Aliya Sheriff
Over twenty years ago my family was helping a woman and her children impacted by intimate partner violence. I immediately noticed the effect of witnessing violence on the children. In that moment, I knew I wanted to do something that helped people heal in their process. Since then I have found ways to engage with children and families experiencing a range of challenges. After college, I worked with refugee and immigrant domestic violence and human trafficking victims. While in graduate school I continued to work with individuals affected by community violence, poverty, and adverse experiences. I worked in a variety of settings including hospitals, local community clinics, and within schools. I also have experience working with individuals with intellectual disabilities, Autism, traumatic brain injury, and high medical needs. I completed my predoctoral internship at Momentous institute in Dallas, TX; and a postdoctoral fellowship at University of California San Francisco/San Francisco General Hospital. My professional career includes working at Children’s Hospital Oakland, serving as the DFW Director for the Center for Survivors of Torture, and as a program Manager for a Developmental Disabilities Crisis Team. I enjoy partnering with key people in an individual’s life to find the best ways to help cope with situations. People are resilient and often find creative ways to handle the challenges. As a psychologist, I aim to help individuals apply their creative and resilient skills to adapt to the difficulties they face.