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Shahrzad “Mushi” Rafiee (she/her)
AMFT
Shahrzad, who goes by “Mushi” has practiced emergency medicine for 28 years before completing her training as a Marriage and Family Therapist. She now provides therapy for physicians and other healthcare professionals, as well as their partners, children, adolescents, and families.
Her work focuses on the emotional and relational impact of healthcare careers—burnout versus moral injury, cumulative stress, secondary trauma, identity strain, and the ways clinical work shapes marriages and family systems over time. Many of the individuals and families she work with are highly capable and outwardly functioning well, yet recognize that something no longer feels sustainable.
Mushi’s approach is pragmatic, systems-oriented, and informed by both lived experience in medicine and formal training in marriage and family therapy. She works in a way that respects healthcare culture: long hours, disruptive schedules, litigation threat, responsibility, and exposure to suffering. Therapy is not about pathologizing understandable responses to difficult environments, but about creating space to think clearly, feel safely, and make intentional changes—individually and within relationships.
Confidentiality, discretion, and professional respect are central to her work. Reaching out for support in healthcare often happens quietly. Mushi aims to meet that step with care, clarity, and respect.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is this therapy only for physicians?
No. While my background is in medicine and much of my work focuses on physicians, I work with healthcare professionals across disciplines—including PAs, NPs, nurses, and allied clinical staff—as well as their partners, children/adolescents, and family members.
Do you work with couples and families, or only individuals?
I work with individuals, couples, children/adolescents, and families. As a marriage and family therapist, I view concerns within the broader context of relationships, work environments, and family systems.
What if the person seeking therapy is not the healthcare worker?
That is very common. I frequently work with partners and family members of healthcare professionals who are affected by the demands of clinical work. Supporting the family system often benefits everyone involved.
Do I need to be in crisis to reach out?
No. Many people seek therapy when things are still functioning on the surface but no longer feel sustainable. Early conversations often help prevent deeper distress later.