About Soraya
Soraya Obeid is a Lebanese art therapist and clinical mental health counselor who aims to cultivate therapeutic growth in her work and her healing approaches. Soraya works with Myschoolpulse, a non-profit organization that brings school to hospitals, where she specifically provides art therapy at the pediatric departments of the Notre Dame des Secours University Hospital, Byblos, Lebanon, St. George Hospital University Medical Center, Rizk Hospital, and Geitaoui Hospital, Achrafieh to children undergoing treatment for chronic illnesses. She also works with adult patients with chronic illnesses and with the nursing staff. In addition, she is as an art therapist for The Red Pencil (International), a humanitarian mission, that aims to bring art therapy benefits to traumatized communities. Specifically, she engages the Syrian refugee youths in the creative process of art therapy in Beirut, Lebanon. Soraya also holds a private practice for art therapy in her studio for all ages. Soraya served as faculty for drawing, illustration, & history of contemporary art at the American University of Technology (AUT), and art teacher at Collège des Soeurs des Saints Coeurs, Lebanon. She conducted many art therapy presentations and workshops across Lebanese cities, including: Eddé Sands Wellness Week, Brummana High School for teachers and professors, First Step Together Association (FISTA) for special education for young adults with developmental problems, and Notre Dame des Secours University Hospital’s staff and providers. Soraya holds a master’s degree with a 2016 award scholarship in Art Therapy and Clinical Mental Health Counseling from Lesley University, Massachusetts, USA. A second master’s degree in fine arts with an excellence award from the Académie Libanaise des Beaux-Arts (ALBA), Beirut, with specialization in illustration and ceramics. She also holds a bachelor degree of science with high distinction in graphic design emphasis digital design from the Lebanese American University (LAU), Lebanon. As well, her academic achievements include a year-long certificate from the College for Educational and Clinical Art Therapy with Robert Gray, Australia, a scholarship to the Ecole Nationale Supérieure des Beaux-Arts de Paris (ENSBA), France, and workshops at The Art Students League of New York City, USA, and Kingston University, London. She was rewarded an Alpha Kappa Alpha Educational Advancement Foundation Inc. 2021 Award Scholarship. Additionally, Soraya is a professional painter and has exhibited her paintings in yearly solo and/or collective exhibitions since 1999. She received a United Nations Artist Award for World Population Day in 2003. Soraya is fluent in English, French, and Arabic.
MA Clinical Mental Health Counseling & Art Therapy, Lesley University, Massachusetts
MA Fine Arts, specialization Illustration & Ceramics, ALBA, Beirut
BS Graphic Design emphasis Digital Design, LAU, Byblos
Certificates
College for Educational and Clinical Art Therapy, Australia
Ecole Nationale Superieure des Beaux-Arts, Paris
Kingston University, London
Art Students League of New York, NY City
Published Work
Obeid, S. et al. (2021). Art Therapy Interventions with Syrian Refugee Youth. In J. Scarce (Ed.), Art Therapy in Response to Natural Disasters, Mass Violence, and Crises (pp. 178-194). Jessica Kingsley Publishers.
This book can be purchased from amazon.com
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Art therapy is a mental health profession that fosters progressive growth, healing, insight, and positive change – emotional, cognitive, and behavioral. It is a three ways process between the art therapist, the client, and the artwork. Furthermore, this form of therapy elicits inter-relational communication based on trust, safety, and confidentiality. Artistic knowledge is not required to engage in art therapy. Art materials in the purpose of art-making and expressing during the session include and is not limited to soft pastel chalks, oil pastels, colored crayons, paint of all kinds, felt pens, clay, and magazines for cut-outs (collage).
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