The Home for Healing Rooted in Integrity, Authenticity, Radical Acceptance, and Courage

Complementary Intellectual Dating Workbook

Psychology Tools for High Achievers

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Mastaneh (Masti) Lashkari, Founder of The Psychology Projects | Analytical Psychotherapy

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Read the Purpose

Raw and Analytical Articles

Guiding you back to your inner light

Masti’s Works

The Psychology Projects

A multi-platform series by Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist, Masti Lashkari — exposing harmful therapy narratives and replacing misinformation with raw, researched truth for the misled, mislabeled, and misunderstood.

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The Journals Edits

Through real-life stories, raw reflections, and bold insights, Masti dives deep into the shared human experience — exploring how ideas and pain take shape, how perspectives shift, and how our stories connect us back to ourselves.

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The Pillars

The Pillars are what we stand for. Integrity, Authenticity, Radical Acceptance, and the Courage to Rise. They are the foundation of this work and the promise behind everything we share.

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“From my heart and mind to your Soul, elevating your thoughts in ways you never thought possible.”

— Masti

Therapy with Masti

The Psychology Projects

Featured

Why Your IQ Can’t Solve Your Trauma

Trauma is widely misunderstood—even among professionals.

This series breaks down what trauma is, why IQ has nothing to do with healing, and why it’s ultimately about capacity.

Advice Is Not Therapy: The Iranian Dr. Phil Problem

A trauma-informed breakdown of a public advice call, examining how authority, cultural blind spots, and psychological misattunement can cause real harm—especially when women seek help after domestic abuse.

The Psychology Of Vision Boards

We think vision boards create change, but often our psyche resists. Masti Lashkari, LMFT, explores why your "conscious wish" often clashes with deep-rooted unconscious resistance. If you're tired of setting intentions only to burn out, it's time to understand what actually needs to shift inside first.

The Psychology of Patterns

Patterns aren't just habits; they are the emotional and psychological structures formed early in life that dictate how we love and react. Masti breaks down why we find ourselves repeating the same relationship dynamics and career paths, offering a path toward conscious awareness and real change.

Dating as a Two-Way Emotional System

Dating isn't just about two people; it's the interaction of two complex, unconscious emotional worlds. Masti explores why intimacy can trigger fear or a "run" response in the nervous system, and how being emotionally capable of staying is the key to a healthy, lasting connection.

Say Goodbye to EMDR

Traditional trauma work can often feel like a forced entry, but the Capacity Method offers a gentler path. This nervous system-led approach, developed by Masti Lashkari, focuses on building your internal ability to feel, process, and release without overwhelming force. By prioritizing timing over pressure, we ensure that no trauma is reopened before your system is truly ready to hold it, allowing for healing that feels safe and sustainable.

The Psychology of Self Trust

Self-trust is often mistaken for confidence, but it is actually a reflection of how safe we feel within our own nervous systems. Masti Lashkari, LMFT, dives into why we struggle to trust our decisions and how to rebuild that internal bond by listening to the body’s cues. Instead of forcing certainty, learn how to cultivate a foundation of internal safety that allows you to rely on yourself, even in the face of the unknown.

The Psychology of Toxic Dating

Modern culture has transformed dating from a human connection into a performance, replacing emotional reality with perfectionist expectations. In this article, Masti Lashkari, LMFT, explores how we’ve traded genuine discernment for constant surveillance and an obsession with "red flags." Learn how to dismantle these societal distortions and return to a grounded, authentic way of relating that prioritizes true emotional safety over curated perfection.

The Psychology of Trust: How It Forms and Why It Fails

Trust isn’t just a feeling—it is a complex psychological process built on the foundations of safety, consistency, and shared experience. Masti Lashkari, LMFT, breaks down the neurological mechanics of how trust develops in the brain and why so many relationships collapse before that foundation is fully formed. Discover the essential dynamics of emotional safety, from the initial connection to the vital cycle of rupture and repair.

The Psychology of Dating: Why Testing People Is an Intimacy Issue

Many believe that "testing" a partner is a form of discernment, but it is often a defense mechanism rooted in avoided intimacy. Masti Lashkari, LMFT, breaks down the psychological mechanisms behind relational surveillance, control, and emotional withholding. By learning to stop confusing protection with connection, you can recalibrate your approach and discover what real safety looks like when two nervous systems truly meet.