Influential Woman · Human services

Isma Azeem

Counselor IV, Midwestern Connecticut Council of Alcoholism

Danbury, CT

Certifications · Degrees · Memberships

Degree Bachelor's in Clinical Psychology Degree University of Karachi Degree Pakistan Degree Master's in Human Services and Counseling Degree Capella University Cert License in addiction services Cert License in professional counseling

Her Story

About Isma

I work as a counselor and therapist in an inpatient facility in Connecticut, providing services to people in addiction recovery and those struggling with mental health. As soon as I walk in, clients want to see me - I handle their court cases, send letters stating they're in treatment programs, and respond to crises like panic attacks and anxiety. Every day involves crisis intervention, encouraging and motivating clients about how important treatment is for them. I also feel the guilt of taking a day off, knowing that if I'm not there, my clients could feel a certain way or leave treatment, wondering what could go wrong in their lives. Additionally, I work part-time with supportive care at nursing homes on Fridays for two to three hours doing talk therapy. I've been in this field for four to five years, and it's been amazing with ups and downs. It's challenging being a mom of three and transitioning into a new country with new people while providing these critical services. If you had asked me five years ago, I would have said I don't see myself doing public speaking or talking to people, but I've come so far that I can now do group interventions, group therapies, individual counseling, and crisis intervention - things I never thought I could do.

Her Interview

Ten minutes with Isma

01What do you attribute your success to?

I think my success is attributed to my children. I really want them to see that mom never gave up, no matter what the challenges were. My success is them. My success is being where I am right now as a mother. My success is that my kids understand my profession, my kids respect my profession. My kids, who are aged 10, 8, and 2, now have this idea that mom is in the field of providing services to people. Mommy helps people, so I think that's success for me.

02What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?

My director here at MCCU tells me that if you're doing everything morally right, ethically right, and you can sleep at peace at night knowing that you have done nothing wrong, that's when you know you are doing the right thing. So every time I have to make any decision in my career, I ask myself, is it morally right? Is it ethically right? Is it going to cause somebody harm? And if the answer is no, I go with it.

03What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?

I work with interns here, and in this field you're going to come across a lot of females and women, and my advice to them is you are - and I tell my daughter this same thing - you can do so much more than you think. You can do so much more than you think. You are capable of so much more than you think. Every woman on this planet, I feel like, if you have an opportunity, you can do so much. If you do not have an opportunity, you have the opportunity to create an opportunity. I tell them, I give you a gem, I believe you can create a diamond.

04What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?

The challenges that I face in my industry are that I feel like there's not a lot more pay. In terms of doing the job, I think this job should be as valued as other jobs, other professions, because this is equally important. Like, addiction and mental health, I feel like there should be more pay, more incentives. The other challenges are the stigma of addiction - not just for the clients who I work with, but even for people who are working in the field, there is a stigma. There is still stigma about mental health, which I would say has somewhat improved. I feel like if I say I'm burning out, I would be considered weak as a professional. So yes, I feel like that's still a challenge for me.

05What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?

The values that I follow in my professional and personal life are being kind and having more acceptance of people for who they are, regardless of their journey. This is something I want for myself, and I want for others to accept them no matter which part of life they're coming from or where they are at in their lives right now today. Just accept them for who they are and be kind, because nobody wears their disorders, whether it's anxiety, depression, PTSD, or trauma. You don't know what somebody's going through, so just being kind.

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