Expert-Led DBT Training for Mental Health Professionals
To provide high-quality DBT training for therapists in the MENA region, ensuring adherence to the model through specialized training, resources, and ongoing support.
To disseminate DBT in the MENA region through implementing evidence-based interventions.
Exclusive, Expert-Led DBT Training in MENA
DBT MENA is the exclusive affiliate of Behavioral Tech Institute in the MENA region, providing the latest advancements in DBT. As the sole authorized organization, we bring you cutting-edge insights from Marsha Linehan’s lab and leading international DBT researchers.
All of our training material is sourced by Behavioral Tech Institute. Our trainers are selected and mentored by Behavioral Tech Institute and have exceptional experience and knowledge in DBT.
At DBT MENA, our mission is to build a thriving DBT community across the MENA region. We achieve this by providing high-quality training, supporting practitioners in maintaining adherence to the DBT model, and offering exclusive resources to ensure long-term growth and continuity.
DBT MENA Admin Team
Basma is the Director of DBT MENA and the only DBT-certified clinician in the MENA region, accredited by the DBT-Linehan Board of Certification (DBT-LBC). A clinical psychologist with over 25 years of experience. She is also an international DBT trainer with Behavioral Tech LLC (USA) and British Isles DBT Training (UK).
Sofian Shiyab is the Operations Manager with 10 years of experience. He has been with DBT MENA since its foundation and is responsible for overseeing the day-to-day operations of the company.
Amer is an experienced financial manager at DBT MENA who is adept at optimizing resources for sustainable growth. Passionate about strategic planning and maximizing ROI.
Sarah is a Project Administrator at DBT MENA. She holds a BA degree in Psychology and is an aspiring psychologist, dedicated to improving the region’s mental health through evidence-based training.
Tijan is a Project Administrator and Marketing Coordinator at DBT MENA. She is an aspiring psychologist, and aims to become a DBT MENA trainer and a certified DBT clinician.
Meet Our Trainers
Basma is the Director of DBT MENA and the only DBT-certified clinician in the MENA region, accredited by the DBT-Linehan Board of Certification (DBT-LBC). A clinical psychologist with over 25 years of experience. She is also an international DBT trainer with Behavioral Tech LLC (USA) and British Isles DBT Training (UK).
Trainers In Training
Dr. Balsam Obaid PhD, is a Psychotherapist at Maria Den Braven Center (MDB), and an Assistant Professor at the Khawarizmi University Technical College, Amman, Jordan. She received her PhD in Health Sciences from the University of Canterbury, New Zealand (2015). Balsam got trained in Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT), Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), Solution-Focused Brief Therapy (SFBT), and Motivational Interviewing (MI). Balsam is part of the MDB DBT consultation team.
Dr. Dinah Ayna is a Clinical Psychologist specialized in the treatment of severe emotion dysregulation and trauma as well as staff wellbeing and burnout prevention. Dr. Ayna is currently an Instructor of Clinical Specialty at the Department of Psychiatry at the American University of Beirut Medical Center (AUBMC) in Beirut, Lebanon; Adjunct Faculty at the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences at Emory University School of Medicine in Atlanta, GA; and a Mental Health Consultant for United Palestinian Appeal in Washington, DC. Dr. Ayna is the Founding Director of the first program offering standard DBT in Lebanon at the AUBMC, Founder of DBT Lebanon and the Lebanon Affiliate of the Association for Contextual Behavioral Science (ACBS), a Zen student under Randy Wolbert Zen Rōshi, and a Trainer-in-Training with DBT MENA and Behavioral Tech.
Rona Murad, MSc, is a Psychologist at a private clinic in Bahrain (Dr. Eyad Jamsheer Medical Center). She received her BA from the University of California, Berkeley (USA, 2018) with a double major in Psychology and Legal Studies and an MSc in Clinical Mental Health Sciences from University College London (UCL) (UK, 2020). She received her DBT training from DBT-Mena in 2022.
Michel Sfeir earned his MSc from the University of Lausanne in Switzerland and is currently pursuing a doctorate in clinical psychology in Belgium. Michel Sfeir is a psycho-oncologist and a clinical psychologist. He is currently the Vice President of a Lebanese NGO called AlNajatVillage and the Workshop Director of a Lebanese initiative called BeBraveBeirut. After the Beirut blast in 2020, Michel underwent Narrative Exposure Therapy (NET) training to work with people suffering from trauma and PTSD and is currently giving trainings and supervising clinicians in NET in Germany and in Lebanon. Michel Sfeir completed several clinical training such as: Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) as well as Hypnotherapy.
Abdelrahim Hegazi is a licensed clinical psychologist currently practicing at Etizan Therapy Center (Jeddah, Saudi Arabia). He previously worked in the Ministry of Education in Qatar and was licensed by the Qatari Ministry of Health (2011-2023), conducting diagnostic assessments and therapeutic interventions. A DBT specialist, Hegazi trained with the Behavioral Tech Institute and DBT-MENA, focusing on BPD, mood and personality disorders, and complex trauma, along with family interventions and psychoeducation to support communication and emotional validation. He also volunteers through the Family Connections Program, helping families of individuals with BPD improve their dynamics and emotional well-being. Hegazi holds a Master’s in Psychology (2009) and is a PhD candidate (2024). Committed to evidence-based care, he ensures accurate diagnoses and tailored interventions for lasting therapeutic outcomes.
Got Questions? We’ve Got Answers!
As BehavioralTech, LLC’s sole affiliate in the region all our letters of completion are issued by BehavioralTech. That makes our letter of completion globally accredited.
Those that have completed the DBT MENA Intensive Training receive a letter of completion that allows them to practice DBT. Completing the DBT MENA Intensive Training does not accredit the individual or certify their practice.
In terms of certification, an independent body accredits DBT practitioners or DBT consultation teams. The DBT Linehan Board of Certification (DBT -LBC) is the independent body that globally certifies DBT practitioners and DBT consultation teams.
If you are interested in becoming a DBT-LBC Certified Practitioner or would like to Certify your DBT Program, this website includes all the information you need: https://dbt-lbc.org/
Thank you for your interest in consultation to better your practice and become a more adherent DBT practitioner!
The first step in the process of being connected with one of our DBT experts is to complete a short form to request consultation services. Following that, our client service team will be contacting you.
DBT MENA has trained practitioners in DBT all over the Middle East and North Africa, if you would like to refer an individual to a DBT therapist in the region, please contact our client service team (info@dbt-mena.com)
The DBT Consultation team is a critical component of providing a comprehensive DBT treatment. People new to DBT, or are looking into becoming DBT practitioners often have a lot of questions about DBT teams, so we have listed the most frequently asked questions.
A DBT Consultation Team is a group of DBT practitioners working together in groups of 3-8 people. It may be a combination of providers who work in different roles (eg: social worker, psychotherapist, psychiatrist, etc.) Meetings are conducted on a regular basis, in order to help each other out with managing high risk clients and the potential of burnout.
Clients with life threatening or life interfering behaviors can easily lose motivation, or lose the dialectic balance between change and acceptance. Your DBT team will help you in maintaining motivation, enhancing your skills, and monitor adherence and fidelity to the program.
Additionally, DBT Consultation Teams are a requirement for comprehensive trainings by the DBT Linehan board of Certification.
The evidence for DBT’s effectiveness has examined the standard model of DBT, and it includes the four modes of treatment and consultation team. There is no evidence that DBT individually applied in the absence of a consultation team is effective.
