Hi there!

I’m Mansour Ahsan, currently based in Lahore, the cultural capital of Pakistan. Having lived in the Middle East—Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates—for thirty years, I moved back to Pakistan to be closer to my parents. I worked as an architect for ten years in Pakistan and then transitioned into my new career as a psychotherapist at forty, which was a life-changing experience.

I have established my private practice which is called Thrive Therapy, through which I get to meet more than 25 clients per week. Having accumulated over 3500+ clinical hours, one thing became very obvious to me: a large number of men and women have been sexually abused. What was even more disheartening was the large number of men who live with this secret of being sexually abused as a child, not wanting to disclose anything to anyone due to social stigma. I find myself privileged to be in a position where I can be there for them and help them process through the difficult experience of acknowledging and accepting the abuse.

I have made it a passion of mine to work with men to help them overcome the trauma of child sexual abuse, especially because I am a survivor myself. As a survivor myself, I understand the complexities of trauma and how deeply it can shape one's life. I have written a book about my experiences with sexual abuse, recovery and healing (yet to be published), and I know I bring a unique voice to thousands of men who identify not just as Pakistani but also as Muslim. I say 'unique' because there is no other book out there with the voice that I chose to speak out with.

Being part of the Powerful News blog allows me to contribute to a cause that is incredibly close to my heart. Together, I feel we can foster a community of support, hope, and resilience, helping trauma survivors reclaim their voices and their power. I hope to share perspectives from my own life and enlighten my readers on what it is like to live as a sexual abuse survivor in a society that usually frowns on such a difficult subject. I hope to create a dialogue and open that space up where people who live with this secrecy can see how it was never their fault and that healing is possible.

On a personal note, I love travelling, reading all sorts of books, being a movie buff and blogging on my blog, where I write my books and movie reviews. You will also find me as an adrenaline junkie, always up for an adventure! I live my life with one attitude: gratitude. In everything that I do, I carry with me an attitude of gratitude and give thanks for the littlest of things to the biggest of things. That is what brings me contentment and healing.

In gratitude,

Mansour Ahsan.

———

You can reach me at:

mansourahsan@gmail.com

Instagram: @attitudeofgratitudethememoir

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mansourahsan/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mansour-ahsan-rashid-3045407b/