Maryam Cheema is the founder and director of ZehnSaaz, a mental health and wellbeing space born out of a deeply personal and professional realisation: that many existing therapeutic models do not fully account for culture, context, and the ways people live between individuality and collectivity.

Through years of working across England, Europe and SouthAsia, Maryam observed how conversations around mental health are often shaped by Western, individual-centred frameworks. While valuable, these approaches can overlook the realities of people whose identities are shaped by family systems, community responsibility, interdependence, migration, and layered cultural belonging. ZehnSaaz emerged as a response to this gap,  a space where inner lives are understood not in isolation, but in relation to culture, history, creativity, and lived experience.

Maryam’s work is guided by a simple belief: healing begins when people feel safe enough to be honest with themselves, and supported enough to explore what comes next. She works relationally and reflectively, creating spaces where individuals can slow down, make meaning of their experiences, and reconnect with themselves in ways that feel authentic, grounded, and sustainable.

Her approach honours both individual and collectivist worldviews, recognising that wellbeing is shaped not only by personal narratives, but also by family dynamics, social structures, and cultural expectations. Rather than offering quick fixes, Maryam emphasises curiosity, presence, and thoughtful exploration, allowing growth to unfold at its own pace.

At ZehnSaaz, Maryam leads with care and intention, shaping a practice that values humanity over perfection, depth over performance, and understanding over assumption. Her work sits at the intersection of mental health, creativity, identity, and social context, holding space for complexity with compassion and integrity.