The UAE Psychologist

Transcription

NEWSLETTER
Vol. 1(2), May 2012
News Headlines
Professor of Psychology Appointed New Dean of
FHSS Page 3
Inside This Issue:
 Editorial
p. 2
 News Items
p. 3-9
 Mental Health
p. 10 - 18
 I/O Psychology
p. 19 -21
 Psychology Education
Psychiatric Hospital Opens Doors
For Training Masters Students
Page 4
In the UAE
 Social Psychology
p. 24 - 29
 UAEU Student Column
p. 30 - 31
 Avicenna’s Contributions
to Psychology
 Psychology Conferences
Governing the
Practice of Psychology
Page 8 - 9
p. 22 - 23
p. 32 - 33
p. 34
 UAE Psychologist Database p. 35
 Psychological services
in the UAE
 Announcements
p. 36
p. 40 - 41
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The UAE Psychologist, Vol. 1(2), May 2012
Editorial
PhD PhD
Amber ,Haque,
Psychology in this part of
the world suffers from an image problem and we know it!
Some of the common misconceptions about psychology are
that “it is merely common sense,”
or that “it is not very useful to the
society,” or even that “it is not
scientific.” As psychologists, we
know that these misconceptions
are not true, but what have we
done to address these criticisms?
What can we do to make psychology more useful in this part
of the world and how can we
make psychology a more respected discipline, something
that will attract more young people to join and be proud of?
We already know that psy-
chology is at the heart of all human actions and is essential for
other more revered sciences,
including medicine and engineering. Medical doctors are
trained to comprehend and appreciate human predicaments
and the social milieu of their patients. We look for doctors who
can understand us better and
are skilled in integrating both
the somatic and psychological
in treating their patients. Two
relatively new specialties, Medical Psychology and Health Psychology are testimonies to the
growing significance of psychology for the medical sciences.
Engineers struggle to design
and operate their systems and
technologies to best serve human needs, both physically and
psychologically. Ergonomics
and engineering psychology together serve the purpose of improving relationships between
people and machines. Human
factors experts strive to design
systems that accommodate information processing abilities of
the brain and human resource
experts try hard to select the
right person for the job and to
find ways of improving work performance. Even computer experts collaborate with psychologists to develop computer assisted psychological assessments
and therapies. The modern military depends on psychologists
for testing, treating and training
troops in different environments
and positive psychologists nurture human talent to make normal life more fulfilling. There are
56 divisions of psychology within
the American Psychological Association addressing almost all
kinds of human challenges. Psychology is indeed, the basis of
everything, or in other words,
everything boils down to psychology!
This issue of the newsletter is
a reflection of some activities
UAE psychologists are currently
engaged in, contributing to the
growth of the nation. Many psychologists are serving in universities training the future generation of nationals to become competent practitioners, researchers
and academicians. Research
psychologists are finding ways to
reduce traffic accidents, …Cont’d
on p. 3
Professor of Psychology
Appointed New Dean of FHSS
Professor Mohamed A. Albaili
was recently appointed as Dean
of the Faculty of Humanities and
Social Sciences, UAE University.
Dean Albaili is an Emirati national who received his bachelor’s in
psychology from UAEU in 1981,
Masters of Science in Educational Psychology from Indiana University in 1984 and PhD from
University of Wisconsin-Madison
in 1988. Previously he served in
various academic and administrative positions at FHSS, published books, and received
many research grants in his area of expertise, i.e. test development and standardization in
Arabic language. Among many
other professional positions in
the country, he is also serving
as Vice President for the Emirates Association for the Gifted.
Ψ
Editorial, ...Cont’d
...curb substance abuse develop psychological tests based
on local norms, train counselors
to solve social and family problems, etc. Some psychologists
are working in hospitals, rehabilitation and mental health centers and some are trying to
sharpen the skills of professionals in the business industry. A
group of dedicated psychologists are also busy trying to assist the government to regulate
the profession of psychology in
order to improve the quality of
services and protect the public.
Psychologists are also busy
helping victims of the Libyan
and Syrian crises. A reflection of
these activities and an assortment of articles on similar topics
are included in this issue for your
reading pleasure. A database of
UAE psychologists and some important announcements are also
included.
The response to our first issue
of the Newsletter published in
December 2011 was very positive and we hope to continue our
efforts to keep publishing once
per semester or twice a year. If
you have any suggestions, we
would love to hear from you! Ψ
Amber Haque, PhD
Newsletter Editor
Email: [email protected]
Website: http://
uaeu.academia.edu/AmberHaque
Mohamed A. Albaili, PhD
Note: This newsletter is published
by the Department of Psychology
and Counseling, UAE University,
Al Ain and the Emirates Psychological Association, Dubai. We
reserve the right to edit as necessary. Opinions expressed are
those of the contributors and do
not necessarily reflect the views
of publishers. Please send inquiries and contributions to the editor
on this email address:
[email protected]
Editorial Team:
Editor
Amber Haque
Layout and Design
Azimeh Namavar
(Clinical Psych Student)
Copy Editor
Erica Aisha Charves
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UAEPsychologist,
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May2012
2012
New Psychiatric
Hospital Opens doors
for Training Masters Students
In a recent meeting between the representatives of the Department of Psychology and Counseling UAEU and
Behavior Sciences Pavilion (BSP) at
Sheikh Khalifa Medical City (SKMC) in
Abu Dhabi, the two institutions agreed
to offer internship training to clinical
psychology masters students at SKMH.
Currently 14 full-time psychologists are
working at BSP and serving the needs of
inpatients and outpatients. An MOU will
be signed between the two institutions after formal approval from SEHA. Ψ
Left to right: Drs. Fadwa Almughairbi, Amber Haque, Tareq Darwish, Maha Al Aamri,
Maisa Jabr, Isis Badawi
Psychological Services
for Syrian Refugees
In a follow-up service to PTSD training of professionals in Libya during last six months, members
of the Department of Psychology and Counseling UAEU are volunteering efforts to serve the
victims of Syrian crisis. A team of psychologists
with assistance from the Al Ain Red Crescent
Society are traveling to Jordan and/or Turkey to
serve the psychological needs of Syrian refugees. Ψ
For more information and/or to volunteer with the group, please contact:
Dr. Mohammad Adnan Al Ghorani:
[email protected]
Department Faculty and ETA
discuss suicide prevention solutions
among Indian workers
In response to recent suicide cases reported in local newspapers, some Department faculty met with
representatives from the ETA-ASCON Group to
find ways of helping workers in need. Current resources to help troubled workers, qualification of
helping professionals, workshops for counselors,
volunteer taskforce, professional seminars and collaboration with fellow professionals were discussed.
ETA is a contracting firm based in UAE for the last
35 years and employs more than 70,000 employees. The Department of Psychology and Counseling and the ETA Group also organized a seminar
last year on Mental Health in the Workplace. Ψ
To start with any possible networking interest,
please contact Dr. Shaima Ahammed at:
[email protected]
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DHA Psychology SME Panel:
2008 & Today
es required. (3) Develop standard definitions of professional
titles as well as accountability,
delegation and supervision within a professional practice framework.
RESPONSIBILITY:
(1) Review and provide recommendations on the new processes. (2) Provide recommendations on the economic effects
of the new healthcare professional guidelines in the market
Dr. Raymond H. Hamden is Director of the Human Relations Institute, Dubai. He hold Life Membership in several American and
international professional associations as APS, ISPP, ICP, ACFEI,
and is elected member of American Academy of Forensic Sciences.
In 2008, the Dubai Health Authority (DHA) established the
Healthcare Professional Guidelines Review Panel. For the
PSYCHOLOGY SUBJECT MATTER EXPERT (SME) PANEL, the
Terms of Reference were documented as follows:
PURPOSE:
The mandate of the panel is
to: (1) Review and provide a multi
-disciplinary input into the new
developed professional licensing
rules and guidelines before the
approval and implementation into
the new process, (2) Review the
online comments in regard to the
new rules and implement chang-
Pleasure in achievement is
fostered with contribution to
community. The DHA Psychology Subject Matter Expert Panel
has demonstrated the essence
of such satisfaction. The selected team members participated in
the fulfillment of the mandate– to
set the laws, ethics, and scope
of practice for psychology in the
Emirate of Dubai.
The direct drive of Dr. Annie
Crookes was developed with Dr.
Hussain Ali Maseeh (Panel CoChair), Dr. Fadwa M.B. AlMughairbi, Dr. Layla Abdul Wahub Asamarai, and Dr. Jassim
Marzouqi. Their summation of
materials contributed to the creation the Licensing and Regulation for Practice of Psychology
for the Dubai Health Authority
(20 March 2009) that would apply to the international professional community of the Emirate
of Dubai.
With great synergy, Dr.
Deema Sihweil, Dr. Tara Wyne,
and Dr Alia Al Serkal, mastered
the global documents of psychology societies to produce
the Ethical Code and Professional Conduct of Psychologists for the Dubai Health Authority (20 March 2009). The
uniqueness of the document
generated has been a model
for the DHA Code of Conduct.
Dr. George J Kaliaden, Dr.
Naisi Sedigheh, and Dr. Suad
Mohamed Al Marzooqi joined
forces to compile the Scope of
Professional Practice in
Psychology and Allied
Specialty Areas for the Dubai
Health Authority (20 March
2009).
The participating observers
contributed and shared in the
tasks at hand. Shayma Al
Fardan and Mohammad Al
Hammadi were active in the
direct assistance to each
subgroup topic. Dr. Basma Al
Harara was helpful in an
overview of materials. While
pursing his graduate program,
Maqsoud Kruse submitted
relevant materials to the
mandate of this panel.
Everyone added to the
Glossary of Terms for the
Laws for Psychology Practice,
Ethical Code and Professional
Conduct of Psychologists, and
Scope of Practice for Psychology.
In appreciation for their
guidance and confidence, this
panel thankfully recognizes Dr.
Essa M Kazim (Director DHA
Regulation Project), Kholood
Shabib Al Marzooqi (Health
Professional Regulation
Manager), Tamara Muir
(Manager Health Professional
Licensing DHRA), Ayesha Ali
Hamad Falasi (Acting Head of
Licensing), and JeanNoel
David, DHRA.
With more than 500 hundred
person-hours (group, subgroup,
and individual) of introducing,
consuming and developing, creating the concepts of each mandate and supplemental documents, this panel employs the
active work of the UAE University and the Emirates Psychological Association (EPA) to co-
ordinate academic and professional forces.
Only a few times in life does
an opportunity come when we as
psychologists can make a monumental mark for the administration of the professional. The Dubai Government has the responsibility to protect its citizens and
visitors by setting enforceable
laws, ethics, and scope of practice for each profession. We the
panelists are proud have been
selected with the conviction and
assurance of the DHA and the
Dubai Government to define and
develop the creative task of the
three mandates for the profession of psychology and this
community.
This first version of the DHA
Psychology SME Panel documents was presented to the Dubai Health Authority (DHA) on 20
March 2009. Inquiries concerning the substance or interpretation of the Ethical Code and Professional Conduct of Psychologists, Licensing and Regulation
for Practice of Psychology,
Scope of Professional Practice
in Psychology and Allied Specialty Areas along with the Glossary of Terms and the recommendations are to be addressed
to the director of the DHA.
