Afarin Rajaei, Ph.D., LMFT, MedFT
Pronouns: She/Her/Hers
Director, AAMFT-approved Clinical Supervisor & Associate Professor
Marriage and Family Therapy
Department of Counseling and School Psychology
SDSU
Bio
Dr. Afarin Rajaei is a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, an AAMFT Approved Supervisor, and Associate Professor in the Department of Counseling and School Psychology at San Diego State University, where she also serves as the Director of the Marriage and Family Therapy Program. Her academic journey began with a Bachelor's and Master's in Clinical Psychology, followed by a post-master’s certificate in Marriage and Family Therapy from Antioch University. She earned her PhD in Medical Family Therapy from East Carolina University, where she specialized in systemic, integrative, and collaborative approaches to health and relational well-being.
Dr. Rajaei’s clinical and scholarly work focuses on relational ethics, culturally responsive care, trauma-informed practices, and interdisciplinary collaboration. She is passionate about developing Medical Family Therapy certificate programs and successfully led such initiatives prior to joining SDSU. Her research explores the intersections of gender, trauma, identity, and systemic care, as well as the ethical integration of artificial intelligence in mental health education and practice. In 2024, she received the Early Career Award from the Collaborative Family Healthcare Association (CFHA).
She currently serves as Associate Editor for the International Journal of Systemic Therapy and is a member of the advisory board for a Telehealth Institute. Dr. Rajaei is also a regular speaker for national organizations, including the Association of Marriage and Family Therapy Regulatory Boards (AMFTRB), where she presents on the clinical and educational implications of emerging technologies such as AI.
She is the author of Navigating Life’s Triangle: Embracing Life Through Validation, Acceptance, and Growth, a book designed to help individuals move through life’s challenges with purpose and emotional clarity. She is also the creator of Match Me If You Can, an educational relationship game designed to support relationships in building deeper emotional connection and communication skills. In addition to her academic and clinical work, Dr. Rajaei advocates for mental health and systemic thinking through her public Instagram platform, where she engages over 140,000 followers in conversations about emotional wellness, relationships, and social change.
Having lived in different cultural contexts, Dr. Rajaei brings a global perspective to her work in teaching, research, supervision, and leadership. Outside of her professional life, she enjoys poetry, traveling, watching movies, spending time in nature, connecting with friends, and exploring the intersections of art, healing, and storytelling. She lives with her husband and their beloved poodle, Joy, who truly lives up to her name.