On July 26, 2025, JCI Beirut transformed the Beirut Digital District into a safe space for healing, learning, and hope.
The day began with Project Director Natacha Jaber and Project Advisor, and JCI Lebanon Mental Health & Wellbeing Committee Advisor, Rawya Itani warmly welcoming attendees and presenting an overview of the event. Following this, the JCI Beirut President Cynthia Zgheib introduced JCI and encouraged community engagement before the official program kicked off.
Inspiring Sessions from Expert Speakers
The event featured a series of insightful presentations from leading mental health professionals and organizations :
- Psychologist Maria Kassar from Brainstation discussed mental health disorders and common misconceptions.
- Flow presented on psychological first aid during war and PTSD.
- Dr. Mary Lee Wakim, psychiatrist from IDRAAC, Lebanon and the Arab region’s first mental health NGO, spoke about coping with fear and anxiety.
- Psychologist Rim Ezzeldine, founder of Nine Lebanon, emphasized the daily importance of mental health and guided participants through interactive breathing techniques. She also introduced NeuroVizr, a groundbreaking sensory experience new to Lebanon.
- Rebecca Haykal from Embrace addressed suicide awareness, risk factors, and prevention, highlighting critical statistics : One suicide death is recorded every 21 days in Lebanon. One suicide attempt occurs every 6 hours.
- Psychologist Jamal Chaaya shared insights on self-love and prioritizing oneself.
- Psychologists Joanna El Herr and Karen Obeid led an interactive session on the power of positive thinking through engaging games.
The day concluded with Lebanese actor Wissam Sabbagh leading an uplifting laughter yoga session, leaving participants joyful and energized.
Panel Discussion and Engagement
A heartfelt panel discussion followed the presentations, where psychologists addressed prepared topics and answered participants’ questions, fostering an open and supportive dialogue.
Icebreakers like “Truths and Myths about Mental Health” encouraged active participation, while two coffee breaks gave attendees time to connect and relax.
Recognition and Impact
Trophies were presented to all speakers in recognition of their impactful contributions. Many expressed enthusiasm for future collaborations.
Why Strong Mind, Strong You ?
This event was named Strong Mind, Strong You because resilience begins in the mind. A strong mind empowers individuals to face life’s challenges together — a vital message for Lebanon, a country that has endured an economic crisis, the Beirut explosion, an earthquake, and most recently, war.
A Call for Continued Awareness
The day was a tremendous success. Feedback was overwhelmingly positive, with many attendees requesting more events and a potential series focused on ongoing mental health awareness.
Strong Mind, Strong You was more than an event! It was a powerful reminder that together, we can build stronger minds and stronger people.
Testimonies
Being part of Strong Mind, Strong U on July 26 was a truly valuable experience. It gave me time to reflect on my own mental well-being and reminded me that I’m not alone in this journey. I appreciated the positive energy, shared stories, and sense of community. Thank you for creating such a supportive space. - L.A.
The 'Strong Mind, Strong You' event was an amazing experience. Each session helped me understand mental health better from awareness and trauma to healing and self-care. The speakers and organizations like BrainStation, Embrace, and IDRAAC shared helpful and inspiring ideas. I especially loved the laughter yoga session with Wissam Sabbagh, it was a great way to end the day. Thank you JCI Beirut for creating such a positive and supportive space. - C.J.
Attending Strong Mind, Strong you was such a meaningful experience. Hearing professionals speak openly about mental health and how to deal with it really made me reflect on a lot of things. The best part for me was definitely Wissam Sabbagh’s laughter yoga session it was the first time in a while I laughed that hard with strangers. I left feeling lighter, more hopeful, and really grateful I showed up. - T.A.
VIEW MORE
- Event Schedule: https://www.instagram.com/p/DMfVdU-sJIX/
- Our Collaborators: https://www.instagram.com/p/DMidO5FMqP-/
- Recap: https://www.instagram.com/p/DMo_65Hs4YZ/?img_index=1
- Recap: https://www.instagram.com/p/DMuNDKMMW4a/
- Recognizing the participants: https://www.instagram.com/p/DM53PcUMCCm/?img_index=1