Ψ
SUSTAIN Psychology in the UAE
Dr. Layla Abdulwahub Asamarai has implemented the Psychology SME Panel factors in the independent Department of Psychology at Rashid Hospital, Dubai. She took the work of this
panel to be realized within the
government facility. This is an
excellent example of “taking psychology as a profession seriously”.
of expertise.
There is only room for cooperation and mutual support of government, academia, industry, private practices, whether Emiratis
or ex-patriates. There is only
room for energy and endurance
to devote to the field of research,
study, and application in all specialties of this health care areas
Licensing of Psychology may
be moved from Dubai Health
Authority to Dubai Community
Authority. This should be a collaboration known to all licensed
and licensed eligible individuals
and organizations. Communications and professional support would foster smooth transi-
We chose Psychology as our
profession and with this comes
obligation to continue education
and contribute to our profession
and the specialties for which we
reach excellence. This can best
be achieved with effective communications among all, to better
understand and support, and
gain mutual cooperation.
tion for everyone lending support
from all and negating unnecessary resistance.
For the field of psychology
and its qualified licensed professionals to sustain the integrity of
the various areas of expertise,
the United Arab Emirates University and the Emirates Psychological Association [open to all
scholars and practitioners of all
nationalities] must maintain respective organizational strength.
All psychology professionals
and students can join the EPA
and support the UAEU to foster
the mandate of the DHA Psychology SME Panel. Ψ
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Spirit of the Law
Governing the Practice of Psychology
The Government of Dubai (DHA) and the
United Arab Emirates government (Ministry of
Health) are dedicated to protect its citizens
and its visitors from harm and charlatans and
uackery.The government is obligated to impose and enact application and examination of
 ALL persons administering any form of
health care process, MUST BE LICENSED. THEREFORE, it is UNLAWFUL to provide health care, for-fee or notfor free, if not licensed.
 It is equally UNLAWFUL TO MAKE RE-
FERRALS TO NON-LICENSED individuals or organizations. THEREFORE, it is
UNLAWFUL to make referrals to anyone
who is NOT licensed, working from a location that compromises the integrity of
the patient/client and places the professional in vulnerable state.
 Individuals must be licensed or license
eligible IN THE STATE OR COUNTRY
from which the recognized professional
degree and experience originates.
 The term psychologist is a legal term not
an academic term. Only licensed
persons can call themselves such with
except set by law. Further to this matter,
the prefix “psych…”, title “counselor”,
suffix “...ist” can only be used by licensed
professionals.
a candidate for licensure. First, qualifying the
candidate through discovery of their background– legally and professionally. Second,
administering professional examination– written, verbal, or both.
 To apply for license, individuals must
have a “legal” record demonstrating
GOOD MORAL CHARACTER in the state
or country from which they legally resided
last.
 MEDIA: publishers, newsprint, broadcast,
or any form of dissemination to the public,
should NOT utilize any form of information
or material from persons or organizations
making false claims, are illegal, or both.
THEREFORE, it is UNLAWFUL to make
reference to anyone or an organization
NOT duly licensed by law of jurisdiction.
 Anyone with actual knowledge of any form
of unlawful act(s) or unlawful practices by
anyone, licensed or un-licensed, should
report such matters to the proper government authorities immediately; and not fear
repercussion from government or the defendant(s).
 Anyone or any organization found guilty of
these unlawful acts, MUST BE PROSECUTED.
For the Archives of Psychology as a Profession, DUBAI HEALTH AUTHORITY
HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONAL GUIDELINES REVIEW PANEL PSYCHOLOGY SUBJECT MATTER EXPERT PANEL TERMS OF REFERENCE. MEMBERS:
CHAIR:
Dr. Raymond H. Hamden, Human Relations
Institute
Dr. Suad Mohamed Al Marzooqi , UAE University
Dr. Hussain Ali Maseeh, (Panel Co Chair)
Community Development Authority
Dr. Tara Wyne, Human Relations Institute
VOTING MEMBERS: (alphabetical order)
PARTICIPATING OBSERVERS MEMBERS
Shayma Al Fardan, Rashid Hospital
Dr. Alia Al-Serkal, Du Telecommunications
Mohammad Al Hammadi, Dubai Police
Dr. Annie Crookes, Middlesex University Dubai
Maqsoud Kruse, UAE Armed Forces
Dr. Deema Sihweil, Human Relations Institute
Dr. Basma Al Harara, DHA
Dr. Fadwa M.B. Al-Mughairbi, UAE University
Dr. George J Kaliaden, Prime Medical Center
Dr. Jassim Marzouqi, Emirates Psychology
Association
Dr. Layla Abdul Wahub Asamarai, Rashid
Hospital
Dr. Naisi Sedigheh, Mideast Polyclinic Dubai
DHA Overviewers
Mrs. Kholood Shabib Al Marzooqi, Health Professional Regulation Manager DHA
Mrs. Tamara Muir, Manager Health Professional Licensing DHRA
Mrs. Ayesha Ali Hamad Falasi, Acting Head of
Licensing DOH/MS
Photo of members [partial] of DHA Psychology SME Panel
Back Row: Suad Mohamed Al Marzooqi, Naisi Sedigheh, Deema Sihweil, Annie Crookes, Fadwa M.B. Al-Mughairbi,
Alia Al-Serkal. Front Row: George J Kaliaden, Raymond H. Hamden, Jassim Marzouqi.
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Vol.1(2),
1(2),May
May2012
Preventing a Silent
Crisis called Suicide
A Call for a Comprehensive
Professional Response
As I set out to write this brief
post, there is a very disturbing
sense of unease building up
from somewhere deep within
me. I realize this has to do with a
news highlight that was reported
in the beginning of this year,
sometime around the second
week of January, 2012.
As I read through the headlines then, a report on "Dubai
family commits suicide– Five
year old daughter smothered to
death as mother survives"
caught my eye. As it has always
been with reports on suicide, it
triggered a wave of distressing
questions and thoughts in my
mind. Despite knowing the futility
of discussing such news, it took
me to a lot of comments and
dialogues on online forums with
my friends and colleagues, as
we pointlessly asked each other
questions: Why does it happen?
Why did they have to take the
life of an innocent child? How
can we help prevent this in the
future? And why do we call ourselves “mental health professionals” as we helplessly watch
our fellow human beings brutally
taking their own lives?
I have to admit that behind all
the anguish that continues to
reverberate within me is a tinge
of guilt that stems from all these
unsettled questions. Whenever
there is a suicide in this society,
it tells us there are people out
there who need help, support
and psychological intervention.
Then we question if something
could have prevented such selfinflicted deaths.
If our defense mechanisms
are working well, chances are
that one has already dismissed
the above mentioned report as a
rare, freak, or one-time incident.
Perhaps, more conveniently
we’re telling ourselves that “well,
it only happens among one particular expatriate community.”
It’s time to get the facts right.
In 2010, the number of suicides
in Dubai alone was 110. In 2008
this was 147. While reports consistently note the very low suicide
rate of 0.9 per 100,000 among
nationals, it surely indicates a
high risk of suicidal ideation in
thed population. On a more distressing note, the 2010 UAE
Global School Based Student
Health Survey carried out collaboratively by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Ministry of Health (MOH) indicated
that 15.5 % of school children
had seriously considered attempting suicide within a 12
month period. In the same survey, the percentage of children
who actually attempted suicide
one or more times in a period of
12 months was 12.6%. Please
note, these statistics are about
children.
Quite in denial of these statistics, I’m left with the question,
what does suicidal ideation have
to do with children?
Personally, I doubt it if WHO/
MOH Report on suicides in the
nation get serious attention from
the mental health professionals.
So what is my goal with this
post? As much as I’m aware of
the potential risks that thoughtless suicide awareness raising
programs can have in triggering
suicidal-ideation, the question is
– “To what extent is the mentalhealth profession addressing
the problem of suicide in this
11
nation?” Although there have
been a handful of random and
disjointed efforts now and then,
more needs to be done and
much needs to be learned from
the promising efforts taken elsewhere in combating suicide. Here
are some possible steps that
could be taken to address the
growing menace:
 A strong task force to spearhead suicide preventive efforts
 Country’s mental health professional consider suicide prevention as a national mental health priority
 Academic/research efforts to address suicide as a multi-dimensional problem, with psychological, bio-
logical, sociological and philosophical aspects.
 Collaborative efforts incorporating a broader spectrum of governmental agencies, community centers
and people bringing together disciplines and perspectives that can be integrated into mental health policies.
At the Department of Psychology and Counseling, we have
initiated discussions on what
we can call “groundwork” to
establish a national level taskforce of mental health professionals. At its best, this post
may be considered a call towards that end to all mental
health professionals in the
country to join efforts. Indeed
as someone has said, “To
save a life is to act divine”. Ψ
Shaima Ahammed, PhD
Department of Psychology
and Counseling
UAE University, Al Ain
References:
Dervic, K. et al (2011).Suicide
rates in the national and expatriate population in Dubai, United
Arab Emirates. International
Journal of Social Psychiatry. International Journal of Social
Psychiatry. doi:
10.1177/0020764011430038.
For details please see: http://
www.who.int/chp/
gshs/2005_United_Arab_Emirat
es_GSHS_Country_Report.pdf
and http://www.who.int/chp/
gshs/UAE_2010_FS.pdf.
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The UAE Psychologist, Vol. 1(2), May
The Role of Psychologists
in Promoting Mental Health in the UAE
Isis Badawi, PhD
Head of Psychology
Behavioral Sciences Pavilion
Shaikh Khalifa Medical City, Abu Dhabi
The World Health Organization (WHO) defines
mental health as “a state of well-being in which an
individual realizes his or her own abilities, can cope
with the normal stresses of life, can work productively and is able to make a contribution to his or
her community. In this positive sense, mental
health is the foundation for individual well-being
and the effective functioning of a community” (WHO fact sheet 220, September 2010). This
definition is closely aligned with the famous hierarchy of needs proposed by Abraham Maslow. These needs identify the elements necessary to
achieve the state of well-being noted in the above
definition. In Maslow’s hierarchy, the basic needs
of food, shelter, health, and safety must be met
before the individual can proceed in life. The needs
for affection, esteem and belonging are necessary
before the person can achieve his/her full potential.
In all these stages, psychologists have a role to
play. The process of supporting healthy individuals
and effective communities starts at conception and
lasts until death. At every stage, psychology has a
role in promoting wellness, supporting healthy development, and encouraging cooperation between
the individual, family and society at large.
In the UAE, most of us are fortunate to have our
basic needs met. It is the more intangible needs of
positive self esteem, freedom of self expression,
emotional connection, a sense of belonging, opportunities for growth and self actualization that
might not be fully realized. The unique advancements in the UAE over the past four decades have
encouraged an influx of expatriates, a convergence of cultures, a multitude of technological advances and a rapid pace of change that has put
pressure on long held cultural beliefs, stretched
societal norms and challenged the adaptability of
individuals and society at large. According to the
WHO, in addition to biological and geopolitical variables, factors that contribute to poor mental
health include “rapid social change, stressful work
conditions, gender discrimination, social exclusion, and unhealthy lifestyle.” The UAE is not immune to these challenges. It is also not immune
to the worldwide challenge of meeting the needs
of those who suffer from mental illness, or emotional and psychological problems among its citizens. The WHO estimates that worldwide there
are 450 million people living with mental illness
and many more people with mental or emotional
problems. Studies report that up to 80 percent will
never receive the treatment they need. The UAE,
like any nation, has its share of people living with
the challenge of mental illness. As many psychologists across the globe have seen firsthand,
the lack of information and stigma are the primary
reasons that prevent many from seeking help for
children or adults who need mental health care.
