Dr. Sameera Ahmed is the Founder of The Family & Youth Institute (The FYI), where she served as Executive Director from 2006 to 2019. A licensed clinical psychologist specializing in couples and spiritually integrated psychotherapy, Dr. Ahmed has over 25 years of experience supporting Muslim youth, families, and communities. Her research focuses on positive youth development, qualitative methods, and community-based interventions designed to strengthen Muslim families and promote mental health.

She is the co-editor of Counseling Muslims: Handbook of Mental Health Issues and Interventions and co-author of Uplifting Black Muslim Youth, as well as numerous influential publications, including The State of American Muslim Youth and Muslim Youth Risk Factors. Dr. Ahmed has presented at the White House, Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), and the Department of Education (DOE). She is regularly invited to international academic conferences, sharing research on Muslim adolescent mental health, family dynamics, and faith-based interventions.

With over 30 years of community leadership, she has served as Vice President of the Muslim Students Association of the U.S. and Canada, as a board member of the Muslim American Society (MAS) and is a regular speaker at MAS, ICNA, and ISNA conventions.

Dr. Ahmed holds a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology and advanced training in Emotionally Focused Couples Therapy, and programs such as PREP, Prepare/Enrich, and the Search Institute’s Asset Building framework. Featured in The New York Times, The Washington Post, and The Atlantic, she translates research into practical, faith-rooted tools that help Muslim families thrive spiritually, emotionally, and relationally.