A Chat with FTCC Founders Thoraya and Rasha Alkasab

What inspired you to set up Farah Therapy & Coaching Centre?

Thoraya: What inspired us was Farah! Farah was our sister who we sadly lost in 2017. For those who didn’t know her, she was loving, kind and absolutely hilarious! Farah was a devoted wife and mother to her children. She was also a true artist. Farah was imaginative and creative, and it was lovely to watch her paint her emotions and experiences onto the canvases.  Farah loved the human spirit and fostered the potential of the people around her. The Farah Therapy & Coaching Centre is our response to that, and we hope it channels Farah’s wonderful energy in the world now that she is no longer with us.

Rasha: We processed the bereavement in our own ways, and then felt we wanted to work together to help and support others in the same way during their own struggles. In many ways we have found a lot of direction in grief and now feel that things are taking shape again, after a very painful and difficult time for both of us, and our family.  I think we have learned a lot through the suffering and I think it has led us to where we are now with FTCC and we are proud of that.

What’s it like, working together as sisters?

Rasha: It’s an adventure! We are also neighbours, and Thoraya is an amazing aunt to my kids… so we see each other a lot for both family and professional reasons, which is a nice mix. We can remote work when it suits us, and meet for business reasons whenever we want to or need to. That keeps things fresh and creative. It’s also a good opportunity for us to spend more time together, which we have enjoyed after everything that has happened.

Thoraya: I think Rasha and I complement each other’s work very well. I am more introverted and she is more outgoing, however that also switches and dovetails. We come from a close family and also an entrepreneurial family, and as such it feels natural to us to do something like this together. It makes me happy that we’ve found something that builds on those things through something we also feel passionate about.

Thoraya, what are the qualities in Rasha’s personality that would make you recommend her as a coach?

Rasha is sharp, positive, and strong. She’s great at seeing the bright side of life and talented at helping others to do the same…  and at the same time, she’s not afraid of discussing and processing the dark side - in herself or others. Rasha is a loving person who’s trustworthy and loyal. She almost always knows what she wants from life, and nothing can stop her from achieving her goals. This mirrors her way of being with other people around her; she will go the extra mile to help others with their needs and if she can’t fix it herself, she finds a way through.

And Rasha, what makes Thoraya a great therapist you would recommend, and why?

I think Thoraya was destined to be a psychotherapist because she has always been a great listener - she’s easy to talk to and very patient. Over time these qualities have supported a real understanding in her of the human condition. She is naturally inclusive, and one of her innate qualities is sensitivity to each individual situation. Other than that, Thoraya is transparent, reflective and has grown into a powerful woman. I can’t recommend her enough!

Does your work focus on specific areas?

Thoraya: I trained in an integrative course, but my approach to therapy is Existential -phenomenological. The approach uses philosophy to ask the question; what does it mean to be human? Working existentially has felt creative and imaginative, almost artistic. It is also based on trust, and on clients having the time and space they need to open up and develop within the therapeutic relationship. Unlike other therapies where the approach is more directive, I work alongside my clients in finding their own way of being with others and in the world according to their own values and beliefs.  Moreover, since we all come from different walks of life, what might be a suitable approach to one client may not be to another. Thus, I draw on different modalities of therapy such as psychodynamic and person-centred therapy whenever I feel they might benefit my clients.

Rasha: Coaching spans many different areas of life but rather than starting in the feelings and emotions, there tends to be a more goal-focussed objective to the work I do. You could benefit from a life coach if you are feeling stuck and unable to move forward in a certain aspect of your life. Parenting, business, relationships and physical health and well-being are all big elements of the work. Bereavement and divorce can also feature, and I bring my own unique experiences to these areas as they have featured in my own life.

More soon from the FTCC team!