One way to break down this barrier is to educate
organizations, parents and teachers about mental
and emotional health and other issues related to
raising happy healthy children, reducing family
and work stress, and reducing the burden of fami-
“We, as psychologists living and working in the UAE, have a responsibility towards our community and our profession to do what
we can to contribute to the promotion of mental and emotional
health. Our role is twofold: to address mechanisms of prevention
and promotion of wellness on the one hand, and to advocate on
behalf of the mentally ill and to provide education and support to
reduce stigma and encourage treatment on the other.”
lies caring for a mentally ill family member.
We, as psychologists living and working in the
UAE, have a responsibility towards our community
and our profession to do what we can to contribute
to the promotion of mental and emotional health.
Our role is twofold: to address mechanisms of prevention and promotion of wellness on the one
hand, and to advocate on behalf of the mentally ill
and to provide education and support to reduce
stigma and encourage treatment on the other. In
today’s environment, that means engaging with the
media, as they are a critical source of information
and education for the public. We need to participate
in mental health campaigns to share our knowledge
with a wide section of the population. We must
therefore target our message to the topics that promote wellness, correct misconceptions about mental illness and its treatment, and debunk myths that
maintain stigma. These messages would be
most effective when they are concise, consistent,
and culturally relevant. We each have a responsibility to know our subject matter and to present
messages within our areas of expertise.
Over the past several years, psychologists all
around the UAE have been active in engaging
the public through mental health awareness campaigns in schools, work settings, malls, as well
as presentations on television shows. Most recently, in Abu Dhabi, there has been an effort to
participate in TV programs concerned with health
issues in conjunction with monthly public lectures
on various topics of interest. These have been
met with enthusiasm and requests for more targeted programs for various sectors of society. It
is hoped that as these monthly lectures gain
more acceptance, that more positive attitude
changes will ensue. Ψ
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May2012
The National
Rehabilitation Centre
The National Rehabilitation
Center (NRC) is the national addiction response center mandated for addictions treatment, rehabilitation, research, prevention,
human capacity building, policy
and legislative development and
advocacy, serving the community
at large. It was the brainchild of
by H.H. the late Sheikh Zayed
Bin Sultan Al Nahyan and was
established in 2002 with the directive of H.H. Sheikh Mansour
Bin Zayed Al Nahyan through the
Office of the President now the
Ministry of Presidential Affairs.
Although substance misuse
and addiction goes counter to the
culture and Islamic values, like
most countries in the world addiction problems exists in the UAE
and since its establishment the
NRC has treated more than 700
patients and judging from the
calls its telephone helpline receives from the public this may
represent a small proportion of
people with addiction problems
in the country. Whilst there are
no exact prevalence estimates
the research arm of NRC is actively engaged in work to establish the figures. The health education and prevention side of
the NRC is active in carrying
out evidenced based prevention
and early intervention programs
focusing on schools, families
and workplace.
H.E. Dr Hamad Abdulla Al
Ghaferi is the director general
and heads a staff establishment
of 134. Professor Tarek Gawad
the medical director of the NRC
heads the multidisciplinary clinical team providing the full spectrum of care ranging from acute,
short and medium care recovery to ambulatory care and long
term rehabilitation. The NRC is
equipped to comprehensively
address addictions and addiction
related disorders. The NRC currently anchors 60 inpatient treatment beds and has a further 10
in Emirates House a facility functioning as a transit towards reintegration into society. The multidisciplinary clinical team is made
up of psychiatrists, physicians,
psychologists, nurses, social
workers and counsellors. The
clinical team is supported by a
laboratory team of scientists and
pharmacists. Phase II of the
NRC includes a purpose built
250 bed treatment facility that is
due to open in 2014. Recruiting a
workforce for this phase will be a
challenge and the NRC is looking
towards universities, colleges
and schools for help with this.
Psychologists play a key role
in the clinical work of the NRC
both in assessment and treatment. The team is headed by Dr
Mohamed Al Sayed, consultant
clinical psychologists and includes Professor Sami Abdulkawi
consultant clinical psychologist
and 7 psychologists many of
whom are graduates from United
Arab Emirates University. The
treatment at the NRC is based on
the “biopsychosocial-spiritual”
model. Following physical care
and medically assisted withdrawal (detoxification) of substance
for physically dependent patients,
much of the interventions falls
under the banner of
“psychosocial interventions”.
The patient population that the
NRC serves include those with
addiction and co-morbid psychiatric disorders. The treatment
approach is an evidenced based
integrated psychological and
pharmacological approach used
in leading centres internationally
adapted to suit the culture of the
UAE. The psychology team provides psychometric assessments
and addiction related assessments including neuropsychological testing and both individual
and group therapy. These interventions broadly falling under the
banner of Cognitive Behavioral
H.E. Dr. Hamad Abdulla Al Ghaferi
Director General of NRC, Abu Dhabi
Therapy (CBT), Psychodynamic
therapy, Humanistic counselling
and Family Therapy. Addictions
specific treatment includes Motivational Interviewing, Relapse
Prevention and Contingency
Management.
Research
The research section of the
NRC headed by Dr Ahmed El
Kashef has a broad agenda including epidemiological research, health system and outcome research, translational
and intervention research. This
would include research at a behavioral and molecular level.
In 2010 the NRC and the
Workshop at National Rehabilitation Center, Abu Dhabi
15
Faculty of Medicine and Health
Sciences of UAEU signed a
memorandum of understanding
for research collaboration, human capacity building, program
development and patient referral.
The NRC also has a collaborative program with the United Nations Office for Drugs and Crime
(UNODC) focusing on setting the
stage for the NRC to serve as the
reference center for addiction
response both nationally and regionally. The first phase is to develop a national strategy emerging from the situation assessment study performed currently.
There is the potential for both
undergraduate and post graduate students at the University interested in this area to get involved in the research work and
training at the NRC as part of
their degrees. The potential for
research work in psychology is
immense.
Prevention
Dr Hisham Elarabi heads the
prevention, health education and
training section a major priority
areas for the NRC. Preventing
alcohol and drug use in the UAE
by developing and reinforcing
resilience and protective factors
while identifying and addressing
risk factors. This is coupled by
creating the supporting environment through social mobilization
and awareness increasing
awareness and promoting positive health behaviors in one of
the long-term objectives of the
NRC. Campaigns such as
“Facts” “Isolation” and school
based programs such as
“Unplugged” are examples of ongoing activities in this area.
...cont’d on p. 32
16 The UAE Psychologist, Vol. 1(2), May
16 The UAE Psychologist, Vol. 1(2), May 2012
2012
Positive Psychology:
The Science of Mental
Wellness
By Maqsoud Kruse, MPsych
It all started with a simple discussion: “Self-help stuff
doesn’t really work, it’s all
about making money out of
the people!” My colleagues
argue this subject whenever
we talk about what works and
what doesn’t work in the different services provided in the
UAE. Indeed, the market for
self-help programmes, live
seminars, books, CDs and
DVDs are reflecting a rapid
growth in what Starker calls a
“fast food version of psychotherapy,” (Starker, 1990,
p.187). Despite its growth, it
is not without problems
(Grant, 2001). As someone
interested in the field of personal development and mental wellbeing, I wanted to know
if there is an existing alternative approach that is based
and grounded in science.
Positive Psychology presents
itself to be that alternative.
The movement began a few
months after Dr. Martin Seligman was elected President of
the American Psychological
Association in 1994 (Seligman,
1994). He believes that before
World War II, psychology had
three distinct missions: curing
mental illness, making the
lives of all people more productive and fulfilling, in addition to identifying and nurturing
high talent (Seligman &
Csikszentmihalyi, 2000). However, due to two major economic events, which took
place in late 1940s (after
World War II), Psychology became a science largely devoted to healing. It concentrated
on repairing damage using a
disease model of human functioning (Seligman, 1994; Seligman & Csikszentmihalyi,
2000).
Seligman proposed that the
message of the Positive Psychology movement is to remind our field that it has been
deformed. He believes that
Psychology is not just the
study of disease, weakness,
and damage; it also is the
study of strength and virtue.
He argues that treatment is
not just fixing what is wrong;
it also is building what is
right. In his view, Psychology
is not just about illness or
health; it is about work, education, insight, love, growth,
and play (See: Seligman,
1994; Seligman, 1995; Seligman, Schulman, DeRubeis, &
Hollon, 1999; Seligman &
Csikszentmihalyi, 2000).
Thus, Positive Psychology
does not rely on wishful thinking, self-deception or handwaving; instead it tries to
adapt what is best in the scientific method to the unique
problems that human behavior presents in all its complexity (Seligman & Csikszentmihalyi, 2000). The focus of
research is the non-clinical
population, or what is supposed to be a normal population, to demonstrate the de-
velopmental and preventive
role that should be played to
improve our understanding of
the functional side of human
performance and human psychology rather than emphasizing impairment and intervention on immediate reaction to
“fix” the problem.
Seligman’s prediction
about the science and practice
of psychology in the 21st century is that a psychology of
positive human functioning will
arise that achieves a scientific
understanding and effective
interventions to build thriving
individuals, families, and communities (Seligman &
Csikszentmihalyi, 2000). He
further predicts that Positive
Psychology in this new century will come to understand and
build those factors that allow
individuals, communities, and
societies to flourish. Such a
science will not need to start
afresh. It requires, for the
most part, just a refocusing of
scientific energy. Ψ
Seligman, M. (1994). What you can change and
what you can't. New York: Knopf.
References
Gillham, J.E., & Seligman, M.E.P. (1999). Footsteps on the road to positive psychology. Behaviour Research and Therapy , 37, S163-S173.
Grant, A. M. (2001). Towards a Psychology of
Coaching: The Impact of Coaching on Metacognitioin, Mental Health and Goal Attainment. [Online] Doctoral dissertation, Macquarie University,
Sydney. Available: http://
www.psych.usyd.edu.au/psychcoach/
AMG_PhD_2001.pdf
17
Seligman, M.E.P. (1995). The effectiveness of
psychotherapy: The Consumer Reports study.
American Psychologist, 50 (12), 965-974.
Seligman, M.E.P., Schulman, P., DeRubeis, R.J.,
& Hollon, S.D. (1999). The prevention of depression and anxiety. Prevention and Treatment, 2.
Seligman, M., & Csikszentmihalyi, M. (2000).
Positive psychology: An Introduction. American
Psychologist, 55, 5-14.
Starker, Steven (1990). Self-help books: Ubiquitous agents of health care. Medical Psychotherapy: An International Journal, Vol 3, 187-194.
18
2012
EMDR
An Evolving Therapy
By Devi Nandakumar, M.A., M. Phil.
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) developed as a therapy by Dr.
Francine Shapiro in 1987 initially focused on the
people with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder
(PTSD). As the name implies, eye movements are
psychological orientations followed
by EMDR, like psychodynamic therapy, behaviour therapy, cognitive
therapy, experiential therapy, hypnotic therapy
and client centered therapy. Hence, EMDR is a
fine example of an eclectic model.
