Dr. Lilla Hashemi is a life-long learner and a true believer in a compassionate society. She has been in practice at her Family Counseling Center in Southern California since 1982. Her vast clinical experiences as well as her personal history as a self-made and pioneering professional woman enrich her perspectives and client interactions with depth and diversity.
Dr. Hashemi specializes in relationship and family counseling as well as treating couples with sexual dysfunctions. She also works with clients to address depression, anxiety and other mood disorders.
She was the first Iranian psychotherapist to have a talk show in Farsi about family relations, parenting, and psychological issues. Her program was broadcast on Southern California Iranian radio since 1982, and moved to satellite television in 2000.
Dr. Hashemi‘s live TV program was very popular in Iran and in the diasporas, and many viewers from around the world called in weekly to ask questions. A unique aspect of her program was the focused and up-to-date information she provided in the field of mental health. She stopped broadcasting in 2008 although she still appears on programs occasionally.
Dr. Lilla, as her clients and radio and TV audience affectionately address her, has also written and translated many articles that have appeared in Iranian press, and published book in Farsi that have been distributed in and outside Iran. She has also given many talks and lectures and continues to do so.
Dr. Lilla was one of the earliest practitioners of professional social work in Iran. She received her BA in English Literature from Shiraz University, her MSW from University of Georgia and her Ph.D. from Tulane University in 1982.
In addition to her private practice, she has held clinical positions at a variety of institutions including the John F Kennedy Institute for Mentally Handicapped Children in Baltimore, and the Cook County Department of Psychiatry in Chicago, among others. She also served as Oral Commissioner for California Department of Consumer Affairs, Board of Behavioral Science Examiners between 1979 and 1999.
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