Khawaja Saad Haye
LPCC, LPC, MSEd, CCTP II
(Saad) *he/him
My clinical specialties are: Trauma, Anxiety and Depression. I also have a special interest in helping people with their assertiveness and confidence related challenges. I also offer therapy for relationship challenges, identity matters, life things, adjustment to changes and developing healthy coping to life’s stressors.
I work well with people who want to be challenged and those who need support with taking risks.
I am well versed in the South Asian, Asian, Arab and Muslim minority cultures. I also have expertise in working with helping professionals and immigrant populations.
I offer coaching for clients who do not need therapy but want to work on behavior activation or achieve other aspirations in the areas of relationships or life.
I work from a somatic, strengths-based, relational and cognitive behavioral framework. I offer my clients psychoeducation and neuroeducation so that they can understand what is happening inside their bodies and give them knowledge to support them in caring for themselves.
I am trauma trained and believe that acknowledgement, emotional release and coaching are important parts to an effective therapeutic process. I draw attention to symptoms and sensations tied to your distress (or trauma) to help you process and release this using evidence based interventions that support the mind and body. We will also work through things that are holding you back.
My style is active, interactive & relationship oriented.
Other Languages: Urdu, Hindi
Understands: Punjabi & Hindko
Education
Masters of Science in Mental Health Counseling (2019) University of Pennsylvania
Bachelor of Arts, Honors, Marketing (2008) London Metropolitan University
Licensure & Certifications
Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor, California #LPCC15380
Licensed Professional Counselor, Pennsylvania
Level 2 Certified Clinical Trauma Professional
Licensed Professional Counselor, Delaware (2024-2025) *currently inactive
As a child I always knew what I wanted to be when I grew up but it was not a career path my family wanted me to pursue. When I was in college, I shifted my career focus and studied Marketing. Graduating during the recession of 2008 brought on it’s own set of challenges prompting another shift in my career trajectory. I ended up in a project management role in a completely different industry and then eventually joined the financial industry. Each year I found myself asking myself- "What is next?" I did not enjoy what I was doing. As the learning curve diminished, so did my interest.
I found my interest in psychology and human behavior while working as a manager at a bank. My wife was in graduate school at that time and we would have interesting conversations about this subject matter. Fast forward to 2017, I took a leap of faith and made a career shift to become a psychotherapist.
Arriving here was a process, but a necessary step I had to take for myself. Now I can tell people that some risks are just meant to be taken.
What brought me to this profession
Qualifications
I have been working as a psychotherapist in private practice for over 6 years.
After graduating with my masters, I was hired at the place I was interning at. I worked for Main Line Health’s Mirmont Treatment Center in Philadelphia as a behavioral health therapist. At Mirmont, I led groups, provided individual and family therapy to adolescent as well as adults with acute mental health disorders admitted into their Intensive Outpatient (IOP) and Partial Hospital Program (PHP). My groups were skills based (DBT, coping skills, CBT based) as well as process oriented (trauma focused). I also led the substance abuse and addiction groups.
In addition to my clinical training, I also trained with higher education students at UPenn Student Affairs and with adolescents in an emotional support program at Freire Charter School in Philadelphia.
In the news
In 2020 Saad was featured in the Philadelphia Inquirer where he spoke about international students, the mental health and adjustment challenges they face when they move to USA for their education.
"Philadelphia's International Students Face Barriers to Mental Health Services" (2020)
Outside of therapy
I enjoy woodworking and take inspiration from Japanese craftsmanship.
I love a good kettlebell workout, soccer, movies and documentaries. I am an avid learner in the areas of history and war.
I also enjoy playtime with my toddler. She keeps me occupied outside of work.
I was raised in Pakistan. I have lived and worked in London then moved to Philadelphia where I spent 12 years before moving to San Francisco in 2022.