The underlying principle of EMDR is that when
an individual undergoes a traumatic or stressful
situation, normally some form of self-healing takes
place in the individual, if there is enough support
and resources. Sometimes this natural process of
self healing fails. Through EMDR a client is well
equipped with adaptive learning patterns for the
future, learns to desensitize the present distressing factors and to unlearn the negative experiences of the past.
EMDR can be administered to adults as well as
the child population with specific guidelines and
protocols followed for each population respectively. Efficiency of a therapist plays a very vital role in
just one of the processes involved in the whole
complex procedure. Dr. Shapiro noticed that eye
movement decreases disturbing thoughts coming
to one’s mind. This laid the foundation for her to
develop EMDR as a therapy.
In simple words, information processing takes
place in EMDR therapy. The three-pronged approach of EMDR addresses the past, the present
and the future . In EMDR, a therapist assists the
client to transform negative experiences or disturbing thoughts to adaptive learning experiences. In fact, the Adaptive Information
Processing Model is based on the observations from EMDR treatment effects.
When we go through the eight phases of
EMDR treatment, it reflects the many major
the complete process of EMDR; in each phase of
the therapy a clinician’s sensitivity and flexibility is
tested. Furthermore, utmost care needs to be taken for client–therapist relationship.
The whole process of EMDR targets boosting
self esteem and self efficacy of clients. It is neither
a single session therapy, nor can it be administered to all clients. The client should be made
aware of the treatment plan and a clinician should
be sure that he/she has enough positive resources
for dealing with disturbing memories which may
arise, blocking the whole treatment process.
Based on the research done to date, EMDR as
a therapy has enormous potential and it is well established to facilitate the client’s self healing process.
Replying to queries in the New York Times
newspaper (dated March 2nd 2012), Dr. Shapiro
states that EMDR therapy is recommended as an
effective treatment of PTSD ...Cont’d on p. 38
The Role of
Psychometric Testing
19
in Tackling the UAE’s HR Challenges
Over the last fifteen years, employers have
made a quantum leap forward in the way they
recruit and assess candidates. Selection methods and processes used by the majority of graduate employers have changed beyond all recognition, with online psychometrics helping organizations achieve huge cost and time savings.
Advancing technology has played a major
role in this progress, and in driving the rapid
growth we have seen in the UAE. As the region
adapts to the many changes this growth has
brought, large organizations are embracing the
latest online assessments in their quest for cost
effective solutions to their HR challenges.
In the 1990s, psychologists relied on paper
based application forms that candidates filled in
by hand and sent back in the mail. This process
was time consuming for candidates and employers, as well as costly to administrate.
It was around the year 2000 that progressive
organizations such as KPMG and British Airways
started making real headway with the introduction of dynamic, interactive online systems. Candidates enter information on the company’s website, then participate in online psychometric assessments and ability tests.
These tests might measure the candidate’s fit
2012
with the organizational culture, the suitability of
their personality and behavior preferences to a
role or assess key skills such as verbal and numerical reasoning.
Today it has become common practice for
large organizations around the world to use these methods, but challenges are still being faced
when using psychometric tests in the UAE. Tom
Verboven, Managing Consultant at Cubiks UAE
explains, “Many of the assessments used in the
region have been developed in Europe and the
USA, so they are normed and validated in a
western cultural environment. This can cause
problems when using them in the UAE as often
they are not entirely appropriate for use with nonwestern cultures.”
Cubiks, an international assessment and development consultancy is working to develop solutions that are specifically for the region in order
to help overcome this issue. The company has
been focusing on culturally adapting its tools,
and will soon be releasing an Arabic version of
its flagship personality assessment, PAPI
(Personality and Preference Inventory).
PAPI Arabic is not only an Arabic translation
of the assessment, it includes cultural adaptations for Arab countries and regional norms are
forthcoming. As many organizations working in
the UAE employ people from various countries,
Cubiks also offers the ability to create norms
specifically for an organization, ensuring that PAPI Arabic is relevant for every context.
Tom says that Cubiks’ ability to respond to
demands and develop new solutions for the region stems from its extensive experience working
with UAE employers and the fact that it understands the key challenges they face.
“A major issue for recruiters in the region is
dealing with the high volume of candidates, particularly those applying for unsuitable roles. Numerous organizations have worked with Cubiks
to implement online psychometric assessments
and ability tests. These help screen applicants at
the start of the recruitment process, deselecting
unsuitable people and finding the best candi-
dates to progress to the next stages.
“Retaining staff is also a problem for many
organisations in the UAE. The latest online recruitment systems from Cubiks include assessments such as Etray, an inbox simulation exercise and Situational Judgement Questions based
on real life scenarios for the organization. Cubiks
bespokes these assessments to reflect actual
scenarios from the recruiting organization, giving
candidates a preview of what a role will entail.
This means that successful candidates know
what to expect when they are selected for the
job, so they are less likely to resign because a
position doesn’t suit them.”
By implementing these kinds of processes,
businesses have in some cases reduced the recruitment time cycle from nine to five months
and have benefitted from cost reductions of up to
$1.5 million per year. By thoroughly assessing
candidates, organizations ensure that the individuals they recruit fit with the role requirements
as well as their wider business culture and so
have the best chances of success in their job.
As companies based in the UAE grow, so
does the demand for psychometric assessments
to be used for recruiting and managing their expanding workforces. The variety of HR practices
implemented by multinational companies in the
region, combined with rapidly advancing technology means that the UAE is the perfect incubator
for the continued development of people management methods and processes. Ψ
Ehsan Fahmi
Analyst, Middle East and Africa
Cubiks Limited (Dubai Branch)
Cubiks is an international assessment and development consultancy that combines business psychological services with an advanced
portfolio of online assessment products.
An Industrial
Psychologist abroad
The UAE edition
Angela de Jong, PhD
Three years ago I shook
the African soil off my
high heels and put my
sandaled feet nonchalantly in the Arabian
Desert’s sand. I arrived
in Abu Dhabi with two
bags, an inexhaustible
sense of adventure, a
big sense of humor and
a new job offering end-
less opportunities.
Settling into the new role was surprisingly easy;
colleagues were friendly, the orientation staff was
helpful and the work itself was stimulating. However, as time progressed I noticed some challenges.
It became rather evident that the role of an Industrial/Organizational Psychologist back home was
somewhat different from what was required of the
role in my new location.
In my opinion, an I/O Psychologist’s main function is to strike a healthy balance between contributing to an organization’s success by improving
performance, but also ensuring and promoting the
well-being of the employees. Other definitions I’ve
found read: to apply principles of psychology to
human resources, administration, management,
sales, and marketing problems; or the application
or extension of psychological facts and principles
to the problems
concerning human beings
operating within the context of
business and industry. No matter how one
defines the function, the fact remains that in
pursuing this balance I/O Psychologists need to
employ scientific principles and research-based
designs to generate
organizational knowledge. This knowledge can,
and should be, applied to the entire Human Resources life cycle, starting with manpower planning, recruitment, psychometric testing, selection, orientation, learning and development, performance management, succession planning,
and eventually retirement. Other aspects may
include projects related to organizational development, change management, policy planning,
labor law and ergonomics.
The challenges that crossed my desk as an I/
O Psychologist appointed as an assessment
manager, included aspects such as:
Finding psychometric tests that were appropriate, affordable and easily administered to employees functioning within a multi-cultural work
environment. …Cont’d on p. 39
21
2012
Psychology Education
in the UAE
of which help to develop a transferable skill base
for the many subjects and careers students may
choose.
Annie Crookes, PhD
Academic Head, School of Life Sciences
Heriot-Watt University Dubai Campus
This positive interest reflected also in the
growing media presence of psychology locally, is
let down by a comparative lack of opportunity at
bachelors and more significantly post graduate
level. Although there are varied employment opportunities for psychologists in the UAE, training
is still lacking and most psychologists both national and international who work in the Emirates
have qualified, at least partially, abroad.
Psychology as a taught subject certainly exists
to some extent at all educational levels from
GCSE level (English curriculum, grade 11) to International Baccalaureate, A-level , CBSE (Indian
system) and others at the high school stage. As
such there is an ever growing interest among
young people in studying psychology and pursuing careers relevant to the field. Indeed, where it
is taught, some schools list psychology as one of
the most popular subjects taken by students.
Although many institutions may offer an elective course in psychology (including the prestigious NYU-AD), some may even make an introduction to psychology compulsory. Very few institutions teach psychology as a
‘major’ (American system) or ‘single honors ’ (British system). Indeed, the UAE University is unique among the government sponsored institutions with its well-established psychology school, including counseling, clinical
and neuroscience areas,. Similarly, across the
myriad private international universities, only
Middlesex University Dubai and Heriot-Watt
University Dubai offer degrees in psychology.
Others, such as American University of Sharjah have highly regarded psychology departments with active research faculty but offer
only a minor in psychology to their students.
Clearly there is still some reticence over the
career opportunities for graduates of psychology in the local region.
Certainly, from a career point of view, studying
psychology at any level has many benefits, as it
is a subject grounded in both science and practical application. It involves skills in critical thinking,
problem solving and written communication– all
The situation is even worse at post graduate level where only the UAEU currently offers
a psychology program leading to an entry level
license to practice (MSc clinical psychology).
Middlesex and Heriot-Watt both offer MSc de-
Education in the Emirates is a broad mix of
curricula and teaching models from government
sponsored to private and even distance based
learning centers.
As such the nature of psychology education in
the country is similarly varied.
grees in applied areas of psychology (MSc Applied psychology and MSc Business psychology).
Both of these can be used as a stepping stone
into psychology training or to positively enhance
the knowledge base for other careers but do not
in themselves lead directly to professional practice in psychology. The only other opportunity for
students wishing to study psychology or counseling while remaining in the Emirates is to look for
distance learning programs . However this is a
risky option which may not be accepted for licensure down the line or at the very least will require
much time and effort from the individual to complete the requirements.
Perhaps the main obstruction to the development of a post graduate psychology training for
professional practice is the lack of internship opportunities. Particularly important for clinical and
counseling psychology, the comparatively small
size and recent history of the UAE mean that
work experience can be hard to come by. In other countries government services, mental health
charities and rehabilitative services among others have developed over time providing pockets
of relevant work experience for graduate trainees. As yet, such a complex range of services is
not available or required by the population of
UAE. In time this is likely to change which may
mean future development of programs may be
more viable. However, another major problem
exists in the multi-cultural and multi-lingual nature of the society here, particularly in the major
cities. So, while English speaking universities
may provide psychology programs for students,
work experience opportunities may be restricted
to UAE nationals, Arabic speaking or based on
specific contexts (for example, certain charity organizations may be in need of psychologists with
particular language/gender/cultural background).
Overall, psychology is a growing field in the
Emirates and as job opportunities and mental
health provisions continue to develop so does
provision for psychology education. Currently,
there are some clear limitations, particularly at
the post graduate level and students may still
find themselves looking abroad for programs tailored to their specific interests. Yet, certainly at
lower levels, there is already the chance for students to engage in this highly academic and skill
based subject. Ψ
23
2012
The Psychology of Car
Car accidents can occur because of miscalculations and errors of judgments by skillful drivers who
normally abide by traffic regulations. Accidents
may also occur because the driver chose not to
follow the law because of certain beliefs, attitudes
and values imposed by peer pressure or inspired
by role models. The first type of accidents are within the normal range in UAE, while the second type
of car accidents led to horrific statistics: while the
ratio of cars to the population in UAE is less than
the ratio of car to the population in UK and USA,
the ratio of traffic accident fatalities to the population in UAE is six times that in US and ten time that
in UK.
