معرفی
Dr. Yousef AlAjarma serves as Professor in the Counseling and Behavioral Health Department at William James College, recognized with the 2025 Faculty of the Year award and multiple Excellence in Teaching Awards. Licensed as LMHC, LMFT, and REAT in Massachusetts, he integrates clinical practice with academic leadership.
His academic credentials include:
- PhD in Expressive Therapies from Lesley University, Cambridge, MA
- MA in Expressive Arts Therapy from The European Graduate School in Switzerland
- BA in Social Work from Bethlehem University, Palestine
Research centers on expressive arts therapy for trauma healing in marginalized communities (Palestinian, Arab, Muslim, refugee populations), emphasizing decolonial approaches and resilience. His work bridges clinical practice with cultural responsiveness, addressing grief, suicide prevention, and political trauma through arts-based interventions.
Publications reveal consistent focus on trauma recovery in conflict zones, co-teaching across cultural divides, and arts-based resilience strategies. Key themes include community-specific healing modalities and the intersection of political violence with personal coping mechanisms, particularly in Palestinian contexts.
Accolades highlight teaching excellence:
- Faculty of the Year (2025), William James College
- Excellence in Teaching Award (2015), William James College
- Excellence in Teaching Award (2012), Massachusetts School of Professional Psychology
Dr. AlAjarma provides clinical supervision for Ukrainian psychotherapists through First Aid of the Soul and mentors clinicians via VOCES: Arts and Healing (co-founded 2019), which delivers arts-based support to asylum seekers in Juárez. His advisory roles include designing interventions for war-affected populations and reviewing counseling program applications.
Leadership spans the International Expressive Arts Therapy Association (IEATA) as Executive Co-Chair and former Co-President (2014-2021), organizing global conferences. He also contributes through Ummah Health (pro bono counseling at Islamic Society of Boston) and the Lajee Center in Palestine.
