Mahnaz Farhadi is an Executive Function Coach at the Orchid Center, specializing in college students and adults with ADHD.  Prior to joining the team at Orchid, Mahnaz practiced as a licensed Speech & Language Pathologist in two New York City high schools for almost a decade. During her tenure in New York, Mahnaz was the head of the speech department for both schools working closely with the special education team as well as general education teachers in order to best serve her students with a collaborative team approach both inside and outside of the classroom. Her caseload of 35+ students presented with learning disabilities of varying forms, many of whom also struggled with executive function skills. Together with her students, Mahnaz would assess and formulate individualized goals to address their specific needs. With a firm belief in highlighting strengths as a foundation off of which to build new skills, Mahnaz took pride in being a student fan and student advocate. 

Outside of the classroom, Mahnaz founded the Meditation and Mindfulness Club with the aim of fostering self-reflection, mindfulness, and awareness to empower students with tangible skills to tackle everyday academic and interpersonal life challenges. Throughout her career, she has worked across a variety of settings (clinical to private practice) and a variety of age groups (school-aged children to adults). 

Mahnaz received her Bachelor’s degree at Syracuse University in both Communication Sciences & Disorders (speech-language therapy) as well as Public Relations. She also received her Master’s degree in Communication Sciences & Disorders from New York University. Mahnaz has a deep passion to help students of all ages and abilities discover the best version of themselves. She is deeply invested in the success of her students and values watching them grow in both skills and confidence.