COACH
Marissa Ghavami (she/they) is an Iranian-American actor, singer, producer and advocate based in New York City. She is a healing trauma focused coach for artists, offering affordable, virtual, individual and group sessions.
“Marissa is the reason I have mental health.” - Client of 4 years
The approach
Sharing tools, practices & concepts to help us work through what is actually in our way… heal our trauma, manifest our dreams
Can include practical acting & singing coaching, business coaching for all types of artists & founders, as well as life coaching, all through a trauma-informed lens
Psychoeducation on how trauma (“big T” & “little t”) impacts the brain, the widespread symptoms arising from it that you may not even realize are impacting you & how it is healed
Grounding practices so we feel safe in our bodies & the present moment
Merging technique with nervous-system regulation to effectively work through blocks
Sessions that serve the whole person, not the product
Concepts that engage neuroplasticity & epigenetics, addressing root issues rather than putting a band-aid on symtoms
Brain-body based tools that help release & rewrite old stories rather than simply positive thinking & cognitive approaches
Self-regulation techniques so that triggers can be responded to rather than reacted to
Education on the most insidious forms of abuse, how they impact us & how to overcome old patterns
Feeling the fulness of our truth & integrating, rather than spiritually bypassing
Practical tools like budgeting, scheduling, time management, boundaries & building daily habits
Personalized, guided meditations & journal prompts
Client-led goal setting, homework & accountability
For group sessions: a like minded community doing the work together, accountability buddies, group chat support & networking
my background as an artist
Photography by Green Otter Photo & Design
my background healing trauma
Healed from Complex-PTSD & Psychogenic Non-Epileptic Seizures (PNES), as well as symptoms of multiple other mental & physical illnesses; 11 years symptom (& medication) free
Drawing from 16 years of lived experience, research, practicing trauma-informed mindfulness & meditation & undergoing brain-body based treatment modalities (EMDR, Somatic Experiencing, Brainspotting, Sensorimotor Psychotherapy, Dynamic & Rebirthing Breathwork)
Attended multiple professional conferences & trainings on trauma (including being trained in treatment modalities) over the past decade, often as the only non-clinician present
Board approved to teach Continuing Education Units (CEUs) on The Journey In & Out of Trauma, as well as Trauma Bonding, to doctors, nurses, psychologists, psychiatrists, therapists & social workers
Public speaker on abuse, trauma & healing; speaking engagements include an event for The Mighty (the world's largest online health community), national mental health conferences, domestic violence & trafficking shelters, New York University's Martin Scorsese Virtual Production Center & post-show talkbacks Off-Broadway
Founding Executive + Artistic director of Healing TREE (Trauma Resources, Education & Entertainment), a 501 (c)(3) nonprofit that has partnered with Aetna (under the CVS umbrella, a Fortune 5 Company) & collaborated with several top, internationally celebrated trauma experts & artists
testimonials
“Whenever Marissa’s name is mentioned to me, I often joke ‘Oh Marissa Ghavami? You mean the reason I have mental health?’ and I honestly mean it. Marissa has helped me gain access to myself in a way I thought I had lost. I have watched my family dynamic change in how my family communicates through conflict, and a dear friend of mine said recently ‘I don’t believe in auras, but I know yours has changed.’ I’ve always felt like a victim of my own behaviors and patterns, but Marissa has given me not only the validation I desperately sought, but also the power of permission and actually tangible tools to retrain my brain to a healthier pattern. My mom is Christian and she even adds Marissa to her prayers because she knows how much they have impacted my life. This is a life long journey, and I don’t think I would have had the sustained bravery to endure this beautiful healing pathway without Marissa. I can now tap into that bravery because I can trust in my capable mind and body whenever I need it, even if it feels shaky at times. Marissa gave me ‘me’ again. And the tools are based in science, which is always fantastic when negotiating the hard stuff with my skeptic self. Thank you for everything, Marissa.”
- Individual Coaching Client of 4 Years
“Marissa’s coaching is truly unparalleled from any I’ve experienced to date. Her trauma informed approach is laced with empathy, care and support. She holds a vision for your future life and knows how to help lead you there. She takes a holistic approach through helping heal stored trauma and practical applications of day-to-day practices.
Through our work together I’ve noticed profound shifts in many areas. I’ve become more calm and clear within my mind, helping improve my lifelong ADD struggle and my organization within my home and within my finances. I’ve become kinder and more encouraging to myself. I feel more capable of handling some of the bigger challenges I currently face. I am able to better stay within my inner peace while facing every day ‘triggers.’ I am learning to trust myself and my intuition. And I’m learning what belies the emotional waves I experience and how to move through them, something that has felt overbearing for most of my life. Beyond this, she is singular in validating my experiences living as an artist, and with her guidance I am learning to more fully embrace these parts of myself and my ‘why’.
She is the type of coach who helps you feel that you can stand on your own two feet, and though growth is a mountain with no top, I can see a time when I may not require the same guidance and will be able to guide myself. I am so grateful for her coaching and am excited to continue to learn and grow.”
- Individual Coaching Client of 2 Years
“I have been a client of Marissa’s for almost 3 years now and I couldn’t recommend them enough!! Their unique, trauma-focused approach to career coaching has helped me to zero in on my short and long term goals and make immense progress towards being the artist/person I know I’m meant to be. Marissa has been instrumental in my personal and professional growth. One huge lesson I’ve learned is being able to identify when I am in a trauma response AND how to stay present and work myself through it. This has been incredibly useful when fear has crept up in the form of big auditions, performances, advocating for myself, in my teaching, etc. I have learned tools such as meditation, journaling, somatic exercises, and more that have helped me tolerate the moments when I experience overwhelm. Since implementing these tools, I have begun to blossom into a confident person who embraces the unknown and is less afraid of being vulnerable! I’ve learned that although fear may always be present, that I deserve to work through it and do the ‘thing’ anyway. I cannot stress enough just how powerful this work is! My life has changed for the better since working with Marissa. Your dreams become reality when you work with Marissa and trust and believe in yourself to do the daily work!”
- Individual & Group Coaching Client of 3 Years
“Marissa has created a non-judgmental space that has been incredibly supportive on the artist's journey. They are knowledgeable, present and generous. I appreciate having a space that focuses on integration which inevitably opens up forward movement. Their enthusiasm and care is contagious and a true gift. I always walk away from our time together feeling emboldened and empowered. I’m so grateful for the network of support Marissa is creating and the positive benefits that flourish out of the work they are sharing.”
- Group Coaching Client of 1 Year
“I love group sessions because not only have I made valuable relationships with fellow artists, but it feels particularly motivating and supportive to have a tight knit community who have the same goals of bettering our internal & external lives. After working with Marissa for over a year in these sessions I feel like I have built a better relationship with myself, from my ‘internal monologue’ to how I feel in my body, which has led to some unexpected and wonderful changes in my life and career. Marissa’s an excellent group leader and a creative problem solver so it’s a delight to be tackling such profound issues in these sessions with them. Can’t recommend enough!”
- Group Coaching Client of 1 Year