South Asian Americans For Change

What stories do we carry with us? ❤️📚 Join @saaforchange for Stories Between Us: Creativity, Identity, and Belonging an interactive evening of storytelling, reflection, and collaborative art inspired by Our Missing Hearts by Celeste Ng. @pronounced_ing Facilitated by Sukanya (SAAFC Special Events) & Nidhi (SAAFC Education Team, mental health professional), this workshop will explore identity, family, belonging, and mental health through conversation and creativity, including a collective community art piece made from shared reflections, poems, drawings, and stories. Participants can expect a discussion around a selected passage from the book, followed by an interactive creative exercise and group reflection ✨ At SAAFC, art and storytelling are one of the biggest ways we create connection and break mental health stigma in our community. Stories remind us we’re not alone. No art experience needed, just come as you are. Register at the link in bio. First 25 registrants receive a free copy of the book! 🗓️ Monday, May 18 ⏰ 6:30–8:00 PM 📍 Skyline Room at the Free Library of Philadelphia Parkway Central @freelibraryfdn 🍵 Indian snacks & beverages provided

Join us for our Third Annual May Mental Health Walk! 🧠💛 In honor of AAPI Heritage Month and Mental Health Awareness Month, we’re gathering on Thursday, May 28 at 6:30 PM to move, connect, and support our well-being-together. 📍Meet us at Rittenhouse Square - swipe for the route! 👟Bring your friends, pets, and good vibes 🚶🏽‍♀️Let’s cover some ground-literally and in support of mental health. We’re doing this walk to support each other and our mental health-because showing up for one another is the only way forward. Let’s walk in community, with compassion. We can’t wait to walk with you!! ☀️

Join us on May 18th at 6:30pm for our One Book, One Philadelphia event Stories Between Us: Creativity, Identity, and Belonging with the South Asian Americans for change. This interactive workshop invites participants to explore identity, belonging, family, and intergenerational connection through storytelling, discussion, and collaborative art-making. 🗓️: May 18th ⏰: 6:30pm 📍: Parkway Central Library, Skyline Room Save your spot! Link in bio. #OneBookOnePhiladelphia #FreeLibrary #CelesteNg #FreeLibraryFoundation

What a SUMMIT! I’ve been thinking a lot about the panel workshop on “3 Generations, 1 Conversation” at the @saaforchange Healing Through Art Summit. The panel brought together voices from 3 generations to explore mental health, family expectations, and cultural identity in the South Asian diaspora— blending a history lesson, lived experiences, and a growing openness to understand one another, while sharing practical tools to navigate it all without losing the values that ground us. So many people shared how deeply they relate to challenging dynamics and relationships within their families- parents, siblings, in laws, kids —and how much that can impact mental health and the feeling of emotional safety at home. (I know this too well too!) It’s clear there is still so much work to be done to normalize and bring awareness around mental health and intergenerational family dynamics. But the Summit left us all feeling hopeful. There were many generations in the room—showing up, listening, reflecting, and wanting to be part of the change for our future generations. That meant a LOT! (Note to self for next year to bring my parents!) Absolutely love the healing and reflection that was happening during the Summit. Thank you to Surbhi @healing_lotus_mental_health for moderating this session so craftfully (not an easy task!), and to the volunteer team @barbelletash @deeeepali @rootandrisetherapy_ , and my copanelists Rohan and Parantap @parantappandya for your insights. I genuinely learned so much from both of you. And wow- @saaforchange . You all are doing incredible and impactful work. Curious to hear from you:
Is there a conversation you wish you had in your family? What would that have looked like? What does intergenerational healing look like in your life? Swipe to see some conversation starters, save it for later and share it with someone you want to have this with (a parent, sibling or spouse). Sometimes we do need to heal backward… to move forward 💛

Turn intention into action 💛 At our Summit, many of you signed up to be part of the Raj Mehta Day of Good and now we’re inviting our broader community to join in. On April 15, take a moment to do something good in whatever way feels meaningful to you. Reach out to someone you love Give back to a cause you care about Show up for your community in a small or big way No action is too small. What matters is intention. You can sign up at /2026 Swipe for ideas and organizations to get started. If you take part, tag @saaforchange and @rmdayofgood so we can uplift your impact. Let’s do some good, together.

We’re still sitting with how special this day was 🤍 Our Healing Through Art Summit was more than an event, it was a space for honesty, storytelling, creativity, and connection. To everyone who showed up with openness and care: thank you!! You made this what it was ✨ Moments like these remind us why this work matters and how powerful it is to come together as a community. If you attended, keep an eye on your email for our post-event survey. Your reflections truly help shape what we build next! 📝 Here’s a glimpse into a day we won’t forget ✨ Videography and photography by the ever so talented: @jamiestowphotography and @zoey.koester #HealingThroughArt #SouthAsianMentalHealth #CommunityHealing #ArtAsHealing #PhiladelphiaEvents MentalHealthMatters

