Aliya Haeri - An Unlikely Path to Liberation

Sufi master Aliya Haeri is the director of the Academy of Self Knowledge in South Africa, an organization dedicated to bringing the universal teachings of Sufism to the daily lives of people around the world. She has more than twenty-five years of experience as a spiritual teacher, mentor, and counselor, conducting workshops throughout the United States, Europe, South Africa, and Pakistan. She is married to the renowned Sufi master Shaykh Fadhlalla Haeri.

Haeri's earlier work experience includes biomedical research into psychic phenomena, healing by prayer, and dream research. A professional member of the Association of Transpersonal Psychology in the U.S., Haeri has developed innovative approaches to psychotherapy and relationship counseling that focus on soul development over problem diagnosis. Haeri has also worked in media as an associate producer of award-winning TV documentaries on spirituality and religion. She has been interviewed on numerous media outlets, including the BBC and the Times. Haeri is a frequent speaker on women’s issues, Islam, and spirituality, and has addressed conferences at the London School of Economics, University of Chicago, and the United Nations Year of the Woman Seminar. Born and raised in Hawaii, she has a B.A. in philosophy from New York University and an M.A. in psychology from the Postgraduate Institute of Transpersonal Psychology. Haeri is currently completing her Ph.D. in psychology and writing a book on spiritual transformation and healing.