Car accidents occur because of the choices
made and the resultant actions have overloaded
the cognitive and motor capabilities of the driver.
Recent research has shown that some beliefs,
attitudes and values concerning driving styles are
widespread among young drivers in the UAE.
Tailgating- approaching cars from behind at high
speed, flashing lights to budge cars out of the way,
changing lanes quickly and cutting off cars- is
seen as respected behaviour. Abiding by the
speed limit, maintaining a clear distance behind
cars in front, and putting on seatbelts are often
considered unmanly or cowardly- or practices followed only by ‘unskilled drivers.’
These beliefs and values are the product of
group pressure and the need to ‘conform’. Psychology studies of conformity were pioneered by
Solomon Ash in an ingenious experimental work
back in 1950s and are part of the field of experimental social psychology.
Some of the reckless and aggressive driving
practices mentioned above seem to be a manifestation of ‘territoriality,’ which is an innate tendency
to claim territory and emphasize the person’s
space ownership. Territoriality is shared by all living species and is essential for survival. Perhaps
that is why some drivers do not use the light signal
to indicate directions because one does not have
to inform others about his future directions in his
own space. Also, a study has shown that the fanci-
25
Accidents
er the car the more territory is claimed. Territoriality
was extensively studied by biologists and psychologists using animals and humans alike. To say that
territoriality is innate and essential for survival does
not mean that all its manifestations are correct and
legitimate.
When a perfectly responsible driver makes a
wrong judgement or miscalculation, or when a reckless driver makes a rash choice, such as speeding,
tailgating, jumping the traffic red light, etc. a situation is created where demands for safety go beyond human cognitive and motor capabilities. Yet,
the individual could make another type of rash
choice but with equally hazardous consequence:
drive under the influence of alcohol, drugs or certain medicines or when fatigued or sleepy. In such
a situation, the demands of safety are normal but
the level of the human cognitive and motor functioning is reduced below the requirements of safe
driving. The effect is usually disastrous. It is obvious that in all these examples the human factor is
at play, not the vehicle nor the road.
Human cognitive functions are amazingly effective and efficient, but they have limitations. Of relevance here is the speed of the driver’s reactions to
events in the road environment or what is known by
scientists as ‘reaction time’ which has extensively
been studied by experimental psychologists (e.g.
Donders). Reaction time is the total of the times
required for sensation, perception, discrimination,
choice and response plus the time needed for motor execution of a response to an event in the surrounding environment. Several factors affect reaction time: gender, age, the level of physiological
stimulation, sleepiness, fatigue, distractions, the
number of relevant stimuli and expectancy. Reaction time varies under different conditions but has
lower limits. Human responses cannot go beyond
that limit. If because of recklessness or a miscalculation a situation was created where avoiding a
crash requires reaction time shorter than humanly
possible, a disaster will certainly be looming.
Also driving safely requires focused, selective,
divided and sustained attention, depending on the
requirements of the situation. It requires accurate
detection of changes in the road environment. Signal detection was also extensively studied by psychologist and a prominent theory, ‘Signal Detection
Theory’ was developed based on extensive experimental studies. In everyday life and in the road environment in particular, relevant changes must be
detected and responded to correctly and in good
time. Studies by experimental and cognitive psychologists of signal detection culminated in a vast
body of knowledge about the variables involved
when an individual has to detect changes in the
environment, identify and classify these events as
relevant (signals) or irrelevant (noise), choose the
right response and respond in due time . This, too,
is a limited human cognitive capacity which cannot
cope with most of the situations created by reckless driving practices or misjudgements.
Ψ
Taha Amir, PhD
The author is professor in Department of Psychology and Counselling UAEU and has conducted funded researches on car accidents in the UAE.
26
2012
Confronting Stereot
What Can We Do?
Following the National Career
Exhibition in Sharjah in March
this year, The National published
several articles examining why
only 43,000 Emiratis fill the 2.2
million private sector jobs in the
UAE, which is plagued by 14%
unemployment for citizens. These articles cover interviews with
Emirati professionals who suggest that negative stereotypes
fuel a tendency in the private
sector to resist hiring Emiratis. 1,
2
Whether from personal interaction, the media, or other
sources, we create and maintain
sets of expectations about what
groups of people are like. Sometimes these expectations carry a
‘grain of truth,’ other times they
are more dissociated from reality. Either way, once formed
these expectations – known as
stereotypes – change the way
we perceive the world around
us.
When we hold a stereotype
about a particular group, it impacts the way we interact with
members of that group. If we
expect poor work from members of a certain group, we may
give them fewer or less important responsibilities. Stereotypes also influence the way
we evaluate behaviors performed by members of the
group, whether or not that as-
sessment is accurate. Putting
these pieces together, we see
that stereotypes have the
power to elicit behavior and
change the way we interpret
that behavior. In this way, stereotypes are selfperpetuating. By eliciting the
behavior we expect, we
‘prove’ our expectation true.
Such consequences are not
conscious or deliberate; instead they are the unintended
byproduct of a cognitive system which evolved to balance
accuracy with efficiency.
The fact is, although they
may lead us astray, stereotypes, as any categorization
types of Emiratis:
processes, are functional for
daily interaction. As globalization increases, we are confronted by more and more “types” of
people with different customs,
backgrounds, and belief systems. Too much diversity is
overwhelming to the cognitive
system, but having some
knowledge about what “types” of
people are like can help us interpret the interactions we have
with people who come from different backgrounds. If that is the
case, we should want our stereotypes to be as accurate as
possible, and when they are inaccurate, we may want them to
change.
Interacting with people who
do not conform to our stereotypic expectations may be one way
to modify our stereotypes. Mey
Alleem, a successful Emirati engineer, told The National, "I pursued this career because it's a
challenging thing, especially for
a woman. I like challenges…. I
If our stereotype is wrong, it
needs to be gently nudged in the
right direction until our minds can
no longer resist the evidence.
To help make this option a
reality, at all societal levels, individuals should make a deliberate
attempt to interact with people
who are different from them. This
allows the opportunity to encounter people who deviate from stereotypes. While interacting with
people from different backgrounds, we should embrace
what psychologists call a
Angela Maitner, PhD
wanted to prove we were better
than that and could lead."3 Although Mey is also proving that
Emiratis can lead, her example
may be too striking to alter an
overall stereotype of Emiratis in
the workplace. Instead, individuals who are extremely deviant
from our stereotypic expectations are often fenced off from
the group – taken as a rare
counterexample whose behav-
“multicultural ideology.” It is
beneficial to recognize differences that exist between
groups in society – to allow categorization – so long as we also respect those differences.
Research shows that holding
this view of diversity provides
the cognitive benefit of getting
to simplify a complex social
world through categorization,
but ensures that resulting stereotypes are more accurate. It
does so without increasing prejudice, thereby reducing tension
27
ior tells us nothing about the
group as a whole. Individuals
who can be subcategorized are
also fenced off. If an Emirati is
foreign-educated or raised, for
example, we may automatically
and unconsciously consider their
behavior a product of their environment and not their nationality.
So again, in our minds their success tells us nothing of Emiratis
in general.
If stereotypes have the power
to prove themselves right, and if
they are resistant to change
even in the face of counterexamples, how can they be controlled? Herein lies the real challenge to Emirati identity and perhaps part of the problem of unemployment among UAE nationals. Put simply, the strongest
way to confront stereotypes is to
present a large number of mildly
counter-stereotypic exemplars –
we need to see people who surprise, but don’t overwhelm us.
between groups and creating a
more supportive environment for
stereotype change.
Second, every individual
must recognize that their behavior is perceived by outsiders as
a reflection on the group. This is
especially the case in a diverse
society where the mind categorizes in order to function. Individuals who act counter to a stereotype weaken it. Those who support it, strengthen it.
...Cont’d on p. 39
2012
The Culture of Volunteerism
in The UAE
Reflections on a Study of Emirati Youth
Robert Putnam wrote (1995)
that interpersonal interactions
between individuals in a society
driven by civic associations could
result in “social capital,” or that
the members of that society
place in their expectations of cooperation with one another. Yet
in UAE formal volunteering, an
example of such civic engagement defined as the act of giving
time through a registered organization or community association,
has reportedly risen in recent
years. The popularity of volunteerism in UAE may come as no
surprise to those who know that
Emiratis have given their time to
civic associations since the beginning of the country’s foundation, and before this Emiratis
report that earlier generations
helped their neighbors informally since long before the nation’s
birth. Yet there are major differences between those associations and today’s new volunteerism initiatives. All or most older
associations considered members’ involvement with the group
the primary form of volunteerism, whereas newer organizations more often offer a chance
for non-group members to
“plug” into programs as they see
fit, allowing for a wider audience
to engage in a group’s activities
even if those volunteers do not
typically give their time to the
group. New organizations also
often go beyond money-giving
opportunities, instead offering
volunteers a chance to give their
time to others.
The UAE and its citizens have
much to gain from these trends,
though not without drawbacks.
In a small survey last year of
twenty Emirati youth who were
identified by members of their
community as “highly engaged”
in volunteerism, volunteers reported knowledge and skill acquisition as one of their biggest
motivations and most significant
of effects of volunteering. Volunteers learned everything from
confidence, time management,
communication skills, patience,
and self-motivation for productivity to feeling less shy around
members of the opposite gender.
Volunteers emphasized
that volunteering can expand
one’s horizons. One young man
from Dubai confessed, “For me,
it’s all about the learning experience.” An Al Ain university student exclaimed that volunteering
helps you learn things you’ll never learn in schools or from books
because you cannot process
what you don’t experience.
Beyond this, volunteers emphasized their gains in happiness. As one young woman
from Al Ain stated, when you
help people “it’s a special happiness, you’ll never find it anywhere else.” Several others reported a feeling of religious selfactualization. Another volunteer
explained: “…knowing that God
rewards you for helping others
may lead some Emiratis to volunteer even if this motivation is
purely subconscious.”
The reported effects on volunteers were not all positive,
namely fear of criticism from
family, friends, and society.
Several of those interviewed
said that one or both parents
thought that giving time to the
community required students to
sacrifice, rather than supplement, their academic studies.
Some friends questioned an activity – any activity – that re-
Rebecca Donaldson
quires you to labor without payment. “Why you help them but
they don’t pay you?” asked the
friends of a young woman from
Ras al-Khaimah (RAK). Her
friends went on to point out that
volunteering may make people
see you “as a Filipina maid.”
Some volunteers, especially
young women, feared repercussions if volunteering required co
-ed interaction. Others reported
feelings of isolation from their
choice to spend their free time
working.
Regardless, momentum may
drive volunteerism’s popularity
all the way towards societal
change. Throughout my interviews, volunteers continually
emphasized that volunteering
taught them not only how to
work with others from a teamwork perspective, but also with
those who are different from
them in terms of gender, nationality, or race. As one student so
eloquently put it, volunteering
can help “delete that conflict between thoughts and cultures.”
