Who are we?
We are a group of people who have dedicated our lives to the development of human capacity both at the level of the individual as well as that of society. Each of us brings a fresh perspective from the different fields and areas of interest that we have pursued. We each bring many years of growth and experience in personal and community development primarily through the exploration and application of spiritual and social principals. We have recognized the power of the experiential methodology in exploring potential, increasing awareness, and developing capacity. Our collaboration continues to advance the work of the Centre particularly in learning about and applying healing modalities that are based on science and the spiritual potentialities in human nature. Our aspiration is to make a humble contribution toward the betterment of the world.
Meet The Founder
Saba has lived in six countries on four continents, speaks three languages fluently, and has spent her life dedicated to community and grass-roots development while learning new languages and cultures, and raising a family in unfamiliar environments. She has a profound appreciation for both the richness and the limitations of cultural perspectives.
Saba’s passion for this work comes from a life of intense crisis and victories. She knows that it is only through lived experience that we can possibly hold both the space and hope for others to make meaning out of ALL that is present in their life.
Her intense love and passion for exploring spiritual realities and applying them to practical and day to day matters is her driving force in her relentless pursuit of moving beyond circumstances, no matter how extreme or insurmountable.
Although she always lived a life of belief in a Higher Being, yet her true love affair with that unlimited Source of Bounty was discovered out of major trauma in her own life.
She shares her story of how the Centre for Human Progress was born:
“I have always been blessed to attract people who opened up their hearts and shared their challenges with me. So it was that I became a ‘counsellor’ by default from a fairly young age. Although the heart to heart connections were profound and motivating, but I didn’t quite identify the fact that all those years my own approach was leaving me exhausted! Until in 2010 discovering the field of coaching opened up a whole new world; a world of not giving advice, rather empowering others to discover their own solutions. It was truly a gift!
The journey started with extensive research to identify the schools to train with. The possibilities of the coaching modality increasingly excited me and my practice grew with a wide range of issues brought by individuals and couples.
Of course we all bring our own lived experience to whatever we do. It was only natural and inevitable that what permeated my practice was the result of my relationship with the Divine and how that had transformed the most insurmountable obstacles and impediments in my own life. That brought a profound belief in unimaginable possibilities for those I was serving — hope, Hope, HOPE.
I began to systematically develop a coaching approach with the very principals that had transformed my own thought patterns, habits, and ways of interacting, and watched in amazement how each individual found their own unique way of applying spiritual principals to practical day to day aspects of their own lives. Through the diversity of the people and the cases that came to my practice over time, a distinct method was generated, tools and skills were developed, and eventually took shape in a system that was now possible to share with others.
The first glimmerings of this program were born in 2013 with a yearning to bring about a professional and high quality program, based on the spiritual reality of our connection to the Divine, and grounded in scientific methods and practical applications. The work has grown very much over the years in the field of identifying trauma as a major obstacle to advancement, and thus a focus on mental, spiritual, emotional and physical healing.
It is now with incredible humility and gratitude that I invite you to come and explore and grow with us. I hope you’ll join us, your experience will only contribute to the further growth and development of this work.”
Meet The Team
Saba Arjomand
Saba is a relationship coach and a facilitator who naturally creates a space for healing. She believes and teaches various modalities that apply spiritual and scientific principles, calling upon and engaging the natural susceptibilities of healing in the context of the most practical and day-to-day circumstances. Her culturally diverse coaching practice has helped numerous couples on the verge of separation to build a loving relationship, many individuals with PTSD, depression, and trauma to gain the capacity to advance beyond their pain, and many professionals to move to the next stage of their personal and professional development.
She brings thirty five years of training and facilitating experience along with a belief in and passion for transforming obstacles into stepping stones in every aspect of her work.
Foad Sean Shodjai
Neda Forghani
Neda is a senior researcher at the Department of Education and senior lecturer at the Centre for Teacher Education, University of Vienna. Her research, teaching, and publications focus on learning, diversity, interconnectedness, and lived experience. In serving communities to embrace the vision of collective growth, and to develop capabilities conducive to human progress, she is interested in how we learn to make change. In coaching, she has found a powerful instrument for meaning-making — making sense of lived experience and making way for betterment.
Sahba Imani
Sahba has extensive experience as an early childhood educator and counselor with abused children, their parents, and the legal system. “When I came across coaching, I became aware of its potential, but what has been the most inspiring for me, is that the Centre for Human Progress not only uses the coaching methods but also acknowledges and relates to each individual as a spiritual being. This holistic approach is what has attracted me. I believe it is an innovative and effective training that will help individuals become their best authentic selves. My aspiration for the Centre for Human Progress is to train like-minded individuals who have the desire to help transform people, neighborhoods, and in turn communities.”
Sama Shodjai
Sama has a bachelor’s degree in architecture and landscape architecture from the University of British Columbia. With her husband, Sama is currently doing a term of service at the Baha’i World Centre in Haifa, Israel. She carries a diverse cultural background along with extensive experience in community building and social development. Coaching has brought a profound shift of perspective for herself and others in her life, as she weaves coaching tools and exercises into her everyday activities as well as her work.
“I am excited and privileged to be part of CHP where people can collectively and individually discover new paths to progress.”
Nur Shodjai
Nur is a visual artist and facilitator, creating an arts-based curriculum and visual branding for the CHP. Nur’s unique capacity to bridge different areas of knowledge comes from her diverse and rich background: From living in 6 countries and 4 continents with various languages and cultures to graduating with a double major at the University of British Columbia in environmental science and international relations, and later developing her visual art career dedicated to using the power of the arts for social transformation. She has over a decade of experience in group facilitation and community development.
Experiencing coaching has played an indispensable role in her development as an artist, leading her to incorporate coaching frameworks into her own works and artistic practice.