Alumni Spotlight: Hira Kissana

Hira Kissana, a 2023 graduate of the Wright Institute’s Counseling Psychology Program, was born and raised in Vallejo, California. Her parents immigrated to the United States from Pakistan before their children were born and Hira grew up with very strong family bonds. “I had the greatest parents growing up,” she shared proudly. “My mother and father are my absolute heroes, and my siblings are my best friends.” Hira is the eldest daughter of the family, with one older brother and three younger sisters.

Starting at a young age, Hira experienced severe bullying in school. This continued until middle school, when she and her family moved to Pakistan for a year and a half. “I learned to read and write Urdu in school, and also began reading Arabic as I started reading the holy Quran,” she recalled. “My schooling experience in Pakistan was a breath of fresh air in a collectivist world, far away from the harshness and coldness I had experienced in America.” Fortunately, when her family returned to California, Hira started high school in a new school district, where the bullying subsided.

Hira began her college career at a local junior college, majoring in Psychology. After two years, she earned her associate’s degree and transferred to San Francisco State University. “I knew I wanted to later pursue post graduate degrees, so I opted for a cost-effective bachelor's degree,” she explained. During her undergraduate studies, Hira became more acutely aware of the effects of white supremacy and colonialism. “I truly began to have a higher level of understanding of the impact, mentally, physically, psychologically, and generationally, on racial minorities,” she shared. “I decided to pursue a career in mental health to serve my people.” She graduated from San Francisco State University with a BA in Psychology in 2019.

In 2020, Hira’s path took an unexpected detour. “When the pandemic began, I was waitlisted for the doctoral program at the Wright Institute, which ultimately ended in me needing to wait another year,” Hira recalled. “In that year, I decided to dive into a passion of mine, teaching.” Looking back, she remembers serving as a tutor to her classmates, family members, and friends throughout her life, so it’s no surprise that teaching came naturally for her. Hira enrolled in National University’s online program in pursuit of a master’s degree in education.

As part of her studies at National University, Hira was able to work as a teacher in Oakland, California for two years. “I taught at a school where 100% of the students lived below the poverty line and 100% of the students were also English language learners,” she explained. “In many ways, my classroom reminded me of the community and classrooms I was in at that same age.” Her passion for her students and their growth is clear as Hira reflects on her time as a teacher. “I implemented a ton of social emotional learning into my classroom,” she shared. “We started every day with an invitation to share anything pressing on our hearts.” In hearing her students’ challenges and concerns, Hira could clearly see the impact of colonialism and racism on the inequities faced by her students. She described teaching as one of her life’s greatest joys and she hopes to return to teaching in the future.

In the fall of 2021, Hira began her studies in the Wright Institute’s Counseling Psychology Program. Although she was initially interested in the doctoral program, she decided that the master’s program was a better fit. During her first year at the Wright Institute, Hira was still teaching full-time and completing her Master’s in Education. In her second year, she took classes, completed her practicum, and started her first corporate job as a recruiter. Unsurprisingly, this left Hira overwhelmed. “The immense workload and how badly I was burned out taught me an extremely valuable lesson: the importance of self-care,” she explained. “As cliche as it sounds, I learned that I have a moral obligation to those I have committed to serve to take care of myself.”

In spite of her heavy workload, Hira made time to form close bonds with members of the Wright Institute community. “My happiest memory was when the institution brought on Dr. Richardson as Dean of Students,” she reflected. “Dr. Richardson is really warm and authentic. You could go to her office and just talk about anything.” She also greatly enjoyed being a part of student affinity groups. “We went to Lake Merrit to hang out and have picnics,” she recalled. “We laughed and had joy.” These shared experiences were excellent opportunities for Hira to connect with her peers. Another feature of the Counseling Program that Hira enjoyed was the 1:1 advising meetings with faculty members. She appreciated the ability to meet with faculty who were not her professors, hear their stories, and benefit from their experiences.

