Yousef AlAjarma
Professional Title: Adjunct Professor of Expressive Therapies
Areas of Academic Focus and Expertise:
Trauma and resilience, arts transformation, expressive therapist training, clinical skill development, and diversity and differences.
Area of Work and Concentration at Lesley: Expressive Therapies
Representative List of Recent Courses Taught:
• Principles and Practices of Expressive Therapies
• Theories of Group Work
• Standards and Ethics in Clinical Practice
Education: B.A., Social Work and Psychology, Bethlehem University, Palestine; M.A., Expressive Arts Therapies, European Graduate School, Switzerland; Certificate in Trauma Studies, Lesley University; PhD., Expressive Therapies, Lesley University
Representative List of Recent Publications / Exhibitions:
• AlAjarma, Y. (2010). The Role of the Arts toward Healing Trauma and Building Resilience in the Palestinian Community. Doctoral Dissertation. ProQuest.
• Kliman, G., Oklan, G., Wolfe, E. H., AlAjarma, Y. (2009). My Personal Story about Living in Gaza: A Guided Activity Workbook for Children and Families. Mercy Corps: Palestine.
• AlAjarma, Y., Barzilay-Shechter, K. (Fall, 2009). “The group twice promised - reflections about co-teaching in Israel,” Journal of Pedagogy, Pluralism, and Practice. Issue 14.
• AlAjarma, Y., Barzilay-Shechter, K. (2007). “Dialogue between political trauma and personal defenses.” Journal of Humanistic Psychology. 47:320-332.
Dr. AlAjarma’s teaching and scholarship have been focused on the application of arts to teaching and to psychotherapy practice, resilience and trauma, family and couples therapy, and conflict transformation. Research interests include trauma and resilience, arts transformation, expressive therapist training, clinical skill development, and diversity and differences.