My life journey
I like to think of myself as a critical yet loyal daughter of the Enlightenment.
Born and raised in the heart of Florence, I was surrounded by its beauty and the ironic skepticism of its people.
My family—especially my father, Arnaldo, a theater director and co-founder of Bologna’s first DAMS department (Drama, Art, and Music Studies)—instilled in me a rich, secular education grounded in a rigorously anti-clerical ethic. Religion was not absent from my childhood, but instead of the Bible or the Gospels, I was read Greek myths and legends from around the world. I never attended catechism classes or religion lessons at school or anywhere else.
Paradoxically—or perhaps because of this—I chose to devote my academic journey to the study of religion and its intricate ties with politics. I began by focusing on radical Islamism and jihadism, driven by a desire to understand “the Other” portrayed by the media as hating “us.” I soon realized the story was far more complex. My research then expanded to gender issues within Islam, particularly Islamic feminism—a global movement that seeks gender equality through the language and values of Islam.
My quest for understanding led me to search for firsthand experiences beyond books. I lived through very different contexts, moving between NATO-occupied Afghanistan (2012–2013), post-revolutionary Egypt (2013–2015) and finally South Africa. Since 2019 I live between Europe and Cape Town, developing a research project focused on the historical development of Islamic liberation theologies, and their contribution to the transcultural solidarity practices that led to the fall of Apartheid and the birth of democratic South Africa.
After two decades of specialized study and professional experience in research and training—culminated in my national academic qualification as an associate professor in the history of Islamic countries (2023), and the award of a MSCA global fellowship in 2025 —I decided to make my expertise accessible beyond academia. This decision birthed my three consulting paths, built around a transformative hermeneutics approach, designed for anyone seeking to enhance their critical thinking, grow ethically, and act toward positive transformation of both self and society.
What I do
I’m a detective of language and socio-cultural phenomena, specialized in uncovering how words, images, symbols, and gestures can either perpetuate cultural patterns and power hierarchies—or dismantle and transform them.
My approach, which I call transformative hermeneutics, blends historical-critical hermeneutics (rooted in my European education) with liberation theology and pedagogy (gained in South Africa). This method reveals the hidden nuances of discourse, uncovers the cultural patterns that sustain injustice and trauma, and crafts transformative solutions.
I analyze how cultural codes traverse time and space, creating cycles of exclusion and oppression. But my work doesn’t stop at critique. My ultimate goal is to identify and foster virtuous cycles—practices and narratives that can generate positive change.
By making the mechanisms of power visible, shedding light on the shadows of social relationships, I aim to help individuals and organizations the navigate the complexity and crisis of the modern world with clarity and purpose, and inspire transformative solutions.
While I am neither a psychologist nor a cultural mediator, my work complements these professions. My academic background and life experience—shaped by encounters with diverse cultures and religions—allow me to offer a transcultural perspective that integrates various disciplines and symbolic registers, leading to innovative, flexible, and effective strategies and solutions for change.
My Method: Transformative Hermeneutics
Transformative hermeneutics is a method for interpreting cultural, social, and psychological phenomena that combines historical-critical discourse analysis with a deep commitment to enhance personal and social change. Born from a need to understand the roots of conflict and crisis, this method aims to transform challenges into opportunities for growth and liberation, merging academic rigor with a practical, flexible problem-solving approach.
Pragmatic, secular, and inclusive, transformative hermeneutics is designed to help you navigate life’s crises and complexities, empowering you to create meaningful, lasting change.
Why This Method Is for You
In an era of information overload, we need effective tools to decipher the world’s complexities and make sense of what’s happening around us. My method offers more than just an interpretative technique—it’s a compass to guide you through storms of meaning, aimed to transform newfound understanding into opportunities for growth and tangible improvement.
Through my consulting paths, you will:
- sharpen your critical thinking skills
- learn to recognize the social, cultural, and psychological mechanisms which shape your reality
- gain tools to transform your life.
In sum, you will acquire a set of keys to navigate today’s complexities with greater clarity and awareness, which will enable you to manage life’s inevitable crises and challenges more effectively.
Counseling paths
My customized counselling pathways are designed to help individuals, families, and organizations to enhance their capacities to think critically, rediscover and interpret their own history, and drive meaningful change.
SOS Gender & Diversity
Tailored for companies and NGOs, this service addresses challenges and tensions related to diversity.
Family Roots
An exploration of family history, aimed at preserving memories, integrating past and present narratives, and shaping future trajectories.
Inner Explorations
A path of existential and spiritual counseling to help you find your way through life’s labyrinths.