I’m still taking in the pinch-me moments from last week’s Mental Health Summit hosted by @saaforchange who gave me this year’s award in Education ✨ I shared some of my personal journey in our panel dialogue on “Dreaming in Uncertain Times”, where I spoke about feeling aligned with our values and sense of purpose. One of my favorite quotes comes from @iambrillyant who says “to be so deep in alignment with your purpose that your dreams start to chase you, this is the goal.” I have been doing this work for a long time, but I am a student for life, forever learning and growing. It is a privilege to do this for a living, and I am so excited to bring you my book “The South Asian Guide to Healing: Breaking the Cycles of Trauma” in 2027. 📸 @jamiestowphotography I’m a clinical psychologist helping people like you feel empowered about their mental health. To learn more, follow along @dr.ammarakhalid for free resources and see link in bio. (Disclaimer: IG is not therapy. Information may not apply to everyone) _____________________ #riapsych #drammarakhalid #clinicalpsychologist #dreambig #purpose

SAAFC Artist Award 2026 🏆 Grateful to South Asian Americans for Change (@saaforchange ) for the recognition. Desi Hip Hop, identity, mental health, butter chicken — all part of the journey. Building a विरासत. And thank you for having me on the “Dreaming in Uncertain Times” panel. #DesiHipHop #Umreeki #ButterChickenGang

This is what a room full of green flags looks like 💚 This is what it feels like. Safe. Vulnerable. Seen and understood—without needing to say much. Wow. I had the privilege of attending the Healing Through Arts Summit + Gala hosted by South Asian Americans for Change—and what a powerful experience it was! I also had the honor of moderating a panel on intergenerational conversations across three South Asian generations… the depth, honesty, and healing in that room is something I’ll carry with me for a long time. From connecting with incredible local vendors (many of whom are now friends 🤍) to being reminded—always support your small businesses!—this space felt like true community. What sets @saaforchange apart is how they center mental health through arts, community, and education—making conversations more accessible, creative, and deeply human. It was so inspiring to witness @dr.ammarakhalid being honored for her trailblazing work in mental health, and Aruna Rao or shall I say “Aunty Aruna” from @desirainbowparents for her incredible impact in building community in the South Asian LGBTQIA+ community. Truly an honor to be in their presence. And @sahajkohli keynote… 🔥 “Shrinking makes you fit in, but boundaries allow you to expand.” A line that stayed with me as she shared her journey and spoke so powerfully about boundaries and mental health in our community. If you haven’t already, please read @browngirltherapy ‘s book “But What Will People Say?” Ending the night dancing with friends, fellow therapists, and friends who feel like family—a reminder that we can never have enough South Asian therapists in this world. Sold out summit. Sold out gala. Full hearts. 💚💚💚 Already counting down to next year ✨ 📸 @jamiestowphotography 📸 @zoey.koester

Grateful to be in the presence of these fine folks. 🙏🏼 Thank you so much for the opportunity to participate and volunteer with you all🙏🏼 @saaforchange

What an honor to be a part of this year’s Healing Through the Arts Gala hosted by @saaforchange ✨ When I entered the field of psychology as a grad student 20 years ago, I didn’t see any thing like this organization or people who looked like me in these roles. Being at the Gala was so uplifting, especially during times like these. The keynote speaker @sahajkohli from @browngirltherapy was inspiring, reminding us that South Asians are not taught how to name anxiety, depression and other mental health challenges and how we need to break the stigma of “but what will people say” to voice our truths. Award winning rapper @itsumreeki brought the Delhi flavor to the music and brought his dreams to life as he dropped the beats. We came together in community to have meaningful conversations, celebrate each other’s successes, and share the joy of being brown and proud! Hats off to the entire leadership team and volunteers at SAA for Change who made this evening possible! #changemakers #southasian #galanight

What. A. Weekend. I was so honored to be this year’s recipient for the @saaforchange Education Award in Philadelphia. We had a wonderful panel discussion on “Dreaming in Uncertain Times” with my fellow South Asian awardees in Community @desirainbowparents and Art @itsumreeki I want to share something I didn’t get to at the summit because we were out of time, but it feels important. In October of 2016, I had a vivid dream about a river, I have no idea where it was but I just remember that it stayed with me along with the word “ria” - I woke up and looked up the word, which turns out is a geological term referring to a drowned river valley that opens into the sea. It felt significant. I loved it so much I decided if I was ever going to have a daughter, I would name her Ria. Two months later I met the love of my life, got remarried, had two boys (both got R names!) and in 2023, I left the group practice I had co-founded in 2012 and launched RIA - Rediscover Interconnected Awareness 🌊 My dream of having Ria came true through different channels than I originally expected. I spoke at this Mental Health summit about getting comfortable with taking risks, making mistakes, and tolerating anxiety. All are key in finding our path to making our dreams come true. Especially when we’re struggling with heaviness and hopelessness—being aligned with our core values and purpose can help us see the glimmer of light that lies ahead. If you’re at a cross roads or holding on to a dream, what’s keeping you from taking that leap of faith? Share below ⬇️ I’m a clinical psychologist helping people like you feel empowered about their mental health. To learn more, follow along @dr.ammarakhalid for free resources and see link in bio. (Disclaimer: IG is not therapy. Information may not apply to everyone) Outfit from @wearmanto _______________________ #riapsych #drammarakhalid #dreamscometrue