Meet Charan Bashir | MA, LPC, CCTP, CIMHP

We had the good fortune of connecting with Charan Bashir and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Charan, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
I felt a strong sense of encouragement to start my own practice to create a space for clients to cultivate change within their personal lives, in service of improving quality of life.

I am intrinsically motivated to provide clients with an opportunity to process their experiences of developmental and complex trauma in order to develop the courage to create new possibilities within the present moment. The start of this practice is a culmination of my years of experience as a licensed professional counselor, in addition to a motivating opportunity to provide individuals with the chance to create a new vision for their lives, despite the adverse and traumatic circumstances that have negatively impacted them.

The true north of my practice is to utilize trauma informed and mindfulness based therapeutic modalities to cultivate transformation at an individual, communal, and organizational level – making small strides towards creating a greater world, wherein individuals recognize their agency and greater responsibility to their overall wellness.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
Starting my own private practice has been a journey that has taught me a lot about myself and the things that I am truly capable of as a provider and business owner. The process of development, regardless of the discipline, is not always a beautifully paved road upon which all things happen with great ease – but I have found my way utilizing the incredible support networks that I am a part of. Those in my corner who support me personally and professionally, have given me the courage and determination to chase a passion that I have in my life. This passion to cultivate transformation for others has been the driving force behind a lot of the decisions I have made up until this point – it has been my true north, especially in times of challenge or self doubt.

It is my goal to support others in ways that allow them to deeply experience the present moment and cultivate change within their lives. As an individual who has worked extensively with clients impacted by trauma, I am aware of the complex impacts that trauma and adverse experiences can have upon an individuals life.

I have always felt a strong sense of connection to other individuals whether that was being led, mentored and supported or providing impactful leadership, support, and mentorship to others. My passion and pull along the journey of practice development has been focusing on the most important element of my work – the client. I have a strong driving force to ensure that once I have the chance to work with a client, we will collaboratively create a pathway to change that is accessible, individualized, and has a deep rooting in compassion directed towards the self.

What I want the world to know about me and my work is that it is uniquely special as it aims to cultivate change within individuals, communities, organizations and consequently the world at large. From a very young age, I had a desire to create grand scale societal change, but I was not always sure about how that would have been carried forward as that feat is very large and can often times feel impossible. What I have learned within the experience of working with clients and organizations is that when I position myself to step into the lives of others, we are able to collaboratively create impactful change that will shift how they show up in the world around them.

My goal is to continue to encourage this snowball effect of growth, mindfulness, and adaptive change – in order to cultivate change within the world at large by allowing individuals to exist in empowered and connected networks that encourage greater overall wellness of mind, body, and spirit.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
If I had to make recommendations to people within the city of Detroit, I would start downtown and work my way out, as this was how I was introduced to the city as a native Chicagoan.

Some of my favorite places to visit include: The Detroit Institute of Art (DIA), The Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCAD), The Charles Wright Museum of African American History – These places are sure to become quick favorites for anyone who visits.

I really enjoy a good sweat and would recommend people check out some of the great fitness studios and gyms in Detroit as well. I would recommend: Jabs Gym, Detroit Body Garage, Pure Barre, Vibe Ride, CrossFit in the D, Trv|Fit, Live Cycle Delight (LCD), Citizen Yoga – find one and you will find them all. I found that within Detroit you are bound to cross paths with other like minded individuals who will give you incredible recommendations for exploration.

In terms of food and drink, I would recommend: Eatori, Monarch Club, The Skip, Parkers Alley, Bad Luck Bar, Cash Only Supper Club, The Evening Bar @ The Shinola Hotel – Jets Pizza, Takoi, Ottava Via, Grey Ghost, Selden Standard, Sister Pie, She Wolf, Leila, and Ima Izakaya. Honestly, too many to name! Detroit is an amazing city for food and drink, ask the bartender/server at these places and they will make even more recommendations for your specific palate.

As a general recommendation, I would also suggest The Social Club. Sebastian is an amazing barber and visionary behind this thriving cultural hub and barbership within the city of Detroit.

Other than that, I would recommend people check out Detroit and explore for themselves and allow your interests to guide you. Detroit is a great place to visit and has an immense amount of rich cultural history, great food, thriving communities, and encouraged individuals who want to cultivate change or create something unique to share with the city in a big way.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I would like to recognize Rebecca Palen, Practice Founder and CEO at H3 – Hope, Healing, and Health Inc. Rebecca has been an incredible mentor to me throughout the years and has taught me invaluable lessons regarding clinical work with clients and how to strategically lead and develop a private practice aimed at serving the needs of a community. I credit her with giving me opportunities to develop and nurture my professional and clinical strengths – in order for me to catapult myself to the space of independent business ownership.

I would like to also thank phenomenal researchers in the field of psychology who have published great bodies of work that continue to motivate and encourage me as I work specifically with experiences of complex and developmental trauma. Notable figures include: Bessel Van Der Kolk, Richard C. Schwartz, Kristen Neff, Brené Brown, and Arielle Schwartz. Additionally, I express gratitude towards the faculty members at the Adler School of Professional Psychology who provided me with an exceptional education to spearhead my career, and gave me with an opportunity to conceptualize my innate desire to support others through the lens of empirically tested psychological interventions.

Lastly, I would like to shoutout the clients and organizations that I have worked with who give me the opportunity to witness the beauty and complexity of the human experience from a plethora of perspectives, and continue to motivate me on my path of cultivating change for those in need.

Website: https://www.charanbashir.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/charanmbashir/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/charan-bashir-ma-ncc-lpc-cimhp-961091a6/