Mona Shahab

PhD candidate and Clinical Psychologist, Leiden University and i-PSY

A Clinical Psychologist by profession and an adventurer by birth. If not on a mountain, Mona is either training for one, immersed behind the computer analyzing data for her current Everest...her PhD in Clinical Psychology at Leiden University in the Netherlands, or under a tree or in clinic working with refugees and undocumented people.

Mona's delved deeply into looking at childhood maltreatment and its effect on social functioning in adulthood. Yet her passion is focused on trauma focused therapy in a refugee/undocumented population. Independent from one another, Mona works part time as a Clinical Psychologist in two different clinics in Holland. Most of her clients have complex trauma combined with other mental disorders.

Prior to her PhD, Mona worked extensively on the Saudi National Mental Health Survey at King Salman Center for Disability Research and is now a co-investigator and a consultant on the project. She has done extensive work in the Humanitarian field be it through her climbs, volunteer work, and as an executive manager at Alwaleed Philanthropies. After obtaining her undergrad and masters degree in Boston, Mona worked at Children's Hospital Boston in the Developmental Medicine Center for 2.5 years.

Her passion for fitness and paying it forward led her to co-found The Empowerment Hub. A grass-root initiative that focused on fitness and health in youth and women in the Kingdom at a time when there was no focus on female physical education and sports in general. She continues climb mountains for causes close to her heart.