Board of Directors

MD, PhD, Associates Professor, Consultant of psychiatry

Born in Iraq in 1950, finished my medical education in Moscow 1979 and did my PHD at the Academy of Medical Sciences in Moscow in 1985. Came to Sweden in 1986 as a refugee because I refused to participate in the war between Iraq and Iran, which was ongoing in the region. Since then I am living and working in Stockholm, Sweden.

Completed my specialization in Psychiatry in 1994 (licensed by National Board of Health and Welfare), and my specialization as licensed Psychotherapist in Cognitive and Behavioral Therapy in 2002 at the Swedish Institute of Cognitive Psychotherapy.

Since 2012, I am an affiliated Associate Professor at Marie Cederschoild University College in Stockholm

In 1994 I founded and was the Medical Director of a private Psychiatric and Rehabilitation center ”Orienthälsan”/ orient health. This center was one of Sweden’s specialized centers for primary psychiatric support and rehabilitation for individuals and families with immigrant backgrounds.
1n 1998 I was co-founder and director for five years for the transcultural center of Stockholm County Counsel.

I give a wider education program as a visiting lecturer in cooperation with many Swedish Universities and Institutions such as Karolinska Institute, Stockholm University, Lund University, Malmo University as well as the Swedish Institute for Cognitive Psychotherapy and more. I am also a visiting lecturer in other Scandinavian countries.

I worked as a senior consultant of Psychiatry in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, for three years. In 2014, I was the co-organizer of the WACP first international conference of cultural psychiatry in the Middle East region in Dubai UAE.

I have published four books and co-authored thirteen books and many articles on different subjects, mainly on the effects of migration, adaptation processes and the psychosocial conditions of immigrant individuals and families.

I have been a member of the World Association of Cultural Psychiatry, WACP, since the start of the organization. I was a member of the board of directors 2012-2015, 2015- 2018 and recently re-elected for 2022-2025.

I am an active member of many Psychiatric organization and societies such as
Swedish Medical Association, Swedish Psychiatric Association, Iraqi Psychiatric Association and Emirates Psychiatric and Medical association. I am a representative of the Arab Federation of Psychiatry in Sweden.

Within research and education my subjects of interest are related to migration and psychosocial health, family relations during migration and adaptation processes, migration related stress, working with interpersonal conflicts within families and trauma.