Mai Elwy Gaber is a counseling psychologist and psychotherapist. She earned her master's degree in counseling psychology from The American University in Cairo in 2019 and is currently pursuing her doctorate in existential psychotherapy from the New School of Psychotherapy and Counseling in London. Mai is also adjunct faculty at The American University in Cairo. With a special passion for parenting and family wellness, she has been hired by many organizations as a parenting and mental health expert including UNICEF Egypt, CARE International, and The American University in Cairo. Additionally, she has participated in national campaigns to raise awareness on topics such as positive parenting, bullying and parents' mental health. 

In 2015, Mai founded Raising Happy, a social enterprise that focuses on raising awareness about mental health and parenting. Since then, she has trained thousands of adults, families, teachers and social workers on mental health topics. Mai received the HUSS Award for her outstanding achievement and contributions to the psychology department at The American University of Cairo and the IFAH Award from Dubai for her contributions to the field of mental health. In 2022, she received the Outstanding Leadership Award in the field of healthcare from the Health 2.0 Conference in Dubai. 

IVLP Impact Award Project: Let's Talk about Mental Health

The goals of the project were to provide scientifically-sound mental health material in Arabic to raise awareness about the basics of mental health disorders, how to build psychological immunity, how parents can raise psychologically resilient kids, and how to develop healthy coping strategies in dealing with life's stressors. The project raised awareness on mental health through workshops and a podcast, which reached around 6,000 people on Instagram and 300 people workshop attendees. The awareness campaigns educated adults and families about mental health and building resilience. The feedback received was positive, with audiences finding the discussions practical, relevant, and helpful in understanding mental illnesses and coping strategies. One of the most successful events was an interactive talk on working in the field of mental health, which was attended by around 50 university students.

View the video podcasts:

1. https://www.instagram.com/p/CzmXs6Brl8P/
2. https://www.instagram.com/p/CywLVtULM8l/
3. https://www.instagram.com/p/C1r_Gd1Ni1v/
4. https://www.instagram.com/p/C2QSW5sLKg6/
5. https://www.instagram.com/p/C2U6HuxtVdL/
6. https://www.instagram.com/p/C3Fyg7utfLU/
7. https://www.instagram.com/p/C3Fyg7utfLU/

"This is incredible and so useful. ‘Be kind to yourself,’ [I] needed to hear this.” - Project Participant

IVLP Exchange Experience 

Mai was a participant in the IVLP Project Mental Health Resilience for Youth, organized by the U.S. Department of State and Meridian International Center.

Mai's exchange experience led to the development of her IVLP Impact Award Project: "I was impressed in my IVLP visit with the projects that focus on prevention rather than just responding to mental health problems. Programs for university students, specifically, were very inspiring. To see the focus on protecting the youth mental health, as well as responding with treatment and interventions, gave me a lot of hope."

U.S. Communities Visited

Washington, DC; Boston, MA; Baltimore, MD; Santa Fe, NM; Seattle, WA

Country: Egypt

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