Indeed, depending on the
nature and content of the volunteering, the very act can teach
someone how to see the world
from the eyes of another other-
29
wise marginalized perspective. A
young man from Abu Dhabi stated simply that since volunteering
he’s learned to think outside of
himself. An Al Ain student says
she better understands how to
analyze other’s motives. Others
finally saw that those who are
different from them, especially
those with special needs, are not
necessarily disabled and are, in
fact, quite able: painting, walking,
running, winning medals.
One young man who studies
film at university admitted that he
used to have a phobia of disabled people. Now he is thinking
of producing a TV show that includes the handicapped as characters on the show in order to
change society’s perception of
them. While volunteering, he
found himself thinking that disabled kids are more honest. “I
used to be the kind of person
who would judge a book by its
cover,” he said. “Now I’m more
accepting of people – who they
are, where they come from.” He
said he did not know if this came
from volunteering for sure, but
that afterwards he could see difference.
Retaining a healthy
skepticism, he stated that volunteerism could not fulfill all of society’s needs. In a realization that
would make Putnam proud, he
went on to say that volunteering
still could “help society’s interactions with one another.” If this is
true and the trend continues, volunteering may not just affect
UAE’s volunteers. It may also
strengthen the togetherness of
the society as a whole. Ψ
By Rebecca Donaldson
US Fulbright Scholar (2010-11)
FHSS, UAEU
2012
Student Column
Woes of a Psychology Undergrad: The Struggle for Neutrality
“Oh you’re studying psychology? Can you
analyze my personality?” If this sounds familiar, you are indeed (or were) a psychology student. I’ve been studying for almost two years
now, and the very same questions and reactions happen every time someone gets to
know that I am studying psychology. Analyzing
personalities is indeed a part of a psychologist’s
job, but personality analysis doesn’t happen on
the go. We can’t talk about it casually over tea; I
can’t give it to you on a plate to go along with
the falafel you just ordered.
By Saad Ibrahim, Psychology Major, UAEU
According to which theory would you like to
be analyzed? Or what particular aspect of your
personality would you like us to look into? Can
you fill out these numerous personality scales
while I shake my head in dismay?
(Geographical Information Systems) student, to
which I quickly replied, “Oh sure, I’ll analyze
your personality but only if you draw me a map
first.” I do realize this might be unprofessional
but it keeps my irritation levels controllable.
Is this what it feels to be stereotyped?
We’ve studied stereotypes in the course of social psychology, and I am very aware that we
all belong to a certain stereotype whether we
like it or not. However, being reminded of it
regularly by peers (even unintentionally) gets
under your skin after a while, and it’s very hard
not to become irritated. The last time I was
asked these questions was by a GIS
Another common belief is that psychology
students go into the field because they have
mental problems of their own to solve. My
peers often stated, “What? Study psychology?!
No thanks, I’m not crazy.” Sometimes they follow it up with, “So how are you doing now?” to
which I respond with a vague expression and a
wistful look towards the horizon. Again, I know
this looks unprofessional but I’m just going to
hide behind my student status, I have yet to attain the patience and understanding of senior
psychology professionals.
It is indeed true that a portion of students go
into the field to gain better understanding of
themselves as human beings, but that does not
mean they are psychopaths. How come medical students aren’t being called sadists since
they slice corpses up during anatomy classes?
Why don’t we see chemical engineering students being deemed potential anarchists just
because they dabble with chemicals? So why
does studying the mind brand those who study
it as ‘crazy’?
Here is another one of those comments:
“You’re doing psychology? Wow. I took a couple of diplomas in NLP last summer!” These
kinds of statements really get to me. All that
should be said is that Neuro-Linguistic Pro-
however after some investigations online I
wasn’t surprised to see that other psychology
students around the globe also are being
viewed in pretty much the same way. Actually,
just to be fair, every discipline’s students have a
particular stereotype; we all have a certain idea
of what an engineering student, what a mass
communications student is like, what a politics
student is like etc. It is just a marvel how these
stereotypes persist in universities which are
supposedly scintillating platforms of knowledge
and awareness.
As the issue of academic stereotypes isn’t
31
gramming is not considered a branch of psychology. What usually comes up with this is
hypnosis. Others ask if we learn how to do hypnosis during the course of our study, it’s not
enough to follow up the big sigh with a simple
“No,” I also explain why hypnotism died out as a
therapeutic approach and that it’s not a viable
treatment option in almost all cases. If I don’t
add this they will get the idea that what they see
in movies is still being done in real practice.
Once others know that you’re studying psychology, they deal with you with an obvious air
of suspicion, as if you’re trying to get to their innermost secrets or looking for guinea pigs to
apply what you’ve learned.
I don’t intend to generalize here, maybe it’s
just my personal experience and I shouldn’t be
extrapolating it to the experiences of other psychology undergraduate students;
limited to one discipline, looking at it from a student’s perspective might have shed some light
on the nuances associated with the psychology
student stereotype. However, it is not something that will hinder a student’s performance or
general functioning. The real issue is what
comes after that. These perspectives tend to
persist without correction even after entering
professional lives, and just like a stereotype of a
particular ethnic group negatively affects the
attitudes and behavior towards that group, so
do stereotypes of academic disciplines and
their professionals. Ψ
2012
Avicenna’s
Contributions to
Psychology
Ibn Sina, commonly known
as Avicenna in the West was
from Bukhara (presently capital
of Uzbekistan in Central Asia).
His full name was Abu ‘Ali AlHusayn B. ‘Abd Allah Ibn Sina
(980–1037) and he was known
primarily as a philosopher and a
physician, but he also contributed to the advancement of all
sciences in his time. In the field
of psychology, Ibn Sina wrote
about mind, its existence, the
mind–body relationship, sensa-
tion, perception, etc. in his famous book ash Shifa (Healing).
At the most common level, the
influence of the mind on the
body can be seen in voluntary
movements, i.e. whenever the
mind wishes to move the body,
the body obeys. The second level of the influence of mind on the
body is from emotions and the
will. Say for instance, if a plank
of wood is placed as a bridge
over a chasm, one can hardly
creep over it without falling because one only pictures oneself
in a possible fall so vividly that
the ‘‘natural power of limbs accord with it.’’ Strong emotions
can actually destroy the temperament of the individual and lead
to death by influencing vegetative functions. On the other
hand, a strong soul could create
conditions in another person as
well—based on this phenomenon, he accepts the reality of
hypnosis (al Wahm al-Amil). He
divided human perceptions into
the five external and five internal
senses: (a) sensus communis or
the seat of all senses that integrates sense data into percepts,
(b) the imaginative faculty which
conserves the perceptual images, (c) the sense of imagination,
which acts upon these images
by combining and separating
them (by intellect in humans)
and is therefore the seat of practical intellect, (d) Wahm or instinct that perceives qualities like
good and bad, love and hate,
etc. and it forms the basis of
one’s character whether or not
influenced by reason, (e) intentions (ma’ni) that conserves in
memory all these notions. He
wrote about the potential intellect
(within man) and active intellect
(outside man) and that cognition
cannot be mechanically produced but involves intuition at
every stage. According to him,
ordinary human mind is like a
mirror upon which a succession
of ideas reflects from the active
intellect. Before the acquisition of
knowledge that emanates from
the active intellect the mirror was
rusty but when we think, the mirror is polished and it remains to
direct it to the sun (active intellect) so that it could readily reflect light. Ibn Sina also gave
psychological explanations of
certain somatic illnesses. He
considered philosophizing as a
way of making ‘‘the soul reach
perfection’’. Ibn Sina always
linked the physical and psychological illnesses together. He
called melancholia (depression)
a type of mood disorder in which
the person may become suspicious and develop certain types
of phobias. Anger he said heralded the transition of melancho-
lia to mania. He explained that
humidity inside the head can
contribute to mood disorders.
This happens when the amount
of breath changes. Happiness
increases the breath, which
leads to increased moisture inside the brain but if this moisture goes beyond its limits the
brain will lose control over its
rational thought leading to mental disorders. He also used psychological methods to treat his
patients. Ibn Sina also wrote
about symptoms and treatment
of love sickness (Ishq), nightmare, epilepsy, and weak
memory.
Excerpt from Haque, A.
(2004). Psychology from an Islamic perspective: Contributions
of Early Muslim Scholars to
Psychology. Journal of Religion
and Health. 43:4, 367-387.
33
...cont’d from p. 15 (NRC)
Education and Training
Educating its own workforce to
deliver the best possible treatment and care, to build capacity
in Abu Dhabi and the UAE to
deal with addiction and associated problems and to be a regional
and international centre of excellence in training and workforce
development in addictions are
NRC’s aims.
The Psychological Skills and
Competencies Training Programme for Mental Health Professionals initiated by NRC in partnership with Maudsley International
and King’s College London in 2009
was the first of its kind in the country. Its success in improving skills
in a multidisciplinary workforce has
led to a partnership with the UAEU
to develop this programme into a
Post Graduate Diploma in Applied
Psychological Skills in Mental
Health. Providing placements and
fellowships to undergraduates,
postgraduates and trainees of different professions as an education
partner with universities is very
much part of the agenda of the
NRC. The NRC is currently
launching an experiential training
geared towards developing capacities in delivering the Matrix, an ambulatory care model accredited by
the Substance Abuse and Mental
Health Services Administration
(SAMHSA) in the USA.
