MENAHAL BEGAWALA, LMHC

You're successful. Capable. The person others lean on.

And yet, there's this quiet ache that follows you — into your relationships, into your quietest moments, maybe even into the middle of a perfectly good day.

Maybe you find yourself drawn to people who can't quite meet you where you are. Or you shut down when things get too close. Or you work harder, achieve more, stay busier — and still feel like you're running from something you can't name.

If any of this resonates, you're not broken. And you're not alone.

What you may be experiencing are the long fingerprints of attachment trauma — the invisible wounds left behind when the people who were supposed to make you feel safe, seen, and loved... couldn't quite do that.

The good news? These wounds can heal. And that is exactly what I'm here to help you with.

I'm Menahal — licensed mental health counselor, founder of Haven Mental Health Counseling, and attachment trauma therapist based in Nassau County, New York.

I believe that relationships are at the core of who we are. As much as they can hurt us, they are also one of the most powerful forces for healing. We can't escape relationships in our lives — and when we try to, that isolation creates its own kind of pain. This truth is what drew me to attachment work, and it's what keeps me passionate about it.

I work with adults who are tired of repeating the same painful patterns — in love, in friendship, at work, and with themselves. People who grew up with parents who were emotionally unavailable, unpredictable, or simply unable to give them what they needed. People who have spent years wondering why they can't just feel okay, despite doing everything right on paper.

I'm especially drawn to the hope in this work. So many people carry the quiet belief that the past can't be changed — and they're right, it can't. But the way your nervous system holds that past? That can change. You can heal from wounds you didn't choose, and build the connections you've always longed for.

How We'll Work Together

Healing attachment trauma isn't about talking about your past — it's about working through it, in a way that reaches the parts of you that logic alone can't touch.

I draw from several powerful, evidence-based modalities that are specifically suited to deep emotional healing:

EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing)

I am trained in Attachment-Focused EMDR, which is designed specifically for relational and developmental trauma — not just single-event experiences. This approach helps your brain and body process old wounds so they lose their grip on your present.

Sensorimotor Psychotherapy

Trauma lives in the body as much as the mind. Sensorimotor Psychotherapy helps us work with the physical sensations, postures, and impulses that carry the imprint of past experiences — so healing happens at a deeper level than words alone can reach.

Parts Work

You may have heard of IFS (Internal Family Systems). I am trained in a closely related approach developed by trauma expert Janina Fisher, which works with the different "parts" of us — the protectors, the inner critic, the part that shuts down or lashes out — with curiosity and compassion rather than judgment. This work is especially powerful for people who feel at war with themselves.

Together, these approaches allow us to work with the whole of you — your mind, your body, your story — to create real, lasting change.

A Note on What I Believe

I don't think healing is about becoming a different person. I think it's about coming home to who you were always meant to be — before life taught you to protect yourself in ways that now hold you back.

I also believe you carry within you everything you need to heal. My role isn't to fix you. It's to walk alongside you as you uncover that capacity for yourself.

This work can be hard. It asks for courage and honesty. But it is some of the most meaningful work a person can do — and I am honored to be a part of it.

If you're ready to stop running the same old patterns and start building the connections — with yourself and others — that you've always wanted, I'd love to hear from you.

LET'S GET STARTED!

Currently accepting new individual therapy clients. Serving adults in Manhattan, Queens, Nassau County, Suffolk County, and online across New York State.

Training & Credentials

  • Licensed Mental Health Counselor (LMHC) — New York

  • Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) — New Jersey & Texas

  • Certified in EMDR, with advanced training in Attachment-Focused EMDR

  • Certified in Sensorimotor Psychotherapy

  • Trained in Trauma-Informed Parts Work (Janina Fisher's TIST model)

  • Trained in Gottman Method and Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT) for couples

  • Author of the Islamic Reference Guide for the Gottman Method, published by The Gottman Institute — a companion to the NYT bestseller The Seven Principles for Making Marriage Work

  • Over a decade of clinical experience, including work in mental health and substance abuse treatment settings