Niku Sedarat

Niku Sedarat's life story began with a humorous "conviction" of grand theft hair, supposedly taken from her father at birth. Embracing her abundant hair, she learned to braid it under her grandmother's guidance. After her grandmother's death and her mother's depression, Niku taught herself braiding from YouTube, creating connections with others through this skill. This led to her founding Unité, an organization aimed at destigmatizing mental health and promoting emotional resilience in youth. Unité provides culturally competent resources and has reached a global audience, even allowing Niku to present at the Active Minds Mental Health Conference in Washington D.C. 

Academically, Niku's curiosity drove her research at Stanford University's Stice Lab, focusing on eating disorders and cognitive dissonance. This experience heightened her interest in youth psychopathology and the barriers to seeking psychological support. Inspired by the contradictions highlighted in media and literature, Niku explored cognitive dissonance, especially in the context of womanhood and societal expectations. 

Niku’s impact extends to her role as a mental health crisis counselor at the California Youth Crisis-Line. Through extensive training and empathetic support, she helps youth in crisis, providing them with coping mechanisms and fostering hope. Her work emphasizes the importance of connection and compassion in mental health care. 

Niku's leadership in mental health advocacy is also evident in her cultural initiatives. She draws inspiration from her Iranian heritage, celebrating unity and empathy through traditions. This cultural sensitivity informs her work at Unité, where she provides multilingual mental health resources and fosters a diverse, inclusive community. 

Overcoming personal challenges, including her grandmother's cancer and her mother's mental health struggles, Niku has become resilient and driven by a desire for unity. Her journey in psychology began with supporting her family and evolved into broader community leadership roles, such as delivering courses at the Center for Developing Minds and serving on the Executive Board of the Depression-Bipolar Support Alliance of California. 

Creativity and innovation are central to Niku’s approach. She authored "Up, Up, and Away We Let Them Go," a book that bridges cultural gaps by depicting an Iranian girl's mental health journey. This work, along with another psychoeducational book, underscores the universal nature of mental health struggles and promotes understanding and empathy across cultures. 

As the founder of Unité, Niku is dedicated to addressing the youth mental health crisis by providing psychoeducational resources and fostering resilience. Her organization reaches youth globally, emphasizing diversity and inclusivity. Through her advocacy, she has supported over 50,000 youth, aiming to eradicate mental health stigma and nurture a generation of resilient, emotionally healthy individuals.