well as working with those who want to unlearn their own generational patterns of conscious/unconscious racism and implicit bias. I am currently studying somatic abolitionism and hope to bring these healing practices to a larger audience in the near future.

I believe in furthering the progress of the treatment of trauma and addiction within our systems by breaking down old, pathological ways of defining these issues. With the advent of somatic psychotherapies and a return to holistic and communal forms of treatment, we can magnify and offer more restorative healing from trauma and addiction than our current structures using linear contexts and approaches.

With the above framework, I provide intensives and individual therapy for clients, intensives for self-healing and awareness for practitioners, and consultation to therapists on trauma, addiction, and social justice topics. I offer Brainspotting Phase 1, Phase 2, and Addictions-focused trainings worldwide, as well as consultation to therapists seeking to become certified in Brainspotting. I also offer consultation to health organizations and treatment centers to incorporate new approaches into practice by integrating innovative brain-body based knowledge and techniques on trauma, addiction and anti-racism.

Currently, I am in the process of becoming certified in Psychedelic Assisted Therapy. Utilization and integration of psychedelic therapies is a cutting-edge new field that is connecting the age-old wisdom of entheogenic medicines. I offer psychedelic integration sessions currently.

In my coaching practice, I utilize Somatic Abolitionism to work with bodies of culture, as well as those who identify as white, who want to unlearn the impacts of supremacist structures and learn how to live from an embodied anti-racist place.

I bring a myriad of my own diverse cultural perspectives and healing experiences into my work with people and organizations everyday.

Most importantly, I hope to be a guide in furthering the wholeness and integrity of your life or organizational mission.

QUALIFICATIONS

• Master’s in Clinical Social Work - Augsburg University (Minnesota, USA)

• Addiction Counseling Certificate - Minneapolis Community and Technical College (Minnesota, USA)

• Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker (LICSW) | MN License # 22773

• Licensed Alcohol and Drug Counselor (LADC) | MN License # 304082

• International Brainspotting Trainer and Certified Consultant

• Certified Kambo Practitioner- Tribal Detox

• Former Co-Owner and Chief Clinical Officer at the Institute of Integrative Therapies in Eden Prairie, MN (2022-2023)

• Certified Brainspotting Practitioner with advanced training in addictions/trauma treatment

• Psychedelic Somatic Interactional Practitioner Training (PSIP)- Part A and B (July 2023-March 2024)

• California Institute of Integral Studies- Psychedelic Assisted Therapies and Research Certification

• MDMA-Assisted Psychotherapy through the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS) Certification (Parts A & B)- 2022

• Director of Behavioral Health at United Family Medicine in Saint Paul, a federally qualified health center (2020-2022)

• Lead Behavioral Health Consultant at United Family Medicine in Saint Paul (2018-2020)

• Minnesota Board Approved Supervisor for LADC, LICSW, LISW, and LSW licensures

• Somatic Abolitionism/Embodied Anti-Racism Therapist Training Program with Resmaa Menakem (through Education for Racial Equity)-2021-2023

• Brain Injury Specialist (Certified from 2015-2021)

• Equity and Diversity Certification - University of Minnesota

• Brainspotting Trainings completed: Phase 1-4 (repeated numerous times), Generational Trauma, Addictions, Crocodile Set Up, Developmental Trauma, Hero’s Journey, Parts/Internal Family Systems, Freeze to Thaw/Physiology of Pain, and Master’s Class

• Cherokee Health Systems Integrated Behavioral Health Consultant Academy Training

• Developer and leader of United Family Medicine’s Integrated Behavioral Health, Trauma, Substance Use/Opioid Use, Medical Home, and Medication Assisted Treatment Programs into a primary care setting

• Reiki Master-Teacher in the Usui tradition (2014-2015)

• Shamanic Practitioner, 3 year shamanic practitioner training with Mary Stoffel in Minnesota and other elders from the Amazon (2010-current)

• Guest speaker on trauma, addiction, and medication assisted treatment

• Guest speaker on embodied anti-racism practices and social justice

• Policy writer for local treatment centers