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Iranian women share backgrounds, goals at wellness clinic(San Gabriel Valley Tribune (CA) (KRT) Via Thomson Dialog NewsEdge) Mar. 7--PASADENA -- Some things are simply meant to be. That certainly seems to be the case with Nazee Rofagha and Sara Mohammadian. Both women grew up in Tehran, Iran, living just one wall apart but never knowing each other. And now they are business partners at the Family Chiropractic Wellness Center in Pasadena. Rofagha is a chiropractor and Mohammadian is trained in energy healing. Together, the pair offer a holistic kind of treatment for ailing patients. "This was so surprising," Mohammadian said. "But I don't believe in accidents. I think you have to be in the right place at the right time." Rofagha felt her calling at an early age. "When I was growing up in Iran I had no idea what I wanted to do, but I did have a tendency to help a lot of people," the Glendale resident said. "I was always taking care of elderly or sick people in my family. I liked to help out in that sort of way." Rofagha and her family moved to the United States when she was 17. Members of her mother's family were living in Glendale and she attended her final year of high school at a private girl's school in Alhambra, finishing the year at Crescenta Valley High School in La Crescenta. "After high school I went Glendale Community College and later transferred to Cal State Northridge, where I graduated in 1987 with a bachelor's degree in biology," she said. After graduation, Rofagha worked at several Southland medical facilities, including a laboratory. But in 1991, she decided to enroll in the Cleveland Chiropractic College of Los Angeles. "My mom has always had arthritis and joint pain," she said. "Even when I was very young she would say, 'I wish you'd become a doctor to help me out." " After Rofagha became a licensed chiropractor, her mother's praise was a big reward. "She has been a big motivatior to me," she said. "Every time I would treat her, she'd say, 'I wish I could cover your hands with gold." " Rofagha, who has been a chiropractor for 10 years, worked for several chiropractic clinics before establishing her office in downtown Los Angeles. But ultimately, something didn't feel right. "It was a high-rise environment and I had no contact with the community," she said. "You'd moved your car and lose your parking. Finally, I started looking around for a new location. The minute I saw this place I thought, 'This is where I need to be."' When Rofagha decided to expand her practice -- now at 99 S. Chester Ave., Suite 102, Pasadena -- Mohammadian was one of several applicants who came in for an interview. "The minute I saw her she caught my heart -- and her energy was good," Rohagha said. Mohammadian moved to the United States six months ago. "I wanted to continue my education," she said. "I was studying electrical engineering. but I also decided to continue in alternative medicine because I was doing that in Iran." Mohammadian is proficient at natural healing and the use of alternative medicine, which involves natural medicines, massage therapy and energy healing methods such as Reiki, homeopathy, herbalism and bodywork therapy. Together, the pair offer a broad range of services for patients who walk through their door. "This is a good combination," Rofagha said. "We also offer acupuncture, massage and nutrition. When I interviewed Sara, I told her that I was a member of the American Cancer Society in Pasadena, and her eyes got real big because she had been a member of the same thing in Tehran." Jane Fellman, who visits the wellness center for alternative healing treatments, says she's felt a definite improvement. "I'm very impressed," Fellman said. "First, Sara does a thorough diagnostic discussion, asking many questions. then she talks about the patterns she sees in a person's history. She was very accurate with mine." Pasadena resident Lena Kennedy has also visited the wellness center for treatment. "I went there because I had fallen," Kennedy said. I had Nazee do some work on my shoulder. It did seem to help. I think this is a great addition to the community." |