Who we are

Building safe spaces for healing, renewal and belonging

Amna envisions a world where refugees are empowered to shape their futures, free from the impact of trauma, conflict, and displacement.

As a refugee-led organisation, we are committed to expanding mental health support and community-led psychosocial services, giving displaced communities the tools to heal, resource their resilience, and rediscover joy and belonging.

Our approach is simple, evidence-informed, and developed in partnership with people with lived experience of conflict and displacement, as well as psychosocial, mental health, education, and training experts.

We work globally to fund, train, and empower frontline organisations and humanitarians to deliver trauma- and identity-informed care, offering creative healing tools and co-regulation techniques.

Amna’s Purpose

Our Mission

Build a global therapeutic workforce offering trauma and identity-informed community-based mental health and psychosocial support.

Our Vision

A world where refugees can build their future free from the impact of conflict and displacement.

Our Values

Respect, Curiosity, Understanding, Connection

Our Team

Gabriella Brent

Interim CEO

Gabriella Brent

Interim CEO

Gabriella is the Interim CEO of Amna, bringing years of experience in programme design, community-led mental health initiatives, and systems change. Formerly serving as Director of Programmes, Gabriella has been deeply involved in shaping and scaling Amna’s innovative, trauma- and identity-informed approaches that centre the experiences and needs of communities affected by conflict, displacement, and systemic injustice.

Her commitment to this work is deeply personal—rooted in her own family’s refugee history and a dedication to breaking cycles of intergenerational trauma. With a background spanning mental health, criminal and family justice, and social advocacy, Gabriella has worked closely with communities to develop healing-centred programmes that disrupt oppression and foster resilience. From frontline work as a therapist and facilitator to leading large-scale initiatives, her approach remains rooted in care, co-learning, and collaboration.

As Interim CEO, Gabriella is committed to strengthening Amna’s mission, ensuring its work remains both compassionate and impactful. She believes in the power of collective action and continues to advocate for holistic, anti-oppressive models of care that honour lived experience and community wisdom. When not working, you can find Gabriella on the dancefloor!

Zarlasht Halaimzai

Founder

Zarlasht Halaimzai

Founder

Zarlasht is the Founder and former CEO of Amna. A former refugee from Afghanistan, she has developed programmes that promote resilience in vulnerable populations in several countries including Pakistan, Afghanistan, Turkey, Syria, the United Kingdom, and Greece.

Zarlasht has trained in Childhood and Adolescent Counselling and Psychotherapy at the University of Cambridge and is pursuing a master’s degree in Mindfulness Based Cognitive Behavioural Therapy from The University of Oxford. She is multilingual and was selected as a Kathryn Davis Peace Fellow to study Arabic at Middlebury College in 2016.

Zarlasht has written for several publications including the Guardian, Washington Post, The Independent, Huffington Post, and the New Statesman. Her work has been profiled by the Psychologist Magazine, NPR, Grazia, International Business Times, She Owns Success, and Ground breakers and was the recipient of the 2017 Future Shapers Award from Marie Claire Magazine.

She is a fellow of the Obama Foundation.

Fatima Riberio

Director of Development

Fatima Riberio

Director of Development

Fatima Ribeiro brings over a decade of experience in the international development sector. She has held leadership roles across fundraising, communications, and strategy, leading impactful, award-winning campaigns that have inspired change and driven meaningful impact.

Throughout her career, Fatima has been dedicated to connecting communities with causes that matter.
At Amna, she blends strategic vision with the power of storytelling to amplify the voices of displaced communities, ensuring their experiences are heard and valued. Alongside crafting innovative strategies, Fatima leads efforts to secure the vital funding needed to advance Amna’s mission of healing and belonging, creating lasting change for refugees and displaced communities worldwide.

Meet the team