About Bobby
Bobby Ansari brings a unique and globally-informed perspective to her practice, blending a rare level of intercultural fluency with extensive professional experience and education. She holds a Master's in trauma-informed counseling from Johns Hopkins University, certification as a Spiritual Care Professional with the Association for Clinical Pastoral Education, and is board-certified with the National Wellness Institute and the Wellness Alliance of America.
Raised in a culturally diverse Bengali-Muslim home, Bobby was immersed in spiritual teachings from Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, and Christianity. This foundation inspired her extensive exploration into indigenous healing traditions and spiritual practices globally. Her international experiences include studying at McGill University and significant transformative journeys in Turkey, where she learned from her first spiritual mentor, Sabine Meier, a direct student of the German mystic, Rudolph Steiner, and the Cypriot mystic Dr. Stylianos Atteshlis ("Daskalos"). Bobby has personally interacted with prominent spiritual leaders such as His Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew and His Holiness The Dalai Lama.
Upon returning to Canada, Bobby expanded her intercultural competencies by deeply engaging and learning about First Nations spirituality under the guidance of a Mohawk Elder in Maniwaki, Quebec, for five years and furthered her spiritual learning with the late Hopi Elder, Grandfather Martin Gashweseoma in Arizona. Her expertise encompasses trauma-informed mental health, psychotherapy, cultural psychiatry, spiritual wellness, and contemporary challenges including recovery from narcissistic and spiritual abuse, Complex PTSD, the impacts of high ACE (Adverse Childhood Experiences), and early parental loss.
As a facilitator and global citizen, Bobby crafts transformative experiences, such as arranging sweat lodges, facilitating plant medicine retreats, and guiding personal pilgrimages to sacred spaces. Her integrative approach ensures meaningful, lasting personal growth for her clients.
What is The Rose of Jericho?
The Rose of Jericho, also known as the Resurrection Plant, is a remarkable desert plant renowned for its extraordinary ability to survive prolonged periods of drought and revive itself upon contact with water. Native to arid regions, particularly in North Africa and the Middle East, this plant symbolizes resilience, rebirth, and renewal.
Spiritually, the Rose of Jericho has profound implications across many different traditions and cultures. Its resurrection ability has made it an emblem of hope, transformation, and new beginnings. In Christian symbolism, it is often associated with the resurrection of Jesus Christ, serving as a metaphor for rebirth and spiritual awakening. Similarly, in various folk traditions the Caribbean and South America, it is believed to bring luck, prosperity and protection.
The Rose of Jericho is often used in rituals intended to cleanse and purify spaces, invite positivity, and manifest intentions. When placed in water, the plant opens up and is revived, symbolizing the unfolding of one's spiritual journey and the blossoming of inner potential. Upon drying, it curls back into its dormant state, symbolizing cycles of life, death, and rebirth.
In modern spiritual practices, the Rose of Jericho is frequently used as a tool for meditation, intention-setting, and ritual work, especially when seeking renewal after challenging experiences or during significant life transitions. Its resilient nature provides an inspirational reminder of the strength inherent within all of us, for transformation, encouraging individuals to embrace change and personal growth.
