Meet Dr Rahiem - HOLISTIC PSYCHIATRIST & Founder of Khorasan integrative Psychiatry PLLC.
A warm welcome to you. Thank you for visiting my webpage. Here’s a little info about me. I am of a multi-ethnic background, and grew up in Florida. I have dedicated my entire life to learning. Starting the first grade at the age of four, and spending at over 19 years in school after getting my high school diploma, I’ve learned so much more that I’ve ever thought possible. My most profound learning, however, has come from my own life experiences.
I’d like to share a funny story with you. It starts in my favorite organic grocery store in Richmond, Virginia.
I was walking up and down the aisle of organic meats. I must have gone back and forth at least a dozen times. I kept searching for organic, pasture-raised, grass-fed chicken. I could find the grass-fed beef and even the grass-fed buffalo, but no grass-fed chicken. After a ten-minute exhaustive search, I finally gave up and decided to ask the deli worker behind the counter for help.
After a long pause, with sweat on his forehead, he lowered his gaze, and seemed to compose himself before looking back up at me again. I wasn’t sure if he understood what I had said, so I asked him the question again, “Where do you keep your grass-fed chicken?” Again, his face changed color. This time though, he kept his gaze fixed onto me. Seeming to make up his mind about what to say, he finally spoke, “Ma’am. We don’t carry grass-fed chicken.”
“Well, why not? Will you be getting some soon?” I responded.
“Ma’am. We won’t be getting any. We don’t carry grass fed chicken because, well, ma’am, because chickens don’t eat grass. Maybe some grass, but they can’t live off of grass.”
He finally said it. I could see the look of relief on his face, though I did detect a sprinkle of apprehension about how I would take the news. I laughed. Then he laughed.
That moment has stayed with me. It showed me that if I was going to eat healthy and teach my clients how to eat healthy, I would have to make sure I learned a lot more.
Experiences like this one, coupled with my becoming chronically ill after finishing residency and finding no clear cure, led me to learn as much as I could about the world of Nutrition and Integrative Health. In my quest to find a cure, I went to reiki sessions once a week, read books on Ayurveda, saw an Ayurvedic doctor, visited multiple acupuncturists, saw Naturopathic doctors, had craniosacral therapy sessions, went to a sound healer, attended yoga classes, saw chiropractors, and attended Sufi meditation lessons. I changed my diet completely. I went vegetarian, then back to eating meat, then paleo, and then changed from that. It wasn’t until I put myself on a dairy and gluten elimination diet (no dairy and no gluten), that I began to feel better. Apparently, I have various food intolerances that I only discovered by taking some foods out of my diet entirely. On top of that, I came to discover that I had liver chi stagnation (diagnosed by my Oriental Medicine Doctor) and a severe vata imbalance (diagnosed by my Ayurvedic Physician), along with multiple vitamin and mineral deficiencies (diagnosed by my Functional Medicine-trained nutritionist). Following the advice of many different experts in holistic medicine, I was thankfully, able to make a full recovery.
Since then, I have continued to seek out knowledge about how to keep myself healthy, and how to keep my clients healthy too. Unfortunately, my medical school training had its limitations when it came to prevention and wellness. Even after working as a psychiatrist for number of years, I considered taking out more student loans to go back to medical school, but this time, to become a Naturopathic Doctor. Naturopathic medicine takes a more holistic approach. Thankfully, that wasn’t necessary. My path led me to the Andrew Weil Center for Integrative Medicine at the University of Arizona. After finishing their two-year fellowship, I continued my education at the Institute of Integrative Psychiatry, where I became a Certified Integrative Psychiatric Provider. My education, though, didn’t feel complete. I received an email from Vimala Pozzi, a well-known yoga instructor, stating that she would be offering a teacher training and wanted to know if I would be interested. I thought, ‘Well, why not?’ While completing that training, I realized how powerful meditation, breathing practices, and the movements of yoga can be. Using yogic techniques, I was better able to decrease systemic inflammation, deal with stress, and protect my health. I am now completing a 800-hour training to become a Yoga Therapist (someone who uses yoga in a clinical setting).
I have offered integrative psychiatric care to clients in community mental health and Veterans Affairs clinics across the country for a number of years. Now, I’ve decided to dedicate myself to serving clients in my own private practice in addition to continuing my community work.
My mission is to pass on what my journey has taught me, so that my clients can live their healthiest lives, and reach their highest potential.
“Working with Dr. Rahiem over the past year has changed my life. I’ve stopped using processed sugar, started meditation, and she gave me medication. My concentration has gotten a lot better and I got a promotion at work. I’ve really enjoyed working with her and highly recommend her as a physician.”
— Client
“Ever since I started working with Dr. Rahiem, my life got better. When I think about the good things I have in life, I thank God I have her. She taught me how to meditate in the morning and she changed my medication. Now, I don’t get so angry when I deal with my kids, and it’s easier for me to handle the stress at work.
— Client
Education and Accomplishments
Board Certification in Integrative Medicine by the American Board of Physician Specialities, 2023
Certification in Integrative Psychiatry, Institute of Integrative Psychiatry, 2022
Andrew Weil Center for Integrative Medicine Fellowship, 2019
Harvard’s Boston Children’s Hospital, Child & Adolescent Psychiatry Fellowship, 2015
Yale New Haven Hospital, General Psychiatry Residency, 2013
Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Master of Public Health, 2008
University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Medical Degree, 2009
First author of “Mental Health Interview and Cultural Formulation,” in the book, Counseling Muslims: Handbook of Mental Health Issues and Interventions
Stetson University, Bachelor of Science & Minor in Spanish Language, Summa Cum Laude, Phi Beta Kappa, Honors Program, 2003.
Yoga Therapist in training, Integral Yoga 800-hour Yoga Therapy Program
Sound Therapist in training
Graduate of Suluk, a two-year program in Sufi Studies and Meditation, 2020.
Certified Yoga Instructor with over 500 hours of training
Certifications in Yogic Psychology (Raja Yoga), Yogic Stress Management, Basics of Ayurveda, Adaptive Yoga, and Therapeutic Yoga.
Usui and Angelic Reiki Master
Sufi Healing Conductor
Graduate of the Advanced Professional Training at Center for Mind Body Medicine, 2015
American Psychiatric Association SAMHSA Minority Fellow, 2013
Harvard Program in Refugee Trauma, Global Mental Health Certification, 2013