Samar Abdo Said Elhais

Samar is one of BMY’s outstanding holistic therapists, with over 20 years of experience in the field of sociology, communication, adult education and counseling. She is dedicated to helping people thrive in their lives by offering various practices of individual, couples, and group therapy.

Samar can trace the beginnings of her professional journey from early on in life. She was an enthusiastic organizer of community projects throughout her school years and engaging in social work and community collaborations were all a normal part of her upbringing in her family. As she matured and sought to find her own life’s meaning, she discovered great joy in learning how to support people in improving their relationships, their mental health and their overall lives. 

In the late 1990s, Samar experienced a significant turning point; the unexpected death of her mother. It was in this time, when she found herself suddenly in a deep well of grief and disbelief, that a thoughtful friend suggested she join a new project: a mental health website targeting Arabic speakers. Little did she know that she was about to embark on a whole new trajectory of exciting social work through one of the most prominent Arabic websites of the time. It became a crucial resource for everyone seeking help from Arabic communities all over the world.

As her career on this venture progressed, Samar advanced to become the editor-in-chief of the counseling pages. In addition to supervising the online media, she also became involved in organizing training programs, in collaboration with international organizations, for different members of the community. This period marked the beginning of her exposure to a wide range of pertinent social and psychological issues.

After years of working in this arena, Samar decided to go back to school and gain the skills to become a therapist in her own right. She felt a great responsibility towards the people she encountered and wanted to be able to support them. Over the next four years, she obtained a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology and also underwent intensive training in Classical Psychodrama with the Egyptian Association for Group Therapy and the Mediterranean Association of Psychodrama in Italy. She also received training in Dynamic Group Therapy and then specialized in Trauma-Focused Psychodrama. 

Through her work, it was evident to Samar that painful experiences have a profound impact on individuals and communities, even across generations. This led her to pursue training in the latest modalities in trauma healing and body-based therapies, including Somatic Experiencing, EMDR, Emotionally Focused Couples Therapy, and Internal Family Systems.

Samar went on to work as a psychologist in various medical centers and clinics until she set up her own specialized center, Insights Psychology, in Cairo, six years ago. And now, embracing a new chapter in life, Samar is enthusiastic about joining the holistic therapy team at BMY and to offering somatic psychotherapeutic group sessions, couples sessions and individual sessions to the Dubai community.