A Sacred Return to Self: Rayyan Noor on Faith, Trauma, and Healing

Guest Contributor: Rayyan Noor (Raymond Benton), LCMHCA, NCC Founder of A Ray of Light Therapy (ARLT)

What does Black Mental Wellness mean to you?

Black mental wellness is sacred reclamation. It means rediscovering the parts of ourselves that were silenced by trauma, colonization, and generational pain- and learning to breathe, feel, and believe again. It’s not just about coping; it’s about returning to our original brilliance. For me, wellness is when a Black soul remembers that it is worthy of rest, healing, truth, and love- not because it is performed, but because it simply is.

How do you promote change and well-being in the Black community?

I promote change by restoring language to pain- and by honoring suffering not as weakness, but as sacred initiation. Through A Ray of Light Therapy (ARLT), I offer a space where the Black community doesn’t have to fragment itself to be understood. My work infuses spiritual insight, clinical grounding, and ancestral wisdom into sessions, workshops, and everyday conversation. I meet people where they are- but never let them forget where they’re destined to go.

What are some upcoming events you are leading, that promote mental health and wellness, that you would like for our Black Mental Wellness audience to know about?

I am currently in a season of deep preparation and refinement. While I’m not leading public events at the moment, I am focused on expanding ARLT through virtual therapy, international collaborations, and curriculum development that will soon be available to communities in need- especially across the diaspora. Sacred things take time, and I believe in laying a strong foundation before building upward.

Tell us about your educational and/or professional training, and current area of expertise related to mental health and wellness?

I hold a master’s in Clinical Mental Health Counseling and am currently completing my doctorate, focusing on post-traumatic growth in marginalized communities. I’m licensed as an LCMHCA and credentialed as an NCC, with over 16 years of experience in healthcare and 11 years in mental health. I’ve served in jails, schools, homes, and hospitals- working with those battling trauma, spiritual disconnection, incarceration, and identity loss. My area of expertise lies in integrating spiritual frameworks with trauma recovery to create holistic, culturally affirming care.

What are some ways that you promote mental health and wellness?

Through ARLT, I promote healing that is faith-rooted, culturally grounded, and emotionally liberating. I don’t just treat symptoms- I walk with clients as they unearth buried wounds, reconnect with divine purpose, and realign their lives with sacred values. I teach mindfulness anchored in scripture, self-forgiveness rooted in divine mercy, and emotional restoration through ancestral wisdom. Healing doesn’t have to reject our faith or our culture- it can embrace both.

What are some things that we should know about your area of expertise?

A Ray of Light Therapy (ARLT) is not just a modality- it is a movement. It draws on timeless truth from the Quran, Torah, and Bible, and other ancient texts, while also honoring neuroscience and evidence-based practice. It is designed especially for those who have been over-diagnosed and under-seen- those whose pain is spiritual, historical, and deeply layered. ARLT affirms that healing is not just for the privileged, and that restoration is possible- even after generations of silence.

How can we encourage more people to seek mental health treatment?

We must tell the truth- not just about pain, but about the possibility of healing. We encourage people by creating spaces where they are seen without shame, by modeling transparency ourselves, and by speaking in the language of our people- faith, family, survival, and hope. Therapy isn’t weakness; it’s a sacred return to self. The more we normalize healing, the less we glorify suffering.

 What are your recommendations for ending stigma in the Black community?

We end stigma by transforming the narrative: That therapy is only for the “crazy”, That trauma makes us broken, That God alone is enough without emotional accountability. We must honor our elders’ resilience and embrace tools they didn’t have access to. We need more voices saying, “You can have God and a therapist.” More messages that say, “You don’t have to carry everything alone.” Ending stigma begins with compassion- and it continues with consistent, visible truth.

What can potential clients expect during an initial session? Follow up sessions?

In an initial session, clients can expect a space of deep reverence, safety, and respect. No rush. No pressure. Just honesty, curiosity, and compassion. We’ll explore your story- what hurts, what’s heavy, and what’s sacred. Follow-up sessions move deeper into healing: learning your patterns, transforming old beliefs, and slowly rebuilding trust within yourself and God. Every session is infused with presence, patience, and prayerful awareness. I don’t just want you to feel better- I want you to feel realigned.

