The Six Degrees Podcast

In this episode, we're joined by Mohammad Al Kayani, a respected UK-based Islamic teacher (Ustadh) who provides leadership and strategic oversight to Roots Academy. We were lucky to have him on the podcast while he was visiting Australia. We live in a time where people are more connected than ever, yet lonelier, more emotionally exhausted, and more spiritually numb than ever – unsure of how to...

In this episode, we're joined by Hajer Jemai, who shares her lived experience of living with Myasthenia Gravis – a rare autoimmune condition affecting around 1% of the population, where the immune system disrupts the signals between nerves and muscles, causing muscle weakness that can affect movement, speech, swallowing, and even breathing. Hajer takes us through her journey to diagnosis, the expe...

In this episode, we're joined by our guests Yasmeen El-Shawy and Ibrahim Nasser – who share their lived experience of living with a disability. In this episode, Ibrahim shares with us his world view of living with the rare disability of an absence of a corpus callosum (integral to how the brain processes thoughts, sensations, and movement). We then delve into Yasmeen, an Egyptian-Australian gr...

Dr. Samah Jabr is a Palestinian consultant psychiatrist, author and human rights advocate from East Jerusalem and the West Bank, and former Head of the Mental Health Unit at the Palestinian Ministry of Health. In this conversation. In this episode, Dr Samah speaks to the pressure on us to self-eliminate, to shrink, to stay silent about what we witness. Why silence in the face of power is never neu...

In this episode, we sit down with Ameen Soliman - community leader and mentor - as he reflects on the grief of losing his father and what it truly means to surrender to Allah (SWT). Through personal reflections and raw honesty, Ameen shares how grief shaped his understanding of tawakkul: trusting in Allah not just in ease, but in life’s hardest, most uncertain moments. He speaks about navigating d...

In this episode, hosts Hana and Ahmed sit down with Hiba Adam - student, organiser, and advocate. Hiba shares her family’s story of fleeing Libya during the Arab Spring and rebuilding life in Australia as a refugee. From carrying the weight of multiple identities - Muslim, Black, refugee, woman - to navigating expectations placed upon her by different communities, Hiba reflects on the personal and...

Hosted by Hana and Ahmed, this episode features Heba Moubarak - a maternal and child health nurse, and a mother navigating the silent heaviness of postnatal depression. Heba shares her raw, deeply personal journey through early motherhood - the emotional numbness, the guilt, and the pressure to hold it all together. From silent tears to intrusive thoughts, she speaks openly about the mental load t...

What happens after someone embraces Islam? In this episode, Josh - founder of Convert Collective - shares his powerful journey of hiding his faith, navigating community isolation, and the emotional realities of being a Muslim convert in the West. We discuss the spiritual highs, the burnout, and the friendships that helped him hold on. Hosted by Hana (Psychologist) and Ahmed (Community Organiser),...

In this episode, hosts Hana (Psychologist) and Ahmed (Community Organiser) sit down with Dr. Yassir Morsi - academic, writer, and provisional psychologist. Together, they explore the complexities of Arab Muslim identity in the West: how masculinity, vulnerability, and language shape the mental health journey, and what it means to navigate belonging in a world that constantly sees you as an outside...

The Six Degrees Podcast is dedicated to amplifying the diverse voices within our Muslim community who have lived experiences with mental health. Through heartfelt stories and unique lessons, our guests openly share their personal journeys, to create understanding and connection. We also invite esteemed scholars and community leaders to provide their insights on mental health and Islamic psychology...

Sh Wael Ibrahim, founder of the Aware Academy, is a certified Master Life Coach, author, and counsellor at the Australian Islamic College in Perth. Through his work, he focuses on helping individuals overcome challenges like pornography addiction and other harmful habits using faith-based and practical approaches. In this episode, Wael discusses the nature of addiction, its impact on the brain, an...

The Six Degrees Podcast is dedicated to amplifying the diverse voices within our Muslim community who have lived experiences with mental health. Through heartfelt stories and unique lessons, our guests openly share their personal journeys, to create understanding and connection. We also invite esteemed scholars and community leaders to provide their insights on mental health and Islamic psychology...

In our second episode where we are joined with Muntasser. Muntasser Al Habsi is an emergency doctor working in Victoria. Originally from Oman, he is a passionate and active member of the community. He has a long history of working in various Muslim organizations, from his early days within the Islamic Society and has studied at Al Salaam Institute and the Melbourne Muslim Seminary. Muntasser has a...

In our first episode, we hope you will join us for a dynamic conversation with Eman Allouche, a qualified naturopath, nutritionist and herbalist working in the natural medicine industry for over 5 years. She has a special interest in ADHD, particularly after navigating her own diagnosis in 2020. Within this episode, we explore the unique challenges faced by women with ADHD, and Eman shares her per...