Hania Taduran is the Founder of Breaking Barriers, a nonprofit organization dedicated to  redefining the narrative around mental health in athletics. A Florida International University  Psychology graduate and former Division I beach volleyball player, Hania now pursues her  Master’s in Marriage and Family Therapy at Pepperdine University.  

Her mission is rooted in both personal experience and professional purpose, the belief that no  athlete should ever feel alone in their struggle.

At just six years old, Hania lost her father to suicide. Years later, during high school, she faced  another devastating loss when her therapist, a trusted mentor, also died by suicide. Navigating  profound grief while competing as a high-level athlete, she faced performance anxiety,  depression, and a deep loss of identity. In college, she made a powerful choice: to heal her  mental health with the same dedication she gave to her physical training.

Through journaling, education, and introspection, she began to rebuild from within. In 2020, she  founded a campus mental health club at the University of the Pacific, an initiative that grew into  Breaking Barriers, now a national movement advocating for athlete mental health, awareness,  and empowerment.  

Beyond her nonprofit leadership, Hania has developed expertise across therapeutic  partnerships, outreach strategy, clinical operations, and mental health innovation. Her  background spans business optimization and sustainable growth across the evolving landscape  of mental healthcare. She is particularly passionate about the intersection of neuropsychology  and psychotherapy, exploring how neurotransmitters shape behavior, cognition, and emotion.  

Approaching therapy through a trauma-informed, psychopharmacologically aware lens, Hania  recognizes the synergistic impact of medication and therapeutic interventions in addressing  complex mental health challenges. Her clinical focus centers on grief and trauma therapy,  helping individuals process pain, rediscover purpose, and reclaim their sense of self.  
Driven by a deep passion for healing and empowerment, Hania is committed to creating safe,  inclusive, and transformative spaces where individuals and athletes alike can explore their  emotions, cultivate resilience, and embrace growth.  

For her, Breaking Barriers is more than an organization, it’s the safe space she once needed  herself. Every story shared, every stigma challenged, is a step toward change. And if her work  helps even one person feel seen, she considers it all worth it.