Yasmine Mohammed

Founder & President

Yasmine is the Founder and President of FHFM. As well as volunteering her time to FHFM, she is also a best-selling author, a human rights activist, and a university instructor.
Learn more about Yasmine >

Dr. Orli Peter

Vice President

Dr. Peter is a clinical and neuropsychologist with almost 30 years of experience contributing to the field of psychology as a practitioner, researcher, and educator.  She is a former associate professor of psychology at Mount St. Mary’s University in Los Angeles, where she was the director of the Psychology Graduate Programs, Clinical Supervisor to therapists in training, and acting Chair of the Psychology Department. She has conducted psychological research at the University of California at Berkeley, UCLA, and the RAND Corporation.

Dr. Peter has published numerous research articles and book chapters, and she has been a contributing columnist to the Los Angeles Times. She has presented professional papers internationally and has been the subject of local feature articles and stories. Full List of Publications.

 After receiving her doctorate from the University of California at Berkeley, Dr. Peter went on to complete postdoctoral fellowships in social psychology, clinical psychology, and neuropsychology at UCLA, Devereaux Foundation, and Fielding. She was awarded diplomate status in Clinical Psychology from the American Board of Psychological Specialties, and then continued her studies with Dr. Allan Schore and Dr. Dan Siegel, clinical professors in the Department of Psychiatry at UCLA School of Medicine. Both Dr. Schore and Dr. Siegel are considered pioneers in the area of Interpersonal Neurobiology and its application to helping people regulate emotion and connect empathically to each other. Dr. Peter then extended her studies to understand the intricacies of the brain’s frontal lobe with Elkhonon Goldberg, internationally renown clinical professor of neurology at New York University School of Medicine.

Dr. Peter has helped restabilize survivors and witnesses of 9/11, Iranian refugees, Israeli victims of terrorist attacks, and families who have fled war-torn countries. Dr. Peter has been a volunteer for Disaster Mental Health at the Red Cross, and is certified as a psychologist for Homeland Security by the American College of Forensic Examiners.

Jessica Robin

​Executive Director
​BS-Psych, Marketing Major, altMBA, FOM Cult Cert., GCRR Religious Trauma Cert., AE Certified Coach.

Hi! I’m Jessica Robin, the newly appointed Executive Director at Free Hearts Free Minds (FHFM), where our focus is on liberating individuals from the shackles of religious trauma and guiding them towards a life of purpose and fulfilment.

With a keen ability to deeply understand people and navigate through challenging situations with empathy and insight, I've dedicated my career to helping others see their true selves and realise their full potential. At FHFM, this translates into empowering individuals to shed the weight of their past and chart their own paths forward.

Having personally assisted over 50 individuals within Muslim communities, I possess a profound understanding of their unique stories and the struggles they face. From combating loneliness, sleep disorders, and marital issues to addressing abuse, indoctrination, guilt, self-harm, and suicidal thoughts, our programs at FHFM have been a beacon of hope and transformation.

My life's mission is clear: to aid as many people as possible in overcoming significant obstacles and confidently steering the course of their lives. Through my leadership at FHFM, I am committed to making this vision a reality, one life at a time.

​Dr. Evelyn Markus

Director

Throughout her 30 year career, Dr. Evelyn Markus has worked across the world, in the fields of research, consulting and behavioral training, successfully supporting individuals and organizations to prepare for confrontations with violence and to prevent traumatic stress.

After obtaining a Ph.D. in psychology (victimology) from Erasmus University in Rotterdam, The Netherlands, in 2000 and a 10 year career with ‘Circon’, a leading Dutch agency in the field of (traumatic) stress inoculation training, she co- founded ‘Markus & Van de Velde Research and Consultancy’.

Markus & Van de Velde specialized in program development against (the impact of) violence. Clients of Markus & Van de Velde included: Nike – Empowerment of women in the Middle East & Africa through sports; City of Amsterdam – founding of first Honor Killing Crisis Center in the Netherlands; Dutch Parliament/Ayaan Hirsi Ali – taskforce against domestic violence in Dutch Muslim households; and The Anne Frank House – combatting antisemitism from Muslim immigrant youth.

In 2006 Markus emigrated with her partner Rosa to the United States, where she started ‘Top Floor’, a coaching agency on conflict management at the workplace.

With her Jewish background, Evelyn became active against resurging antisemitism in Europe since 2000. As most of today’s global antisemitism comes from Muslim populations, Evelyn expanded her knowledge about Muslim culture and how it drives Jew-hatred, misogyny, and homophobia. From 2015-2019 she co-produced the critically acclaimed documentary ‘Never Again Is Now’ about (Muslim) Jew-hatred, together with The Blaze TV.