Do you have an experience with seeking mental health treatment that you would like to share with the Black Mental Wellness audience?

Yes. I began therapy not because I felt weak, but because I was tired of hiding behind strength and the lies that I told myself. I was the helper who never felt held. The healer who hadn’t healed. And therapy gave me language for my pain, but also permission to rest. It taught me that I could be spiritual and struggling- faithful and fragmented. It reminded me that even the strong need soft places to land. That experience shaped how I now sit with others. It wasn’t the end of my pain- but it was the beginning of my return.

What wellness strategies do you think should be given more attention within the Black community? Are there any reasons why you think they are not given more attention?

I believe we need to give more attention to emotional literacy, spiritual integration, ancestral rituals, and nervous system regulation- practices that remind us we are more than just productivity machines or trauma survivors. The reason they’re overlooked is because our community was taught to survive, not to feel. We were conditioned to be strong, not soft. Rest, mindfulness, meditation, somatic healing, and ancestral remembrance were either stripped away or demonized- and now we’re slowly remembering that our wellness is not optional, it’s revolutionary. These practices aren’t new, they’re ancient. We’re just finally coming home to them.

How do you make time for your own wellness and self-care?

I protect my solitude like a sacred appointment with God. Every day, I create space to move, to reflect, to listen. Music is my medicine- instrumental tracks, neo-soul music, ancestral drums, and devotional recitations. Exercise grounds me; it helps me release, realign and return to myself. And silence? That’s where I hear the truth that noise often drowns out. I remind myself that I cannot pour into others from an empty cup. And in honoring myself, I honor the people I serve. My wellness is not a luxury- it’s a necessity for the work I do. Self-care is the best care!

What are your top 5 favorite wellness and self-care strategies?

1. Intentional Solitude- Time alone in prayer, reflection, or just stillness to hear what’s true beyond the noise.

2. Music Therapy- Playing soul-stirring tracks that move energy, inspire clarity, or soothe the nervous system and soul.

3. Movement and Exercise- Daily pushups, going for a long drive with no destination, walks, or workouts that remind my body it is strong, alive, and loved.

4. Cooking as Devotion- Preparing nourishing meals as a creative, meditative act of self-love.

5. Fasting and Detoxing- Using sacred discipline to recalibrate my spirit and body, especially during times of transformation.

What resources do you find most helpful to encourage mental health and wellness?

1. Sacred Texts (Quran, Torah, Psalms): They offer timeless insight into human struggle and divine restoration.

2. Books like “My Grandmother’s Hands” by Resmaa Menakem- which explore trauma and healing in Black bodies.

3. Mindfulness and Breathwork Apps- Tools like Insight Timer help anchor me in the now.

4. ARLT Curriculum & Journaling Prompts- My own framework continues to teach me every day.

5. Community and Conversation- Safe, spiritually grounded people who speak truth and hold space. Healing doesn’t happen in isolation. It happens through aligned tools, sacred practice, and CHOSEN family.

Rayyan Noor (Raymond Benton), LCMHCA, NCC Founder of A Ray of Light Therapy (ARLT) Rayyan Noor (Raymond Benton) is a licensed therapist, trauma healer, and the visionary founder of A Ray of Light Therapy (ARLT)- a spiritually integrated, clinically grounded model that blends Quranic and Torah-based wisdom with modern therapeutic science. With over 16 years of experience in healthcare and mental health, Rayyan has walked alongside the forgotten: from the incarcerated and grieving to those battling spiritual disconnection and systemic trauma. Guided by divine alignment, his work is rooted in truth, humility, and a fierce commitment to restoring the soul’s original design. As a doctoral candidate and lifelong student of both sacred text and human pain, Rayyan sees healing not as a destination- but as a return. His mission is clear: to build bridges between suffering and meaning, faith and recovery, memory and transformation. “Healing is not a luxury- it is remembrance. And remembrance is the beginning of freedom.”- Rayyan Noor