During her time at the Wright Institute, Hira was positively impacted by three professors in particular: Professor Lopez-Urbina, Professor Robinson, and Dr. Clarke. “I saw so much of myself in Professor Lopez-Urbina,” she reflected. “She taught me to always stop and acknowledge my privileges or lack of in any space I am in, and that has given me power to become a better person and mental health professional.” Professor Robinson encouraged Hira to be her authentic self and served as a model of how to do exactly that. “She carries this energy that is so magnetic,” she explained. “Her way of being made me begin to ask myself how I want to energetically show up in my work and that is a gift.” Hira greatly enjoyed her Crisis, Disaster, and Trauma Counseling course with Dr. Clarke as well. “She integrated a light heartedness and humor into her trauma work that was so comforting,” she recalled. “Additionally, her teachings on vicarious trauma are at the forefront of my self-care today, tomorrow, and forever.” Hira credits Dr. Clarke with reigniting her love for therapy.

For her practicum, Hira returned to Oakland Unified School District as a Counseling Intern. She was very grateful for the opportunity to return to the same district she had taught in for two years and eager to serve the students in a different capacity. “Although social emotional learning was always at the forefront of my classroom, as a counseling intern, I was able to dive deep and apply theories, create case conceptualizations, and go along individual journeys with my kids to navigate their own unique challenges,” she explained. “I grew so much and my kids taught me so much about resilience and our ability to heal.” Through this experience, Hira was able to partner with all of the adults in a child’s life to provide them the support they needed.

The biggest challenges Hira faced during her time at the Wright Institute revolved around being a woman of color in a predominately white institution. “Despite the challenges, I actively engaged in discussions around race, social justice, and cultural competence, pushing my peers and instructors to acknowledge and address these important issues,” she reflected. Hira's journey at the Wright Institute was marked by confronting systemic biases and advocating for inclusion, amplifying her voice and paving the way for others from marginalized backgrounds to do the same. “While the program may not have fully prepared me for the challenges I would face, it instilled in me a strong commitment to social justice and equity, which continues to guide my work today,” she explained. “I am determined to create positive change within organizations and communities, drawing on my own experiences and perspectives to drive meaningful impact.”

Hira has learned many valuable lessons during graduate school, but the most important has been to question everything. She advises current and future students to be themselves and not try to fit in. “Follow the voice in your heart and allow it to lead your research, your presence, and your voice,” she recommends. “Do not allow anyone to silence it.” She also emphasized the importance of being open-minded and willing to learn new things, noting that “there is something you can learn from everyone in your cohort” if you’re receptive.

After graduating from the Wright Institute, Hira started hirakissana.com and began offering services in transforming workplace culture and academic planning. “As a woman of color and first-generation American, I have lived and witnessed first hand and through the experiences of those closest to me, that the American workplace is not a safe place for my people,” she explained. “I have created and offer comprehensive services to businesses, organizations, and corporations that seek to create better work environments.” Hira is also passionate about providing academic guidance based on her own experiences. “As a first-generation student, I understand what it feels like to have to learn everything on your own,” she reflected.

This May, Hira began working at Silver Lake Psychology as an Associate Marriage and Family Therapist, providing culturally sensitive telehealth therapy to a diverse group of clients using a solution-focused, trauma-informed approach. “I apply a culturally humble and inclusive approach to therapy, ensuring that my clients' cultural, racial, and religious identities are respected and integrated into the healing process,” she explained. “I facilitate critical conversations around systemic oppression, helping my clients recognize and challenge structural inequities that affect their mental health and well-being.” She then develops treatment plans to address the intersectional needs of her clients. Hira continues to seek out professional development focused on anti-racism, decolonization, and culturally responsive practices.

In her free time, Hira loves learning new things and enjoys traveling and experiencing other cultures. Despite her busy schedule, Hira always makes time to spend with her family, with whom she is very close. She was the first in her family to earn a college degree and now she has earned a total of four degrees. “I just feel so blessed to have made my parents proud,” she exclaimed. “They sacrificed their world to give to my siblings and I, and I feel honored to have made the smallest fraction of their sacrifices worth something through what I have achieved.” Surely, with all she has accomplished, Hira’s family is extremely proud.

There’s no doubt that the future holds many opportunities for Hira. She plans to continue her work towards becoming a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist while also expanding the services she offers through hirakissana.com in order to follow her passions and her growth trajectory. “I am currently working on my first book,” she shared. “The book seeks to bring alive my lived experiences in my identities paired with my passion for the collective fight to deconstruct and decolonize.” We wish Hira the best of luck in completing her book and in all of her future endeavors.