Currently, she is a sought after speaker and writer about rising global Jew-hatred, advocating among other things for more universal human rights in Muslim culture

Ashira Gobrin

​Director

Ashira Gobrin, is a transformational executive with 25 years of experience, and the 2021 winner of the prestigious Canadian HRPA’s Woman of Distinction Award. By blending a get-it-done performance improvement style with the ability to bring a vision to life, Ashira has a proven track record of fueling enterprise-wide execution that drives revenue and growth.

An alchemist of organizations, Ashira works to turn potential into performance through Purpose, Values and Great Leadership. She has been lauded as the mastermind behind award-winning cultures in high-growth technology companies. 

She considers herself a scholar of human behavior, having studied under some of the worlds most exceptional graphologists including Roger Rubin, Barbara Weaver, Sheila Lowe, Michal Naftali and Psycho-therapists including Dr. David Grand and Cynthia Schwartzberg. 

Ashira’s leadership skills and people first philosophy has created phenomenal impact far beyond her professional accomplishments. With a passion for the role of education she has volunteered many hours  of time and energy to causes close to her heart. A seasoned board director, she was previously Chair of Bnei Akiva Schools of Toronto, Chair of The Toronto Heschel School, and Board Director for The Canadian Jewish News.

Ashira is a sought-after Executive Coach, Certified Graphologist, Brainspotting Practitioner, published author and accomplished speaker. She is a wife and proud mother of 3 exceptional young adults whom she considers her life’s greatest accomplishments. 

Sama Ali

Triage Officer/Mental Health Facilitator

Sama is a master's student of Clinical Psychology in Lebanon who is fluent in English, Arabic, and French. She completed her clinical training while working with inpatients in a psychiatric hospital under the supervision of a licensed psychotherapist. She also works in the humanitarian field in Lebanon.  She is a child protection focal point and delivers psychological first aid services to victims of trauma and abuse. Additionally, she provides psychosocial and mental health support sessions to children and families who are victims of the Beirut port explosion and vulnerable communities. Because Sama lives in a Muslim majority country, she must keep her identity protected.

Areesha Khan

Mental Health Facilitator

​Areesha completed her Bachelor of Science (Hons) degree in Psychology from the University of Bath, UK, and furthered her education by completing a Master of Science degree in Clinical Psychology at the same institution. Additionally, she is certified in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy by the Beck Institute USA, equipping her with a solid foundation to offer counseling and therapeutic support. Having worked as a therapist throughout the challenges of the Covid-19 pandemic and beyond, Areesha has demonstrated resilience, adaptability, and empathy.

Growing up in the Middle East, she encountered unique challenges and witnessed firsthand the societal stigma and limited access to mental health support. Working in the psychological field was always her calling, and she is passionate about making mental health support more readily available, despite cultural and religious obstacles.

Drawing from her background in psychology and counselling, Areesha strives to be a small part of the change towards a world where honest dialogue about mental wellbeing is not only encouraged but celebrated. She is committed to fostering understanding and breaking down taboos to create a more empathetic society for individuals navigating the complexities of culture, religion, and mental health.

Taline Agamy

Volunteer | Data Analytics and Research

Taline joined Free Hearts Free Minds as a volunteer in March 2023. She is passionate about human rights and uplifting the voices of women and other persecuted and oppressed communities around the world.
Since November 2021, Taline has worked as a researcher for a prison reform organization whose mission is to transform housing units grounded in dignity for young adults in prison around the United States, disrupting harmful prison practices and policies through collaborative research and technical assistance.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, she worked as a program assistant for a global public health non-profit where she managed the outreach and enrollment efforts of various community-based clinical research studies concerning the impact and ramifications of the pandemic in the South Bronx, NY.

While in graduate school, she supported a homeless shelter and food pantry as a data analyst intern, where she built comprehensive dashboards of the changing demographics between the agency’s staff and clients and developed a current understanding of homelessness issues and quality of life concerns in southern Connecticut. In college, she worked as a legal intern for the Hudson County Bar Association, where she assisted lower-income Jersey City residents and immigrants obtain adequate legal representation.

She holds a Master of Science in Business Analytics from Sacred Heart University and a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science, Business Law, and Francophone Studies from Saint Peter’s University.

Iman

Meditation Coach

Trained both in medicine as well as massage therapy, Iman has been privileged to work with Free Hearts Free Minds on a group level by creating meditation videos as well as leading group meditations.

She utilizes a myriad of healing frequency instruments to help others connect with their inner guidance and find their authentic self.