About Me - Arij Bou Reslan

Hello, my name is Arij Bou Reslan, and I am the founder of Nafseyya. I am originally from Lebanon and work as an integrative psychotherapist and global mental health professional. I take a holistic view of each person, attending to the mental, emotional, physical, and spiritual dimensions of being. I believe there is no “one-size-fits-all” approach to care; each individual carries unique difficulties, strengths, and potentials. My approach is tailored to the individual, drawing from multiple therapeutic modalities to meet their needs and support their growth.

With over 20 years of experience, I have worked across a wide range of mental health challenges, including depression, anxiety, trauma, and relational difficulties. My work spans diverse populations — survivors of torture and abuse, marginalized communities, internally displaced persons, refugees, children, and adults. These experiences have shown me how profoundly mental health intersects with culture, displacement, identity, and social inequities.

My multicultural and global work has also shaped my commitment to decolonizing mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS). I have witnessed how Western-centric models of therapy and humanitarian mental health can oversimplify complex experiences and erase local knowledge. Nafseyya is my response to this: a space to reclaim culturally rooted practices, amplify Southern voices, and explore approaches to care that are contextually meaningful and empowering.

I am a registered member of the Lebanese Order of Psychologists (LOPSY), the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP), and the British Psychological Society (BPS). I also serve as an Approved Practicum Supervisor for MA students in the Counselling Psychology Program at Yorkville University.

Through Nafseyya, I aim to combine my clinical expertise, global perspective, and commitment to decolonial practices, offering therapeutic and reflective spaces that honor both individual and collective journeys toward healing, knowledge, and empowerment.