Raised in Azerbaijan, where over 96 percent of the population is Muslim, Shirin Kazimov Psy.D. ’19 thinks about “soul care” for people living in post-Soviet states.
Wheaton College Graduate School
His desire to be a psychologist who can integrate his Christian faith with psychological science led him to Wheaton’s Psy.D. program.
“I’ve always been interested in the human soul,” Shirin says. “My education and practice as a physician taught me to consider humans as whole–not just physiological machines, but with deep spiritual and mental needs.”
Shirin says that being in one of the six APA-accredited Christian Psy.D. programs nationwide “teaches you scientific psychology.”
“Here at Wheaton, it’s not just gaining head knowledge,” Shirin says. “The experiential part is equally important.”
During his internship with Wheaton’s Counseling Center, Shirin discovered his passion for counseling college students. After graduation, he desires to return to Azerbaijan to help establish student counseling services and plans to work in clinical practice and with public health policymakers.
“Wheaton is a community that supports me, encourages me, and prays for me,” Shirin says. “I couldn’t do what I’m doing at Wheaton without the community here."
NAME: Shirin Kazimov M.A. ’16, Psy.D. ’19
DEGREES: Psy.D. ’19, M.A. ’16 in Clinical Psychology, Wheaton College (IL); M.P.H. in Public Health, Tulane University (LA); M.D., Azerbaijan Medical University
HOMETOWN: Baku, Azerbaijan
EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES: Shirin served on the chaplain search committee and attends church services at Wheaton Bible Church
FUN FACT: Shirin loves to dance and can speak Azerbaijani, Russian, and English