Manijeh Daneshpour

Dr. Manijeh Daneshpour serves as Distinguished Professor & Systemwide Program Director in the Department of Couple and Family Therapy at Alliant International University's California School of Professional Psychology (Irvine campus). A licensed marriage and family therapist with 22+ years of clinical, academic, and research experience, she integrates her Iranian heritage and third-wave feminist identity into her professional practice.

Her research centers on multiculturalism, social justice, and feminist frameworks within marital/family therapy, with specialized focus on Iranian diaspora communities, cross-cultural couples, and Muslim families in Western contexts. Recent work examines power dynamics in interracial relationships, therapeutic applications of contextual therapy, and sociopolitical dimensions of Iran's women's movement.

Analysis of her 2021-2025 publications reveals methodological emphasis on grounded theory and qualitative approaches to explore depression in Iranian women, marital stability amid substance abuse, and pathways to divorce in violent relationships. Her scholarship consistently connects clinical practice with broader social justice imperatives, particularly regarding gender equity and cultural responsiveness.

Dr. Daneshpour actively mentors students and emerging professionals while maintaining clinical practice, with her current research trajectory indicating deepening engagement with transnational feminist movements and culturally adapted therapeutic models for Middle Eastern communities.