Who is a Counselor? 

A Counselor is a professional who is trained to assess and treat a variety of psychological and relationship issues in areas of life that include childhood development, education, career, addiction,  marriage and family. Depending on the issue being addressed, a range of approaches may be applied to help individuals and families improve communications, navigate difficult times or overcome specific challenges.

Who is a Clinical Psychologist?

A Clinical Psychologist is a trained professional who requires a doctorate degree in clinical psychology.    Training includes academic education in the areas of abnormal psychology, personality theories, psychological assessment, statistics, social psychology, study of various treatment approaches, and ethics.   Clinical training with patients is obtained through supervised practicum assignment in various settings such as hospitals, community mental health centers, and psychiatric facilities.   Doctorate level psychologists are also required to conduct on original scientific study in an area of psychology that has not been studied.   At the end of academic and clinical training psychologists are required to spend one year of internship in an accredited facility under the supervision of a highly trained psychologist.

Who is a Psychiatrist?

Psychiatrists are physicians (MD’s) who have graduated from medical school and have completed four additional years of training in psychiatry.    In general, they are the only mental health professionals permitted to prescribe medication.   Some psychiatrists focus on medications and deal exclusively with individuals with severe and persistent mental illness, while others conduct psychotherapy as well as prescribe medication.

What do Educational Psychologists do? 

Educational Psychologist train first as teachers.   They then study at the university at a senior level to become skilled in understanding the needs of all children in the age range 0-19 years, both at home and at School.

What is Occupational Therapy?

Young or old, we all have a job to do – the job of living.   Learning, growing, playing, working and managing our homes are among the “occupations” of life.   Physical, mental or emotional limitations caused by illness, injury, psychosocial problems or developmental delay, make it difficult for people to perform everyday tasks or be active and independent.

What is learning disability? 

Ten percent of the UAE population has some form of learning disability.  People with learning disabilities have normal potential for learning.  Their inability to achieve their potential may include a processing deficit in one or more of the following areas:

• Reading, spelling, writing or math

• Speech and language deficits

• Auditory and visual processing

• Grass and/or fine motor difficulties

• Ineffective social skills

• Dyslexia

What is a Learning Specialist? 

Learning specialists are interested in the factors that impact learning.   Their education includes training in:

• Dynamic assessment

• Individual education planning

• Adoptive instruction

• Differentiated learning strategies

• Multicultural educational principles

• Integrated curriculum development

• Behaviour management strategies 

What Are Speech and Language Disorders?

Speech and language difficulties may result from conditions existing of birth, developmental delays, functional disorders, or neurological impairments.