About Untethered Therapy Services
Untethered Therapy Services was created for people carrying stories, roles, identities, and survival patterns that have often gone unnamed for too long.
To be untethered is not to be disconnected from your history. It is to begin loosening the hold of the roles, expectations, survival strategies, and stories that once felt necessary but no longer have to define how you move through your life.
Many of us learn to stay attached to ways of being that helped us survive. Staying silent. Over-functioning. Second-guessing ourselves. Carrying responsibility that was never fully ours. Shrinking parts of ourselves to remain connected, safe, accepted, or understood.
Untethering is not about erasing where you come from. It is about understanding what shaped you, honoring what helped you survive, and creating more room for clarity, self-trust, connection, and choice.
Trauma informed. Relational. Depth oriented.
In our work together, we take the time to understand where these patterns began, what they protected you from, and why they continue to show up. This is not surface-level work. It requires honesty, curiosity, and a willingness to look at what has been difficult to face.
I am not a passive presence in this process. I will notice what goes unsaid. I will reflect patterns as they are happening. I will ask the questions that are often avoided, because that is where clarity begins.
My approach is trauma-informed, relational, and grounded in depth-oriented work. I integrate attachment-based therapy, psychodynamic and relational frameworks, parts work, family systems thinking, somatic awareness, DBT, CBT, ACT, narrative therapy, and motivational interviewing.
The goal is not simply insight, but change that is felt and sustained over time.
The people I work with
Many of the people I work with are thoughtful, aware, and capable. They have spent time reflecting, making sense of their experiences, and trying to move forward in ways that feel different. And yet, something still feels stuck. Patterns repeat. Relationships begin to feel familiar in ways that are confusing or draining. Decisions become difficult to trust. There is often a sense of carrying more than they should, while feeling disconnected from themselves in the process.
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My work focuses on helping people understand the patterns that have shaped the way they think, feel, and relate to others. These patterns are not random. They are often rooted in experiences that were difficult, inconsistent, or hard to name at the time. Emotional neglect, parentification, relational harm, and forms of manipulation that are not always obvious can leave a lasting impact, even when they are minimized or overlooked.
About Miah
I didn't start here.
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Before I ever sat across from someone in a therapy room, I was navigating immigration systems, legal settings, and the reality of building a life from scratch in a place that did not yet feel like home. I learned early what it means to carry your history in your body while trying to create something new. The grief of displacement, the pressure to adapt, and the quiet, often invisible labor of belonging shaped not only my life, but the way I understand the experiences people bring into this work.
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I also know what it feels like to sit across from someone who does not fully understand your context. Someone who may have the credentials, but not the depth of understanding needed to hold the complexity of your story without requiring you to explain or translate yourself first. That is not the space I offer.
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I work with people navigating trauma, relational wounds, anxiety, depression, identity questions, family conflict, cultural or migration-related stress, faith and community experiences, institutional harm, and patterns that keep repeating despite insight.
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Therapy with me is not about becoming someone else.
It is about understanding what shaped you, what helped you survive, and what may no longer need to hold so much power.
What often shifts
As this work unfolds, many people begin to notice a shift in how they experience themselves and their lives. There is often a growing sense of clarity, a stronger connection to their own thoughts and emotions, and an increasing ability to make decisions without constant second-guessing.
Boundaries begin to feel more possible. Relationships begin to feel less confusing and more mutual. There is less of a need to carry what was never theirs to hold.
Where this comes from
Before becoming a therapist, I worked in immigration and legal settings, including within Deloitte's immigration practice, supporting individuals navigating hardship waivers, asylum petitions, and family separation.
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I later earned dual Bachelor's degrees in Criminology and Justice Studies and Psychology, with a minor in Peace and Conflict Studies, followed by a Master's in Social Work from Loyola University Chicago with specializations in Migration Studies and Leadership Development.
I have worked across hospitals, crisis programs, schools, community mental health settings, dual-diagnosis programs, and private practice. I served as Clinical Director of a 24-hour crisis program overseeing multidisciplinary teams, collaborating with psychiatrists, psychologists, physicians, nurses, caseworkers, schools, and legal teams.
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These experiences taught me how systems shape symptoms, and how institutions can both support healing and contribute to harm.
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I take this work seriously, but I do not believe therapy has to feel rigid or performative. There is space here for honesty, depth, and even moments of lightness.
Credentials & Licensure
Licensure
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LCSW — Illinois, License #149.027753
Education
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MSW, Loyola University Chicago
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B.S. Criminology & Justice Studies, B.A. Psychology — UMass Lowell
Experience
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Former Clinical Director, 24 Hour Crisis Triage Program & Chicago Mobile Crisis Response Team
Hospital, school, and community mental health settings
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Dual-diagnosis and crisis stabilization programs
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Immigration evaluations and legal liaison work