Media kit available upon request. Contact support@sarastanizai.com.
Media Contact:
Sara Stanizai Team
support@sarastanizai.com
Bio
Sara Stanizai, LMFT (she/her) is a licensed marriage and family therapist, speaker, and the founder of Prospect Therapy, a queer- and trans-affirming group practice based in Long Beach, CA. With over 15 years of clinical experience, her work draws on advanced training in Relational Life Therapy, the Gottman Method, and Feminist Therapy, with a focus on couples and relationships, identity, and the intersections of culture and belonging.
As a queer, Muslim, Afghan-American woman, Sara brings both clinical expertise and lived experience to her speaking and facilitation work. She is a sought-after speaker for conferences, organizations, and community events, covering topics from patriarchy and power dynamics to immigrant mental health, LGBTQ+ affirmative care, and workplace resilience for queer and BIPOC employees. She has a special place in her heart for fellow eldest daughters carrying intergenerational responsibilities, and believes deeply in the importance of lived experience in professional and community leadership.
Sara has spoken at venues ranging from UCLA and NVIDIA to the Afghan-American Community Organization and the City of Long Beach, and brings her work to national and international stages. She produces Love in the Hot Seat, a live talk-show-style event where LGBTQIA+ experts take real audience questions about dating and relationships. Sara is a board member of the Asian Mental Health Collective and Mind-1-1, a former Therapists of Color Mentor through CAMFT, and the host of the You Did That! podcast.
As a queer, Muslim, Afghan-American woman, Sara brings both clinical expertise and lived experience to her speaking and facilitation work. She is a sought-after speaker for conferences, organizations, and community events, covering topics from patriarchy and power dynamics to immigrant mental health, LGBTQ+ affirmative care, and workplace resilience for queer and BIPOC employees. She has a special place in her heart for fellow eldest daughters carrying intergenerational responsibilities, and believes deeply in the importance of lived experience in professional and community leadership.
Sara has spoken at venues ranging from UCLA and NVIDIA to the Afghan-American Community Organization and the City of Long Beach, and brings her work to national and international stages. She produces Love in the Hot Seat, a live talk-show-style event where LGBTQIA+ experts take real audience questions about dating and relationships. Sara is a board member of the Asian Mental Health Collective and Mind-1-1, a former Therapists of Color Mentor through CAMFT, and the host of the You Did That! podcast.
Sara is known for saying...
- I thought I had to separate myself from my culture in order to survive.
- As children of Afghan immigrants, we haven’t had many examples of leaders who look like us. Why not become the ones we’ve been looking for?
- It’s not an accident that we’re confused about where we came from.
- Visibility is risky without the support of a community.
- Your choices are okay as long as they’re deliberate.
- I’ll believe it for you, until you believe it yourself.
As seen on...
Links to Press
Rapid Fire with
Sara Stanizai
1. Favorite way to wind down after a long day of sessions or speaking?
I usually feel pretty energized after a day of speaking, so I need a little grounding. Literally. Laying flat on my floor for at least ten minutes. Having my pets sniff and step on me helps too.
2. What’s something you wish every organization understood before bringing in a speaker?
Don’t stop at one session. Follow-up sessions help integrate what came up, ensure teams are accountable, and demonstrate that it’s a commitment, not an afterthought.
3. What’s a book, podcast, or piece of art that changed how you think?
Reading Hijab Butch Blues with my queer Muslim book club helped me reconcile my queerness with my faith.
4. Tell us something about yourself that others might be surprised to learn.
I’ve seen the Deftones in concert more times than I can count, including following them to three states one summer. I also originally wanted to work in museums and studied Latin and art history in college.
5. What’s the most common thing people say to you after one of your talks?
“How did you know that?”
6. What does belonging feel like for you, not as a concept, but in real life?
It feels like inviting others to catch up with me, instead of trying to fit in. Being secure in my responses. Not having an asterisk by everything I say.
7. What makes you feel most like yourself?
I’m a celebrity in my own mind. I feel most at home on a stage or in front of a camera, but letting the work speak for me. And honestly, I feel most like myself (and most like my mom) when I’m polarizing people. Getting them to think.
8. What would you tell your younger self about the parts of you that didn’t seem to fit?
It sucks for the first twenty years. And then it’s awesome.
I usually feel pretty energized after a day of speaking, so I need a little grounding. Literally. Laying flat on my floor for at least ten minutes. Having my pets sniff and step on me helps too.
2. What’s something you wish every organization understood before bringing in a speaker?
Don’t stop at one session. Follow-up sessions help integrate what came up, ensure teams are accountable, and demonstrate that it’s a commitment, not an afterthought.
3. What’s a book, podcast, or piece of art that changed how you think?
Reading Hijab Butch Blues with my queer Muslim book club helped me reconcile my queerness with my faith.
4. Tell us something about yourself that others might be surprised to learn.
I’ve seen the Deftones in concert more times than I can count, including following them to three states one summer. I also originally wanted to work in museums and studied Latin and art history in college.
5. What’s the most common thing people say to you after one of your talks?
“How did you know that?”
6. What does belonging feel like for you, not as a concept, but in real life?
It feels like inviting others to catch up with me, instead of trying to fit in. Being secure in my responses. Not having an asterisk by everything I say.
7. What makes you feel most like yourself?
I’m a celebrity in my own mind. I feel most at home on a stage or in front of a camera, but letting the work speak for me. And honestly, I feel most like myself (and most like my mom) when I’m polarizing people. Getting them to think.
8. What would you tell your younger self about the parts of you that didn’t seem to fit?
It sucks for the first twenty years. And then it’s awesome.
Podcast Appearances
Entre Tías y Amiguis with Adri Rodriguez
Topic: “Reclaiming Your Culture, Identity, and Story on Your Own Terms”
Topic: “Reclaiming Your Culture, Identity, and Story on Your Own Terms”
Press Mention
Daily Bruin, April 2026
Topic: “On Equitable Care: LGBTQIA+ SoCal Health Conference Targets Access, Education”
Topic: “On Equitable Care: LGBTQIA+ SoCal Health Conference Targets Access, Education”