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SAMAR M ALABASSY, M.A. Art Therapist
Samar M Alabassy holds a Master’s degree in Art Therapy and Counseling from Saint Mary of-the-Woods College and a Bachelor’s degree in Visual Arts from The American University in Cairo. Samar has furthered her education and training in psychology, including studying Abnormal Psychology at Harvard Extension School and Chicano Mexican Heritage Art at UCLA. She is an active member of the American Art Therapy Association (AATA).
Samar’s therapeutic approaches include talk therapy, art psychotherapy, and play therapy. She creates a safe and comfortable environment for clients, working collaboratively with them to discover coping skills and achieve their goals. Samar’s approach is solution-focused, strengths-based, and mindfulness-based. She particularly enjoys incorporating play therapy and art therapy interventions for children. In cases of PTSD and substance use disorders, she utilizes cognitive-behavioral therapy and trauma-focused cognitive therapy. She is also trained in play therapy and poetry therapy. Her person-oriented and strength-based approach encourages self-advocacy and empowerment for her clients.
Samar is fluent in both English and Arabic and has a passion for helping diverse populations. She has experience working with children, adults, adolescents, geriatrics, individuals with traumatic brain injuries, mood disorders, anxiety disorders, Autism spectrum disorders, refugees, and international students. Samar is skilled in crisis intervention, establishing therapeutic alliances, and developing appropriate art therapy interventions tailored to each client’s needs.
Samar has worked in mental health clinics, outpatient clinics, and creative arts therapy centers. She provided counseling services to adults with severe mental health disorders at Dr. Samir Abu El Magd Outpatient Clinic in Cairo, Egypt. In Rochester, New York, she worked at Serenity Life Creative Arts Therapies and Halligan Creative Arts Therapies, providing therapy sessions for both adults and children in low-risk populations. Samar is actively involved in volunteer work, including membership at the mental health clinics of the Egyptian Red Crescent and providing mental health aid for needy families.
With her extensive experience, multicultural background, and dedication to helping others, Samar M Alabassy is a compassionate and skilled Art therapist who aims to make a positive impact on the lives of her clients.
Amira El Sahly Tarot Card Reader
Amira El Sahly is a renowned tarot reader with a passion for helping individuals achieve emotional well-being and personal growth.
Amira’s journey into the world of tarot began with her deep fascination for symbolism and intuition. She delved into the ancient art of tarot reading, seeking to understand its profound impact on human consciousness and well-being. Through extensive research, practice, and guidance from seasoned tarot practitioners, Amira honed her skills, becoming a respected authority in the field.
Amira firmly believes that tarot can be a valuable tool for self-reflection, personal growth, and healing. She understands that the archetypal images and symbols present in tarot cards have the ability to tap into the depths of the human psyche, providing valuable insights and guidance. By engaging with the wisdom of tarot, Amira empowers her clients to gain a deeper understanding of their emotions, thoughts, and life experiences.
The efficiency of tarot in promoting human well-being lies in its ability to facilitate self-reflection, introspection, and awareness. Tarot readings can help individuals gain new perspectives on their experiences, uncover hidden patterns, and explore the underlying emotions and beliefs that shape their lives. By engaging with the symbolic imagery of the cards, clients can tap into their intuition and access their own inner wisdom, empowering them to make informed decisions and navigate life’s complexities with greater confidence.
From a psychological perspective, tarot can have a profound effect on an individual’s well-being. The process of engaging with tarot cards can be therapeutic in itself, as it encourages introspection and self-exploration. Tarot readings can provide validation, comfort, and a sense of reassurance, especially during times of uncertainty or transition. Furthermore, the collaborative nature of a tarot session, where the client actively participates in interpreting the cards, fosters a sense of empowerment and personal agency.
It is important to note that tarot should not be seen as a substitute for traditional therapy or medical treatment. Instead, it can be viewed as a complementary tool that enhances the therapeutic process. Amira firmly believes in an integrated approach to mental health, where the wisdom of tarot supports individuals on their journey towards well-being.
Amira El Sahly’s passion for tarot reading allows her to offer a unique and enriching healing experience at Relief Psychology Center. With her insightful guidance, she strives to empower her clients to embrace their inner potential, cultivate self-awareness, and create meaningful and fulfilling lives.
Rawan Alhusseini Mental Health Professional / Life and Relationship Coach
Rawan is an Arab Canadian globe trotter, a third culture kid and an internal martial arts advocate. She has been working with adults, children and youth for 18+ years in both Canada and the Middle East. She graduated from Dalhousie university with a Bachelor of Science in Therapeutic Recreation/Recreation Therapy and obtained her post-graduate certification in the field while working at the Nova Scotia Rehabilitation & QEII Health Sciences Center, in Halifax, Canada. Rawan is also currently completing a Professional Life Coaching Diploma from Kun Coaching Academy (expected graduation date, November 2023), enhancing her skills as a life-coach. Since 2008, she began studying the profound effects of play on children and human behavior. As part of her training, she became a personal apprentice to world renown play specialist Dr. Fred Donaldson (founder of Original Play) and accompanied him and his team on many trips to Lebanon’s refugee camps to work with children victimized by war. She integrated this technique as well as her background in martial arts in her work as a Recreation Therapist. Rawan believes that play is essential to learning new patterns of behavior and to healing from trauma, that the body holds the answers, and that repetition builds endurance in establishing healthier patterns of behavior, by developing new neural pathways in the brain (neuroplasticity). After moving to the UAE in 2014, Rawan took on roles at several therapy centers working alongside a team of multidisciplinary therapists to assist children and their families with their therapy, educational, behavioral & life-skill goals. She has also acted as a mental health Recreation Therapist at Sensation Station Intervention and Therapy Centre (in Dubai) and has run one of the UAE’s first work-inclusion programs for youth with disabilities, helping them find internships and/or employment. She has also delivered KHDA approved (UAE’s Knowledge and Human Development Authority) teacher training, conflict resolution workshops at schools and educational guidance to high-school students. In addition to having a wide range of experience in both the educational and medical/therapy sectors, her scope of practice includes play-based behavior modification, conscious parenting, special education, learning support and environmental assessment and intervention programs. Her approach is person-centered so that her clients are partners in the healing journey. Her approach teaches that moving beyond limitations and “recreating” oneself is a continuous journey of reflection, awareness, self-honesty, action, acceptance of responsibility and compassion for self and others. Rawan recently moved to Egypt where she will continue to practice as an independent therapist, a life coach, a change maker in schools and supporter of young people in the community. Her expertise and areas of interest cover the following:
-Guidance and support through life’s transitions (moving countries, going to university, career changes, loss of a loved one, adulting, becoming a refugee, disability).
-Helping children develop the innate skills they were born with. -Exploring family dynamics and the parent child relationship.
-Building self-esteem by exploring strengths, interests/hobbies and accepting challenges.
-Developing emotional regulation skills for school aged children, teenagers and adults.
-Bullying, sibling rivalry, conflict resolution and understanding the bully/victim archetypes.
-Working with withdrawn/shy, highly competitive and/or aggressive children.
-Guiding families of children with developmental disabilities (ASD, ADHD, PANDA’s and mild speech & language delays).
-Helping youth find their calling, providing educational, college and career coaching based on grades, goals, personality and strengths.
-Mindfulness, Somatic Thinking, Embodiment Practices, Behavioral Activation, Kinesiology, Breathwork, Art & Music Therapy and Qi Gong/Tai Chi.
