Barbara Preitler. She is a psychologist, psychotherapist, supervisor, lecturer and author. Being a founding member of Hemayat - organization for Torture and War Survivors in Vienna, Austria she has 25 years of psychotherapeutic experience with severe traumatized patients. In workshops, lectures and publications in Europe and Asia about topics of psychotraumatology, intercultural psychological problems, community based interventions in crisis she shares her experience.

Dr.Alkhelewi-Brainin finished her doctorate at the Vienna University Clinic and is one of the founding members of the psychological service in a special correctional facility for severely mentally ill lawbreakers (Justizanstalt Göllersdorf). They worked under the supervision of Prof. Ernst Federn, a pioneer in psychoanalytical oriented social work in prisons. Dr.Alkhelewi-Brainin has now worked with Hemayat an Austrian NGO for torture and war survivors for many years and is specialised in diagnostics according to the Istanbul Protocol. With decades of experience as a psychotherapist in public institutions and her work in private practice, she now  volunteers her time to the Trauma-Surviving WorkingGroup and is an expert in trauma survival.

Psychologist and psychotherapist with the main focus on provision and development of psychosocial support services in the local community to various vulnerable groups. Strengthening the support system for refugees has been one of the areas I have been most active in the last few years, including providing counselling and psychotherapy with translation, preparing interpreters for supporting refugees, preparing local communities for the reception of refugees.

She started as a primary school teacher and Montessori pedagogue in Vienna in 1992. Observing the effects of traumatic experiences on cognitive, emotional and social development led to an in-depth interest in their correlation with child development up to adulthood. Since 2007 she has been teaching severely traumatized young refugees and migrants, imparting age-appropriate psycho-education and interventions. In workshops, lectures and as author, she shares her experience and knowledge with teachers of all types of schools.

Maria Blacque-Belair is the Executive Director and Founder of RIF Asylum Support (www.rifnyc.org) an NGO based in New York. RIF is a welcome platform for asylum-seekers which provides legal and psychosocial services. Throughout her career, Maria has worked for international humanitarian assistance NGOs. She has worked in Africa, the Middle East, Eastern Europe, and Central America. She holds a master’s degree in clinical social work from New York University and speaks French and Spanish. She is also a psychosocial counselor at Doctors Without Borders USA.

Bakhtyar Hadi has been working as a counselor and psychotherapist in the Jiyan Foundation for over ten years. His services have been fundamental in protecting and enhancing the wellbeing of the most vulnerable communities in Iraqi Kurdistan.

Dr. Michael Brune, German, from Hamburg. Born in Lima, grew up in Sweden. Specialist in Psychiatry and Neurology. Clinical work in Germany, Argentina and Sweden. 25 years of psychotherapeutic work with traumatized refugees. Participated in many international education programs on traumatic stress; in e.g. Sri Lanka, Chechnya and Kosovo. Several publications mainly about psychotraumatology. Member of the ‚Executive Committee’ of the International Rehabilitation Council for Torture victims.

Working since 1988 in the field of rehabilitation, Dr. Sana Hamzeh is the founding member and Clinical Advisor of Restart Center, established in 1996 in Lebanon. She has intervened with over 30,000 torture and trauma survivors and has documented hundreds of cases according to the Istanbul Protocol (IP), of which tens were referred to the court in collaboration with lawyers. In addition, she is currently a member of the independent forensic expert group (IFEG) and co-drafter of chapter VI of the IP 2020 edition. 

Psychotherapist and Consultant Dari, Farsi, MEN Health Centre, Klinik Favoriten.

Freelance visual Artist. His work been exhibited in several exhibitions, and collected by many private collectors in the EU and the Middle East. www.akramalhalabi.com