Dr Hayat Nadar PsyD
Founder and Licensed Clinical Psychologist
Dr. Hayat Nadar PsyD, (she/they)
As a queer Arab American psychologist, I am deeply committed to affirming multiculturalism, sex positivity, and the diverse spectrum of identities and intersectionality, including LGBTQIA+, kink, polyamory, gender, giftedness, neurodiversity, and the immigrant experience. My primary focus is on addressing the trauma stemming from systemic oppression and identity-based marginalization, with expertise in treating complex trauma and attachment wounds within individuals navigating oppressive societal structures, family systems and marginalized identities.
In collaboration with you, I co-create a safe space to navigate the complexities of identity and reconcile tensions related to familial, relational, and social systems. My therapeutic orientation is informed by depth psychology, psychodynamic and attachment theory. My approach is rooted in cultural humility, actively countering the dehumanizing effects of systemic injustices. I believe that within each of us resides an indigenous narrative waiting to be unearthed from the unconscious biased colonial narratives placed upon us.
Unexamined unconscious messages and patterns often hinder us from living our best lives. However, by exploring these deeply ingrained beliefs, we can seize the opportunity to reevaluate, alter, or replace them with ones that better align with our authentic selves. I would be honored to accompany you on this journey of self-discovery, assisting you in freeing up any stagnant energy so you can fully embrace life, love, and work. Together, we will work towards reclaiming empowerment, establishing a positive identity, and shedding the psychological and emotional burdens imposed by hurtful early relational attachments and oppressive systems.
Dr. Hayat Nadar, PsyD., is a licensed clinical psychologist, clinical supervisor, consultant, and adjunct professor at the Illinois School of Professional Psychology, National Louis University. She is the executive director and founder of The Depth Collective, a BIPOC and Queer centric, anti-racist and affirming psychotherapy practice centering the experiences of individuals who hold one or more minoritized intersectional identities. This psychotherapy practice is dedicated to the decolonization of mental health care, offering transformative healing from the detrimental impacts of colonization, imperialism, state-sanctioned violence, and systemic oppression. It emphasizes the importance of collectivist, cultural, and ancestral wisdom, as well as the experiences, knowledge, and strengths inherent in these traditions.
She holds a doctorate in clinical psychology from The Illinois School of Professional Psychology at National Louis University where she currently is an adjunct professor in psychoanalytic theory and therapy. Dr. Nadar has extensive training and speaking experience in clinical training programs, community events, academia and other settings. Dr. Nadar has provided education, trainings and workshops to a wide range of audiences including university students, adult learners, mental health professionals, business owners and other professionals. Her passion and area of expertise lies in understanding and navigating systems of oppression, privilege and marginalization, and subsequent discrimination and alienation. She is an award-winning scholar and the recipient of the National Louis University Outstanding Dissertation Award in Promoting Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI). Specifically, her research focuses on the Arab-American Migrant and trauma associated with the migration journey and acculturative stress, discrimination, marginalization, attachment insecurity and trauma-informed interventions. Her professional memberships include Kink and Poly Aware Chicago Therapists (KPACT) Network, American Arab, Middle Eastern and North African Psychological Association (AMENAPSY) and the Chicago Association for Psychoanalytic Psychology (CAPP).