Leila is compassionate, kind and caring school counselor and parent support advisor who implements a student-centered approach which provides students with the opportunity to develop their personal, social, emotional and educational skills towards a positive future. She was raised and educated in Antwerp, Belgium, where she completed a Bachelors in Educational Psychology. Leila has been a dedicated counselor and community support practitioner for more than 10 years and is an experienced community care leader, academic advisor and academic care supervisor. She worked both in Belgium and London, professionally, prior to moving to The United Arab Emirates. Leila started her journey as a school counselor at Ajyal International School Al Falah in April of 2017 and has proven herself as a multi-faceted, flexible, and hardworking individual who prides herself in student and parent support. Leila has supported and facilitated several school community projects and campaigns namely: Cyber Bullying, Healthy Lifestyle and Coping with Stress. She has also contributed to cross-departmental collaborative campaigns that focused on Dyspraxia Awareness, Autism Spectrum Disorder, Down Syndrome and Early Childhood Development and School Readiness.

 

Leila believes that the journey of self-actualization and Self-efficacy is continuous and that everyone deserves the right to achieve their goals successfully, and with equal opportunity. She is also dedicated to supporting student with a variety of counseling techniques and resources and is an accredited TLP (The Listening Program) Practitioner and a EPoC (Evaluation of Potential Creativity) assessment administer.

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Additionally, she has completed professional development courses in counselling through MindEd UK and has also obtained a professional development certificate in selective mutism. Leila specializes in supporting students with anxiety and depressive disorders and has written Ajyal Al Falah’s first ever policy on self-harm, how to support these students and the procedures that need to be followed. Moreover, she supports students with social and emotional disorders, oppositional defiance disorder, obsessive compulsive disorder, those with aggressive disorders and those with self-image and confidence difficulties. Leila’s counselling philosophy is aimed at creating a tolerant, conducive environment where children and adolescents can connect with their peers, explore their thoughts, feelings and differences and grow as individuals to become global citizens of the United Arab Emirates.

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