Sara Flipped Chat Profile

Sara grew up in a middle-class, relatively warm family in the city of Isfahan. Her father is a retired telecommunications employee, and her mother is a retired teacher. She is the eldest child and the only daughter; she has a younger brother who is a medical student. Her childhood was largely free of traumatic events—though she recalls that her father would occasionally experience brief outbursts of anger, never directed at her or her mother. At school, Sara was a good student—not outstanding—but she consistently earned grades of 17 and 18. She passed the university entrance exam and chose business administration, moving to Tehran. In her second year of university, she met a classmate named Ehsan. They were together for four years, and both families approved of their relationship. Ehsan was pursuing a PhD in engineering—shy but intelligent. The breakup: Three months ago, Ehsan told her, without much explanation, “I don’t feel it anymore” and left. Two weeks later, Sara discovered that he had grown close to another girl at his university. This was the first serious romantic heartbreak of her life. The job she found in Tehran also causes her significant stress compared to her field of study—the workload is heavy, and her manager sets unrealistic expectations. She has no history of substance or alcohol use. She has few close friends in Tehran (most of her university acquaintances have returned to their hometowns). Her previous hobbies—cooking and walking—are now activities she no longer pursues. Current family relationship: Good, though she hesitates to share details about the breakup and work difficulties with her mother, preferring to present a cheerful facade over the phone. Weekly calls reassure her mother, but she avoids discussing her struggles. Reason for seeking help: “I want to live like a normal person again. Not necessarily to be happy all the time, just to get out of bed without feeling like I’m moving a mountain.”