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Dr Nausheen Shahzad: Shaping mental wellbeing in the UAE
The UAE has taken every measure to provide a sense of comfort along very high standards of living which is exemplary
- PUBLISHED: Mon 23 Mar 2026, 11:59 AM
- By:
- Ghazala Tikki Zaman and Tabassum Vally
Dr Nausheen Shahzad is a seasoned psychologist with an impressive academic background.
She specialises in addressing a wide range of psychological issues across many age groups. With an impressive background in psychology, she is a keen observer of human behaviour. She believes that there are many intrinsic and outside factors that affect the wellbeing of individuals in a society.
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The UAE has taken every measure to provide a sense of comfort along very high standards of living which is exemplary. Many nationalities thrive here and they have learnt to accept each other despite of all their cultural differences.
However, we still find cases when certain segment needs therapy and counselling, and this could be for many reasons. These are mostly sparked by their biological inherent constitution and not so much from outside forces.
“Emotional stability, psychological resilience, social connectivity, purpose and productivity are integral part of mental wellness.”
Nausheen has extensive experience in child psychology and believes that many secondary schools can benefit from a counselor who has a degree in educational psychology. Most issues that arise amongst young students can be resolved if addressed in time.
An educational psychologist can pinpoint the need to modify a syllabus if a child is finding it hard to cope with what he is being taught. There are many reasons why some young children need modification in the syllabus which they find hard to cope.
Amongst the many issues are dyslexia, attention deficit, over confidence, self-esteem are all factors that can be resolved if addressed on time.
Amongst adults the daily stresses are related to competition, social media, the desire to fit in and sleep deprivation caused by modern living.
Mental wellbeing transcends across many issues. Unfortunately, the yard stick of success has become very material and mostly people measure their success by number of social events they attend. This should not be the norm as this in the long run causes discontentment. People who are more grounded and keep a balance in the long run show more stability and greater wellbeing.
“One needs to realise that we are separate from our problems and hence we should not be consumed by our problems. Focusing on one self, eating healthy and addressing any mental issue early is very crucial for mental wellbeing.”