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Dr. Mariam Saad, PhD, LP

Director of Assessment, Doctoral Level Psychologist & Supervisor

Farmington Hills & Virtual‍ ‍

Welcome! Whether you are seeking support for yourself or your child, I am excited to meet you wherever you are in your journey. My goal as a clinical psychologist is to provide high-quality, evidence-based intervention while maintaining a therapeutic space that is welcoming and culturally-responsive, one where you feel valued and respected. My hope for each individual that works with me is they feel supported yet challenged on the journey of gaining insight, making value-based change, and learning new ways to manage challenges.

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When emotional pain feels too much, it can also feel hopeless. Sometimes we hide that pain—turn into work & other distractions—and other times, no matter the effort to hide it, it comes seeping out where we least desire. I believe we can address your struggles, explore your past experiences, and begin to heal the parts of you that have been hurt or mistreated. I also believe that real change occurs when individuals are met with supportive, empathic, and effective care that is tailored to meet their unique needs. Driven by my belief that therapy is not “one-size fits all”, I integrate evidence-based interventions and effective techniques when working with individuals and families to best fit their needs and goals.

With adults, my approach focuses on respectful, nonjudgmental listening. I strive to help you gain deeper insight into your current and past experiences in order to better understand your troubling emotional states. Therapy is a collaborative space, and together we can better understand what you need, who you are, & what you have experienced in your life. My expertise in integrating a breadth of interventions and techniques allows me to help you address your challenges, develop freedom & self-awareness, and cultivate authentic, long-lasting change.

With children, teens, and families, I focus on integrating well-supported, evidence-based interventions and parent-coaching interventions. I have extensive training working with children and teens presenting with emotional and behavioral concerns ranging in severity. I also have expertise in comprehensive psychological assessment. Children are living in the part of their lives that will forever affect them as adults - my hope is to address their emotional and behavioral challenges now so they can grow and flourish into well-adjusted adults.

I earned my bachelor’s degree from the University of Michigan and my master’s degree and Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from the University of Detroit Mercy. I completed an APA accredited pre-doctoral internship with the Department of Pediatric Psychology at C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital/Michigan Medicine. I also completed several years of clinical training at training programs throughout the state, including an inpatient child/adolescent psychiatric facility. In my clinical practice, I find myself drawn to integrating approaches such as Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Psychodynamic, and Mindfulness-Based interventions.

As a first-generation Arab-American female, I have personally navigated and worked with issues related to acculturation, immigration, and identity. I provide services in both English and Arabic. I offer short and long-term psychotherapy in both virtual and in-person settings.

Work with Dr. Saad

    • University of Michigan Health - Department of Pediatric Psychology at C.S. Mott

    • Children’s Hospital

    • Walter P. Reuther Psychiatric Hospital - Pediatrics (formerly Hawthorn Center)

    • Oakland University Counseling Center

    • University of Detroit Mercy Psychology Clinic

    • Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology, August 2024, University of Detroit Mercy

    • M.A. in Clinical Psychology, June 2021, University of Detroit Mercy

    • B.A. in Psychology, May 2018, University of Michigan

    • ADHD, Autism & AuDHD

    • Anger, Impulsivity & Defiance

    • Anxiety, Panic Disorder & Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD)

    • Bipolar Disorder

    • Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD)

    • Chronic Pain or Illness

    • Depression

    • Divorce & Separation

    • Executive Functioning

    • Grief & Loss

    • Identity Development

    • Learning Differences & Academic Challenges

    • Life Transitions

    • Parenting or Co-Parenting Difficulties

    • Pregnancy & Postpartum

    • Self-Esteem

    • Suicidal Ideation & Self-Harm

    • Trauma & PTSD

    • Acceptance & Commitment Therapy (ACT)

    • Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)

    • Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT)

    • Executive Function Coaching

    • Exposure Response Prevention (ERP)

    • Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT)

    • Parent Coaching

    • Psychodynamic

    • Psychological Evaluation

  • Individuals & Families

    Children, Preteens, Teens, Adults, Seniors (65+)

    Offers special insights for clients of the Muslim faith, Middle Eastern ethnicity, immigrants, and first and second-generation clients

  • Eshelman, L. R., Salim, S. R., Bhuptani, P. H, & Saad, M. M. (2024). Sexual objectification racial microaggressions amplify the positive relation between sexual assault and posttraumatic stress among Black women. Psychology of Women Quarterly.

    • Blue Cross Blue Shield

    • Aetna

    • Priority Health

    • English

    • Arabic

Close-up of green, wet, textured leaves with water droplets.

Get to know Mariam

  • As an Arab-American woman growing up in a small community, I watched families repress conversations surrounding intergenerational trauma, the lack of belonging, the stress of parenting, and the struggle of not feeling understood and accepted. It was hard for me to watch how this, coupled with stigma around mental health, led to high rates of untreated psychological distress. My commitment to becoming a psychologist stemmed from my deeply rooted desire to address mental health disparities and provide every individual a space where they feel accepted. My experiences have instilled in me the ability to relate to others and create a space where individual narratives are valued.

  • Therapy is a journey that the therapist and client embark on together, and I believe the client takes charge of the journey while the therapist guides and supports them. What I love most about therapy is watching my clients travel on this journey, and I am honored that I get to travel with them. I love watching my clients form new insights, look at things in a different light, and watch the healing process unfold. I love watching parents and their children find new ways of managing their challenges while strengthening their parent-child relationship.

  • I strive to find a balance between challenging my clients while maintaining a feeling of safety in the therapeutic relationship. It's important to me that every client feels safe in our sessions, but I also believe it's crucial for clients to feel challenged by someone who believes they are worthy of making change. Previous clients have shared that they feel a warm and calm presence in sessions with me, and I believe that’s because of the balance I’m always working towards. This looks different for each client or family, and I welcome feedback as a regular part of our work.

  • Life is full of ups and downs, and I believe it is our connection to our purpose that keeps us going through the hard times. I think it's crucial for each of us to find, connect to, and stay grounded in our purpose – we are all here for a reason. Finding my own purpose has led me on the ever evolving journey of making value-based change in my own life - connecting to my purpose each day has been challenging but equally rewarding.

  • Childhood, adolescence, and the teenage years can be hard. They are especially hard if you are struggling and don’t yet have a space where feel your truly belong, one where you feel seen, heard, and understood. I want you to know that perfection doesn’t exist, that we are all humans figuring life out as we go. Most of us don't have it together 24/7, and we all need a little support on this journey of life. I am committed to meeting you where you are and working hard to advocate for your needs. May you always remember that you are needed and important, and while it may be dark on some days, the light will always shine again. I am proud of you for contemplating or making the choice to reach out to a therapist - you are worthy of being supported.

  • I care deeply about understanding children, individuals, and families in the context of their lived experiences, and I believe we can only be understood as the sum of our parts. I enjoy working with individuals within a broader spectrum of racial, ethnic, religious, and gender identities, and I am passionate about advocating for minorities and creating a space where individuals feel valued. I am also passionate about helping those who are struggling recognize that there is nothing “wrong” with them, and am honored to join them on their journey towards healing. I hope to have a positive impact on encouraging the world to better understand others, especially children and teenagers, beyond the surface of their behavior.

  • I love forming strong, authentic connections with kiddos, teens, adults, and parents!

  • Often times, I wish my clients could see themselves through my eyes - I wish they could see how incredible they are for taking the often challenging and vulnerable step of starting therapy for themselves or for their child.

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