Dr Jeeda Alhakim

Overview

Dr Jeeda Alhakim is a Senior Lecturer and Senior Tutor for Research on the Professional Doctorate (DPsych) in Counselling Psychology and a practising Counselling Psychologist. Within the DPsych programme, Jeeda oversees doctoral research activities, supervises student theses, and co-leads Year 1 and Year 2 research methods modules. She also facilitates reflective practice spaces for students and staff, supports curriculum development, and enhances the research pathway for the programme.

Jeeda is co-chair of the EDI Psychology Committee at City St George's and plays a central role in the university’s efforts to embed equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) within psychology education. She leads initiatives such as the Decolonising the Curriculum Working Group, where she collaborates with colleagues to deliver training and develop strategies to make teaching and learning more inclusive. Her teaching and professional practice focus on social justice and culturally responsive therapeutic approaches, with expertise in working with marginalised communities, including refugees and those affected by conflict.

In addition to her academic role, Jeeda runs a thriving private practice, offering culturally sensitive therapy to clients from diverse backgrounds. Her clinical expertise focuses on trauma, identity, and cross-cultural issues. Jeeda also works as a consultant for international NGOs, providing mental health policy development, resilience training, and psychological support to staff working in high-pressure conflict settings. She has worked with organisations such as the Norwegian Refugee Council, Greenpeace International, Search for Common Ground, Tearfund, and Right to Play. Her consultancy work includes leading self-care workshops, developing trauma-informed frameworks, and offering reflective practice spaces for humanitarian teams across the SWANA (Southwest Asia and North Africa) region and beyond.

Jeeda is actively involved in research projects that address critical areas in mental health and education. She serves as a co-investigator on the Global Challenges Research Fund (GCRF) project, which explores mental health interventions for university students in Afghanistan. This interdisciplinary initiative combines capacity building with localised solutions to address mental health needs in conflict-affected settings. She is also a co-investigator on the Interprofessional Reflective Practice Project, a collaboration between City St George's and Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust. This project evaluates the impact of reflective practice groups for GP trainees, fostering holistic and systemic approaches to patient care while reducing power differentials in medical training environments. Her broader research interests encompass social justice in counselling psychology, culturally sensitive interventions, and humanitarian mental health.

Jeeda holds a DPsych in Counselling Psychology, a Postgraduate Diploma in Psychotherapy and Counselling, and in Teaching in Higher Education. She is a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (SFHEA). Her career reflects a commitment to integrating education, research, and practice to support transformative change in mental health and psychology.

Languages

Arabic (can read, write, speak, understand spoken)

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