Position:

Adjunct Faculty

Contact Information:

jbehnad@paloaltou.edu

Programs:

Master's

Education:

PhD student in Culture, Diversity and Social Justice in a Global Context

Master of Art in Counseling Psychology - Marriage and Family Therapy

Biography:

Jila Behnad is an Iranian American Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist who graduated from JFK University. She is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in Culture and Diversity.

Jila is certified by the International Center of Excellence in Emotionally Focused Therapy (ICEEFT) as a Certified EFT Therapist and Supervisor. She is also trained in EMDR, CBT, ACT, and DBT.

Jila Behnad is CEO and Founder of Raha Foundation, a non-profit mental health organization in Northern California.

Jila is also the founder of the Iranian EFT Community in Iran. 

She created the “Can You See Me?” workshop to help therapists better understand the immigration experience and to identify the unique mental health challenges faced by immigrant clients.

Jila loves her job and believes the secret of happiness is in helping others. She hopes people can embrace their most basic universal human attachment needs without fear of persecution or marginalization because of religion, race, ethnic or national origin, sexual/affectional orientation and preferences, gender expression, family structure, age, class, mental health, physical character or disability. 

In 2020, Jila received the John Douglas Award from Dr. Sue Johnson for her efforts in helping grow EFT and bringing more diversity to the EFT community. 

Areas of Interest:

Couples Counseling and Multicultural Counseling