I was born in Hanover, Germany, to Syrian parents from Aleppo. Early on in life I learnt that “being both” and “being between both” were two bitterly different things. I had grown up amidst ideological conflict, stuck between my separated parents’ estranged families on a micro-level, and on a macro-level, the hopelessly incompatible Arabic and German cultures.
The question about belonging was my companion throughout teenage years and adolescence. Only when entering my thirties did I notice that my life script had become my resource: the necessity for developing integrity through so many contradictions had turned me into a thoughtful mediator. I had become “trained” in containing situations signified by diversity; in containing my own judgement as well as those of others, allowing space for curiosity instead; in containing people’s emotions, and, not least, conflict itself. I thrive on helping clients face situations they perceive as “difficult” or “entrenched”. I delve deep with clients until they are able to be authentic and collaborate. And I believe that human beings are naturally collaborative. We just sometimes need a “nudge”.
My curiosity drove me to leave Germany after training at Volkswagen (Industriekauffrau) to study (B.A. “International Business Studies”, Ph.D. “Systems-Psychodynamics of Organisational Development”) and work as a Lecturer, Coach and OD Consultant in the UK and Spain for almost two decades. I led research projects on leadership in the Middle East, still enjoy taking part in psychoanalytic team-coaching trainings in Europe and the US, and give guest lectures throughout Europe. I returned to Hanover in 2017, and passionately continue to support clients with my life and professional experience.