Our Story:

“In early 2013, the three of us - Heena Khan, Saihba Ali, and Abida Minhas - had recently connected with each other as the only Muslim counselors in the area that we knew of. We kept talking about the need to bring together Muslim licensed mental health professionals in the DFW area under one umbrella so the community could easily access and navigate resources.

Eventually, we decided to meet at Brio’s in June of 2017. It was late evening after we wrapped up our clients for the day and secured our husbands to hold the fort with the kids. Our meeting was exciting, inspiring and momentous. We shared a common vision for our Muslim community, we shared heartwarming and gut-wrenching stories of community members seeking mental health services. It became clear that we wanted to start a movement. And we did. The disposable paper table cloth at Brio’s was our canvas, we dug through our purses for pens and began jotting our thoughts, brainstormed ideas and even came up with the name Muslim Association of Psychological Services (MAPS).

The meeting left us energized and motivated to take on a project that we knew would benefit not just our Muslim community but also other mental health providers that support and help Muslim communities. Since that day, MAPS has grown to nearly 30 members in the Dallas/Fort Worth area and we now have chapters in both Houston and Austin, as well as Australia. We are so thrilled to see this network grow and we look forward to expanding and continuing to serve the community.”