Today | Co-founder and Executive Director, Cross Cultural Expressions, Los Angeles |
Education | BA in Child Development, California State University, Northridge; MSW, California State University, Long Beach |
Expertise | Culturally responsive therapy, Iranian and Middle Eastern immigrant communities, family support, multicultural counseling training |
Speaks to | Therapists, social workers, educators, parents, and community audiences |
Award | JQ International Inspiration Award (2016) |
Website | |
Mastaneh Moghadam is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker whose life's work is bridging cultural gaps. She earned a BA in Child Development with an emphasis in music therapy at California State University, Northridge, and a Master of Social Work at California State University, Long Beach. During her graduate placement at Jewish Family Service of Los Angeles, she became interested in the hidden mental health needs of Iranian Jewish immigrants, a community that often seemed not to need services.
Working in Los Angeles since 2001, she developed the Yaran Iranian peer counseling program at Jewish Family Service, led parenting classes at local synagogues, and provided community education on domestic violence. She later co-founded Cross Cultural Expressions with writer and producer Dustin Ellis. The nonprofit runs a multicultural community counseling center offering therapy in English, Persian, Russian, Spanish, and Hebrew, a free Farsi peer helpline for older adults and caregivers, and documentary films and essay collections made with the Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health.
As Executive Director, she oversees the counseling center and leads trainings and workshops on multicultural counseling for organizations across Southern California. She was a weekly guest on KIRN 670 AM's program on mental health from 2012 to 2015. For over twenty years she has also supported Iranian families in keeping their relationships strong, including co-founding a parent support group in 2015 that was featured by NBC Los Angeles. She received the JQ International Inspiration Award in 2016 and is a facilitator for JIMENA programs.
This is more than a support group. This is a movement.
Mastaneh Moghadam, quoted in the Jewish Journal, 2018
Speaking Topics
What Mastaneh talks about
1. Culturally Responsive Therapeutic Practices
Approaches to care that work well with Middle Eastern, Sephardic, and Mizrahi families.
2. Mental Health Stigma in Middle Eastern Communities
Why many immigrant families hesitate to seek help and how providers can build trust.
3. Supporting Immigrant and Refugee Families
Understanding the emotional journey of resettlement across generations.
4. Bridging Cultures Through the Arts
How film, music, and storytelling open conversations about mental health.
5. Family Communication Across Generations
Helping parents and children understand one another across cultural differences.
Select Talks
Selected talks and appearances
2025 | JIMENA Sephardic Leaders Fellowship, National Social Service Providers Cohort, closing session: Culturally Responsive Therapeutic Practices That Work Well with Middle Eastern Communities |
2019 | NBC Los Angeles: featured in a report on her parent support group for Iranian American families |
2018 | Avayeh Ham-Sedai, Persian-language radio program |
2017 | Persian Pride Fellows, Beverly Hills: guest speaker (December 17) |
2012 to 2015 | KIRN 670 AM, Los Angeles: weekly guest on The Role of Self and Mental Health |
These are a selection of Mastaneh’s talks. Mastaneh has given many more than are listed here.
Publications and Media
Read, watch, and listen
Video
We Do Care Support Group Helps LGBTQ in Iranian American Community
NBC Los Angeles report featuring her work with Iranian American families, 2019. Watch on NBC Los Angeles
Article
They're Here, They're Queer and the Persian Pride Fellows Want L.A. to Get Used to It
Jewish Journal article quoting her on two decades of community work, 2018. Read in the Jewish Journal
Profile
Mastaneh Moghadam
Chapter on her career in the USC digital book Iranian Jewish Life in Los Angeles: Past and Present, 2016. Read on USC Scalar
Profile
Our Story
Cross Cultural Expressions page on the organization's founding and mission. Visit Cross Cultural Expressions
Affiliations
Organizations
- Cross Cultural Expressions (co-founder and Executive Director)
- Cross Cultural Expressions Community Counseling Center
- Jewish Family Service of Los Angeles (former)
- JIMENA (facilitator)
Book Mastaneh
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