To find out more about the
NRC please visit our website
www.nrc.ae or phone us on +971
2 446 6660. Ψ
Dr Shamil Wanigaratne
Consultant Clinical Psychologist
and Senior Advisor to the Director General of the NRC
2012
Psychology and
Mental Health
Conferences
2012
Singapore, Singapore
Web: http://www.apbam.org
September 14 - 17, 2012
13th International EABP Congress of Body Psychotherapy
Cambridge, UK
Web: www.eabpcongress2012.co
.uk/
November 8-11, 2012
25th Annual Psychiatric and
Mental Health Congress
San Diego, California, USA
Web: http://
www.psychcongress.com
September 21-23, 2012
International Conference on
Schizophrenia
Chennai, India
Web: http://www.icons-scarf.org/
November 15 - 18, 2012
53rd Annual Meeting of the
Psychonomic Society
Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
Web: http://
www.psychonomic.org/annualmeeting.html
September 26-28
South-East Asia Psychology
Conference
Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia
Web: http://www.ums.edu.my/
conferences/SEAP2012
September, 26 - 30, 2012
6th International Adventure
Therapy Conference
Czech Paradise, Czech Republic
Web: www.6iatc.eu
October 10-13, 2012
International Conference on
Education and Educational
Psychology
Istanbul, Turkey
Web: http://www.iceepsy.org/
November, 1-3, 2012
2nd Asia Pacific Behavioral
and Addiction Conference with
Psychotherapy Masterclass
December 5-7, 2012
Division of Clinical Psychology Conference
Oxford, United Kingdom
Web: http://www.bps.org.uk/
dcp2012
2013
March 20 - 23, 2013
First World Conference on
Personality
Stellenbosch, South Africa
Web: http://perpsy.org/
April 18 - 20, 2013
Biennial Meeting of the Society for Research in Child Development (SRCD)
Seattle, Washington, USA
Web: www.srcd.org
July 9 - 12, 2013
The 13th European Congress of Psychology
Stockholm, Sweden
Web: www.ecp2013.org
July 22-25, 2013
7th World Congress of
Behavioral and Cognitive
Therapies
Lima, Peru
Web: wcbct2013.pe
July 31 - August 4, 2013
121st Annual Convention
of the American Psychological Association
Honolulu, Hawaii, USA
Web: www.apa.org/
convention
August 15-18, 2013
3rd Asia Pacific Rim Counseling and Psychotherapy
Conference
Kuching, Malaysia
Web: http://
counselingmalaysia.com/
November 14 - 17, 2013
54th Annual Meeting of
the Psychonomic Society
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Web: http://
www.psychonomic.org/
annual-meeting.html
UAE Practicing Psychologist Database
Name of Psychologist
Alia Alserkal
University Degree
PhD (Psychology)
Andrea Tosatto
Angela De Jong
PhD (Psychology)
D. Comm (Leadership in Performance and
Change), M. Comm (I/O psychology)
MA (Industrial Psychology)
MSc (Occupational Psychology), Charted Psychologist
Angela Wahl
Bonita Das Bhatla
Deema Sihweil
Fatima Mohd. Abdulla
J. Bruce Overmier
Jeannine Deitos
Jessica Rios-Habib
June Fong
Katerine LeMay
PsyD (Clinical Psychology)
MA (Psychology)
PhD (Organizational Psychology)
PhD (Pediatric Psychology)
PhD (Pediatric Psychology)
Forensic Psychology
PhD (Clinical Psychology)
Lama Younis
Lisa Biasini
Lori Carroll
Maqsoud Kruse
Naeema Jiwani
Plamen Dimitri
Raymond H. Hamden
Sabine Skaf
Samineh I. Shaheem
Sanne Mantoni
Sarah Jones
Forensic Psychology & Criminology
MA (Psychology)
PhD (School Psychology)
M. Psych (Clinical Psychology)
MS (Psychoanalytic Developmental Psychology)
PhD (Organizational Psychology)
PhD (Clinical & Forensic Psychology)
MA (Psychology)
PhD (Cross Cultural Psychology)
MA (Organizational Psychology)
MSc (Occupational Psychology)
Place of Work
du (Emirates Integrated Telecommunication Company), Dubai
Dubai
TDIC, Abu Dhabi
ADCO, Abu Dhabi
Freelance Business Psychologist,
Abu Dhabi
Human Relations Institute, Dubai
Emirates Airlines, Dubai
Osteopathic Health Center
Dubai Healthcare City, Dubai
Dubai Physiotherapy and Family
Medicine Clinic, Dubai
Abu Dhabi
PA Consulting Group, Dubai
Human Resources & Development
Dubai Airports, Dubai
Note: This is a developing database of practicing psychologists who wish to add their names on this list.
For additions, deletions or corrections, please email to the editor. For more information, including criteria for inclusion, please see p. 40.
35
2012
Note: This directory is a continuation
of psychological and human services
listings provided in the Dec. 2011
issue of the Newsletter.
Psychological
Services in the UAE
Abu Dhabi
Private practice
The Abu Dhabi New Psychiatry
Hospital
Provides Occupational Therapy
A government run facility which
could be contacted for any help in
Psychiatry
Mr. Mohamed Taleb,
Deputy Director, Sr. Occupational
Therapist
Tel: 02 6669625 / 050 5369943
Tel: 02 6331600
The Gulf Diagnostic Center Hospital
Provides psychological and neuropsychological assessment and counseling
Add: Mental health department, PO
Box 30702,
Tel: 02 6658090/02 4177222/ 02
6658084 (F)
Web: www.gdc-hospital.com
New Medical Centre
Provides psychological and neuropsychological assessment and Counseling
Tel: 02 6332255
Web: www.nmc.ae
The New England Center for Children
Provides Applied Behaviour Analysis for Autisim
Vincent Strully Jr. (CEO & Founder)
Add: P.O. Box 112923 Abu Dhabi
Tel: 02 6429550 / 02 6429610 (F)
Web: www.necc.org /
www.neccabudhabi.org
Zayed Higher Organization for Humanitarian Care and Special
Needs
Provides educational, rehabilitation and therapeutic services to
support individuals with special
needs.
Add: Airport Road behind Carrefour
Tel: 02 6985555/02 4418099 (F)
Abu Dhabi Centre for Language
and Speech Disorders
Tel: 02 6656222
British Institute for Learning Development Abu Dhabi
Tel: 02 5526078
Web: www.british-ild.com
Abilities Development Centre
Tel: 02 6417996
Dubai
Al Noor Center for Children with
Special Needs
Tanuka Gupta (Clinical Psychologist)
Add: Al Barsha, behind Mall of the
Emirates PO Box 8397
Tel: 050 7947083
Web: www.alnooruae.org
British Medical Consulting Center
Psychiatrist and Psychotherapist
(adults, children and adolescents)
Dr. Abdul Wahab
Add: Villa # 32, Jumeirah Beach
Road, Jumeirah 1, Opposite Mercato Mall
Tel: 04 3442633
Web: www.bmccdubai.com
Child Early Intervention Medical
Center
Offers services for Autism and
speech therapy
Dr. Hibah Shata, Managing Director/
Co-Founder
Add: Dubai Health Care City, Al Razi
Building Block B, Suite 2010, PO Box
505122
Tel: 04 4233667/04 4298474(F)/050
5512319 (Dr. Hiba)
Email: [email protected] / [email protected]
Counseling Point
Dubai Clinical Psychologist
Sylvan Learning in Mirdif
Rema Menon, Founder and Director, Emotional / Psychological Therapist
Offers Psychotherapy Servicesin
English and French.
Specialty in reading
Add: Suite 202, Nasr Lootah Building
Next to New Pakistani Consulate
Bank Street – Bur Dubai
Tel: 050 5642709/04 3978846/04
3978847 (F)
Web: www.counsellingpoint.com
Davis Dyslexia Association affiliate
Provides Dyslexia Support Services
in English and Africans
Linda Rademan
Address: JESS Arabian Ranches
Tel: 04 3481687/050 4507760
Dyslexia Learning Support Services
Provides Dyslexia Learning Support
Services in English
Dr. Anita Singhal, Director, Educational Psychologist
Tel: 04 3440738/050 6524325
Dubai Autism Center
Dr. Katerine LeMay PhD, C. Psych.
Psychologist / Psychotherapist
Web: www.dubaipsychologist.com
Dubai Foundation for Women and
Children
Fatma Hassan Essa, Community
Awareness Director (Emotional /
Psychological Therapist)
Add: PO Box 97727
Tel: 04 6060331/04 6060300/04
2871221(F)
Web: www.dfwac.ae
Email: [email protected] /
[email protected]
Infinity Clinic
Speech-Language Pathologist/
Specialist in Learning Disabilities
(LD) in English
Alia Thobani
Add: Al Wasl Road 726 Dubai
Tel: 04 3948994
Web: http://www.ihcdubai.com
Provides services for Autism
Add: PO Box 103737
Tel: 04 3986864/04 3988262(F)
Web: www.dubaiautismcenter.ae
Dubai Early Childhood Development Center (DECDC)
Offers comprehensive assessments
for developmental disabilities.
Dr. Bushra Al Mulla, Director
Tel: 04 3260161
Web: www.cda.gov.ae
Private practice
Provides Dyslexic Support Service in
Arabic, English, and French
Ruba Tabari
Tel: 050 5514316
Jeffrey Smith, Director
Address: Street 47, Al Barajeel Oasis
Tel: 04 2362227
Web:
www.Tutoring.sylvanlearning.com/
mirdif
Stepping Stones Center for Autistic
Spectrum Disorders
Designs individualized behavioral,
educational, social, speech /
language and occupational therapy
programs for individuals diagnosed
within the autism spectrum and
other related disorders.
Add: Dubai Health Care City, Al Razi
Bldg, Block B, Suite 5001, Dubai
Tel: 04 3635433/04 3635432
(F)/050 3897117
Private Practitioner and ASD Elementary
SN assessment, Ed. Psych. LD/ADD/
ADHD in English
Onita Nakra, Ph.D.
Tel: 04 3440824/04 3557743/050
4508049"
Lexicon Reading Centre
Private Practice
Offers Services for children/adults
with learning differences
Autism and Clinical psychology
Aisha Said, Program Director
Add: Jumeirah Lakes Towers, HDS
Tower 1909
Tel: 04 4447782/050 7954428
Web:
www.lexiconreadingcenter.org
NMC Specialty Hospital
Provides psychological and neuropsychological assessment and
Counseling
Tel: 04 2679999/04 2678889
Web: www.nmc.ae
Marissa Lobo
Tel: 050 4579171
Ras Al Khaimah
ABA center for special needs
Provides Applied Behavior Analysis
Therapy for developmental disorders.
Mrs. Asha Susan
Add: Ras Al Khaimah, P.O Box
29345.
Tel: 07 2365542 / 07 2365057/ 055
3119743
Web: www.abacenter.org
Email: [email protected] / [email protected]
37
2012
Sharjah
ABA center for special needs
Manzil Special Needs
Provides a wide variety of services
to individuals and their families who
face the life-long challenges of developmental disabilities, autism,
pervasive developmental disorder,
asperger’s syndrome, ADD, ADHD,
developmental delays, down’s syndrome, cerebral palsy etc.
Educational Psychologist - Learning
Assessments
Mrs. Asha Susan
Tel: 055 3119743
Web: www.abacenter.org
[email protected] / [email protected]
Specialty Centre For Child Care
Ayesha Saeed Husaini, Director
Off Sharjah Airport Road, PO Box
44410
Tel: 06 5347663/06 5347664/04
3982246
Web: www.manzil.ae
Specialty Centre For Child Care
Provides special Needs assessment
and therapy in Arabic and Basic
English, Certified by Ministry of
Health.
Provides assessment and remedial
services in Arabic and basic English. Ashraf El Erain (Psychologist)
Consultants certified by the Ministry
Address: P.0. Box 21882 Sharjah
to conduct psychological and SN
Located near football stadium
assessments.
Tel: 050 5126206
Dr. Gamal El Karim (General ManagEmail: [email protected]
er)
P.0. Box 21882 Sharjah, Located
near football stadium
Tel: 06 5223517 050 525629
British Institute for Learning and
Development
Emirates Psychological Association Provides Neuro-phys development
of children / Occupational Therapy,
Provides workshops and trainings to Utilizes 9 international assessimprove skills of psychologists in
ments, translator available for AraArabic and English.
bic Speaking Clients.
Dr. Nadia Buhannad (President)
Sheena Reynolds Msc., Dip COT,
Address: Dar Ghaya Bldg. MowailBAOT, Learning Development Dieeh Area
rector
Tel: 06 5441137 / Sat-Wed (0800Add: Villa 361 (Ramaqia area, Shar1400)
jah)
Tel: 06 5383262
Web: www.psyemirates.com
Web: www.british-ild.com
Note: If your psychological
services are not listed here
and you wish to be included in
future issues of the Newsletter, please send us the
needed information. —Editor.
EMDR
An Evolving
Therapy,
Cont’d
...in the practice guideline of a
wide range of organizations
like the American Psychiatric
Association (APA) in 2004, the
Department of Veterans Affairs
and Department of Defence in
2010, the International Society
of Traumatic Stress Studies in
2009 and in other organizations worldwide.
