Abdullah Salman, LLMSW

Biography

Abdullah grew up in a culture that didn’t value mental health, so he knows that going to therapy can be difficult, and even scary, for many people. This helps him understand why it can be a struggle to ask for help.. He began his career in clinical social work because he understood that mental health was integral to improving people’s lives and conditions. He believes everyone has their own story and reasons for getting therapy, and they deserve to be heard.

Abdullah believes that the basis for successful counseling is developing a relationship centered on trust. He provides a comfortable environment where clients can be themselves, say what’s on their mind, and explore different ways of interacting with challenges in their lives. Abdullah has learned that, by acting as a guide for clients, he allows them to discover new ways to make change in their life and gives them new tools to handle new challenges, even after therapy. These tools include finding new behaviors for dealing with habits we don’t like, changing the habitual ways we interact with the people in our lives, or even changing the way we look at ourselves. Abudulah also recognizes that changes such as these fit within a person’s current situation and recognizing that solutions need to both incorporate and respect a client’s cultural background.

Abdullah graduated from the University of Michigan with a Bachelor’s in Psychology. He continued his education to receive his Masters in Social Work from Wayne State University. Prior to starting with Red Cedar Counseling he worked in Detroit Public Schools where he addressed the mental health challenges of students. In his spare time, Abdullah enjoys playing basketball, gaming and spending time with his family.