Relatively few neuropsychological studies on EMDR have
been published yet. Van der
Kolk (1996) conducted a study
on trauma victims, who were
treated with EMDR and given
a SPECT brain scan, pre and
post EMDR. Findings showed
reduction in some of the neurological abnormalities associated with their conditions. A
study by Nicosia (1994) found
that examination of EMDR clients by quantitaive electroencephalography (QEEG) revealed normalization of the
slower brain wave activity of
the two cortical hemispheres.
Going forward, there is a
need for more research to be
conducted on the effect of
EMDR and its relation with
neuroplasticity of the brain.
This may highlight in the future
the effectiveness of EMDR as
a therapy. We hope to see
similar research initiatives increase in this part of the world.
Ψ
39
An Industrial Psychologist abroad
the UAE edition, Cont’d
Finding psychometric tests
and simulation exercises written
in Arabic for both Assessment
Centre and Development Centre
purposes.
Finding psychometric tests
with appropriate Arabic / MiddleEastern norms.
Giving development feedback to employees, while not a
native language speaker.
Mistrust in the psychometric
instrument, its reliability, the results and ultimately the value.
Online tests being completed by someone else, or not
completed at all.
Luckily, it can be reported
that many international test publishers are in the process of developing Arabic / Middle-Eastern
psychometric tests and
norms. Furthermore I reverted
back to the invigilated paper-and
-pencil format of assessment at
our offices rather than using
online assessments. And a
large part of my role became
raising awareness and education on the science underpinning
psychometrics, how the results
need to be interpreted, whilst
simultaneously highlighting the
value to hiring managers, candidates and employees partaking
in development centers. I found
this process thought provoking,
but also very rewarding.
Therefore, after having lived,
worked, dreamed and played for
three years in the Arabian desert,
I can see deep footsteps in the
sand, and it will become increasingly more difficult to shake this
rich red sand off my feet one day
when I need to return home. Ψ
Angela de Jong, PhD
Industrial Psychologist registered
with the HPCSA
Confronting Stereotypes of Emiratis: What Can We
Do? Cont’d
Individuals should also
acknowledge that their own stereotypes will play a role in influencing their behavior, and thus,
expecting bias (whether or not
it’s really there) will make it appear.
Stereotypes are considered
problematic because when we
hold negative expectations
about a group, we may misperceive negative characteristics in
individuals. But stereotypes are
also an essential part of the
architecture of the mind.
Confronting them requires
shared responsibility between
target and perceiver.
Targets need to recognize
that stereotype-confirming behavior influences how the group
as a whole is seen. Perceivers
need to recognize that their
judgments, at times, may be
prejudgments, and make more
deliberate attempts to judge others on a case-by-case basis.
Working together, we can aim to
both change stereotypes and
reduce their misuse. Ψ
References
1
Simpson, C. (04 March
2012). Emiratis missing in the
workforce. The National. http://
www.thenational.ae/news/uaenews/emiratis-missing-in-the-
workforce
2
Al Haddad, A. (03 March
2012). Retail has roles for every jobless Emirati. The National.
http://www.thenational.ae/news/
uae-news/retail-has-roles-forevery-jobless-emirati
3
Simpson, C. (03 March
2012). Emiratis tell of success in
private sector jobs. The National.
http://www.thenational.ae/news/
uae-news/emiratis-tell-ofsuccess-in-private-sector-jobs
Angela Maitner, PhD
Department of International
Studies (Psychology)
American University of Sharjah
2012
Psychologist
Database
We are developing a database of Psychologists in the UAE! The requirement for inclusion is either a master’s or higher degree (MPhil,
PhD, PsyD) in psychology from an accredited university or an official
job title of a “psychologist” working in the UAE. If you are interested in
being a part of this database, please send your name, credentials
(terminal degree and University, employer’s name and location) to the
Editor.
The Clinical Psychology Master’s Program
at UAEU is developing a list of potential internship sites for our students. If you are a
government-approved human service agency or an organization with a Doctorate/
Masters level psychologist and you are interested in joining our internship list, please
contact the Newsletter Editor.
Clinical
Psychology
Sponsorship
Program
Internship
Site for
Masters
Students
The Master’s Program in Clinical Psychology at
UAEU is a fee-based program and the total fee for
two-year program is AED 62,600. Several students
who qualified for admission could not pursue their
dream because they could not afford to pay the full
fees. Additionally, we want to start a merit-based
scholarship for students who make it to the Dean’s
List. If your organization can support the cause by
assisting needy and meritorious students earn a
master’s degree in clinical psychology, please donate to the CPSP. We will place the name of your
organization on Clinical Psychology Program Website: http:// www.fhss.uaeu.ac.ae/
study_opportunities/clinical_psychology.shtml
Conference Announcement
and Call for Papers
2nd International Conference on Psychological Sciences*
Theme: Stress in Daily Life
November 2012, IT Building Auditorium, UAE University
The aim of this conference is to raise awareness on the effects of stress in general and Post
Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), in response to the recent developments in some Arab
countries and natural disasters in other parts of the world.
Languages: English and Arabic
Organized by: the Department of Psychology and Counseling
*Subject to final Approval by the University
For exact date of the conference and other details please call: 03-7136470
Position Vacancy
Psychology Lab Supervisor
Minimum Qualifications:
1. The applicant must have a postgraduate degree in psychology. The minimum requirement is
an MSc from a reputable university.
2. The applicant must be particularly knowledgeable in the fields of statistical psychology, experimental psychology, cognitive psychology, biological psychology, psychological tests and measurements, and research methods.
3. The applicant must have experience in using psychology laboratory equipment and apparatus.
4. The applicant must demonstrate that s/he has experience in using psychological laboratories’
hardware and software.
The applicant must be able to use and maintain computer networks.
If interested, please send your CV to Prof. Taha Amir: [email protected]
41
2012
UAEU Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences
is now accepting applications for it’s
Master’s Program in Clinical Psychology
Spring Semester -- Academic Year 2011-2012
This master’s level degree provides professional preparation for the clinical
practice of psychology, enabling individuals to analyze, diagnose, and treat
psychological disorders and prepare them for doctoral-level studies. Please
submit application in hard copy directly to the UAEU Admissions Office: Building 80, Maqam, Al Ain. Tel: 037134283 .
For further details, please visit our website:
http://www.fhss.uaeu.ac.ae/study_opportunities/
clinical_psychology.shtml
43
Masters of Science in
Clinical Psychology (MSc)
UAEU’s Master’s of Science in
Clinical Psychology (MSc) provides professional preparation
for the clinical practice of psychology, enabling individuals to
diagnose and treat psychological
and behavioral disorders in a
variety of settings. The program
requires 39 semester hours of
study, including six semester
hours (600 clock hours) of supervised practicum experience
in an approved mental health or
rehabilitation setting. Full-time
students may be able to graduate
in less than two years. A master’s thesis is optional, and the
language of instruction is English. Applicants must have some
background in psychology and
hold a degree from an accredited institution. If the institution
is in the UAE, it must be accredited by the Commission for
Academic Accreditation, Ministry of Higher Education and
Scientific Research.
Admission Criteria:
• Certified and current scores in
IELTS (minimum 6.0) or TOEFL
(minimum 550)
• Academic transcripts demonstrating a GPA of 2.5/C with GPA 3.0/
B in psychology-related courses
• Completion of a minimum 24
credit hours in psychology (certain
prerequisite, decided by committee
on a case-by-case basis) may be
required
• Three letters of reference: at least
one should be from a professor familiar with the applicant’s academic performance
• At least one sample of academic
writing in English (no fewer than
five pages in total)
Curriculum:
Required Courses
(total 33 credits)
PSY 501-Advanced Clinical Psychology
PSY 502-Intellectual Assessments
PSY 503-Advanced Psychopathology
PSY 504-Personality Tests
PSY 505-Advanced Behavioral
Statistics
PSY 506-Psychotherapy: Theories
and Techniques
PSY 507-Cross Cultural Issues
PSY 508-Child and Family Therapy
PSY 601-Practicum I
PSY 602-Practicum II
PSY 603-Scientific and Professional Ethics
Elective Courses (total 6 credits)
PSY 511-Individual Tests
(children)
PSY 512-Neuropsychology
PSY 513-Gender Issues
PSY 514-Health Psychology
PSY 611-Personality Tests 2
PSY 613-Psychopharmacology
PSY 616-Master’s Thesis
PSY 617-Research Design Methods
Tuition and Fees (2011-12):
Per credit hour tuition: AED 1,200
Per credit hour lab fees: AED 400
Total per credit tuition: AED 1,600
Application fees: AED 200
Total per-credit fees plus charges
for 39 hours: AED 62,600
For details including application
form check out program website:
http://www.fhss.uaeu.ac.ae/
study_opportunities/
clinical_psychology.shtml
Or Email to: [email protected]
Enquiries: (971) 03-7134773
You may contact the Program Director, Dr Amber Haque by email
at: [email protected]
UAEU CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGY MASTERS PROGRAM
LECTURE SERIES
Lecture Five
The Clinical Psychology Virtual Library, February 15th
2012. Speaker: Mr. Ali Abdulla, Manager of Public Services, University Libraries,
UAEU.
Lecture Six
Ontogenesis of Anxiety Disorders, March 14th 2012.
Speaker: Dr. Ossama T. Osman (M.D.), Associate Professor of Psychiatry and
Health Sciences, FMHS,
UAEU.
Lecture Seven
What is Cognitive Behavior
Therapy and why is it so popular? April 17th, 2012.
Speaker: Dr. Shamil David
Wanigaratne, D.Clin. Psych.,
C.Psychol., FBPsS. National
Rehabilitation Center, Abu
Dhabi.
2012
Comments from Readers
“The Newsletter is indeed an impressive publication which demonstrates the scope
and activities of psychology in the Emirates. …I would be delighted to discuss with
you the possibility of EPA applying for national membership in IUPsyS.” – Nick
Hammond, International Union of Psychological Sciences (IUPsyS), USA.
“Wow! This is superb! Very well done, to you and your colleagues.” – Dr. Rory
Hume, Provost, UAE University, Al Ain.
“Impressive!” — Dr. Donald Baker, Vice Provost for Undergraduate Education and
Dean of the University College, UAE University, Al Ain.
“The UAE Psychology Newsletter is a wonderful contribution to professionals in this
country and neighboring nations too. Appreciative of the work that you and colleagues have made, I thank you.” – Dr. Raymond Hamden, Dubai.
“I would like to congratulate you, Dr. Fadwa, Dr. Husaain Al Massiah, as well as
UAEU and the EPA for the launch of the UAE Psychologist Newsletter. I was pleasantly surprised when I received it from Dr. Annie Crookes and was very proud that
this initiative has been taken, as this will help to join and link psychologists across
the Emirates.” Alia Al Serkal, Dubai.
“This Newsletter looks great! I am so happy that you have taken the initiative to start
it and have shared it with my colleagues.” Angela Maitner, American University of
Sharjah.
“What a great initiative!” — Dr. Annie Crookes, Dubai
“I read it with great interest.” – Bonita Das Bhatla, Freelance Business Psychologist,
Abu Dhabi.

The UAE Psychologist

Transcription

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