When Hala Kazim started to feel depressed, she went on an enlightening journey. She reached her destination while hiking, when she realised her calling. She was going to help Arab women through what she had just been through, using her own experiences as a guide.
Kazim founded “Journey Through Change” in 2010 to do just that. With a degree in counseling and coaching from the U.K, she guides people to positively impact their lives.
But don’t call her a therapist – her program is unique. The Emirati life-changer takes her counselees hiking, provides workshops and lectures as well as more typical counseling.
She bills herself as “the first Emirati and Arab to devise a transformational program for women,” as written on her website. Those women go on trips to places like Italy, Austria and Norway, where they mix cultural exploration and self-reflection – they even cook together sometimes.
Her focus on women has a strong foundation – studies have found that woman are four times more likely to have depression than men, on average. That ratio generally holds up in the Middle East, according to a 2009 study published in Sultan Qaboos University Medical Journal.
Now, Kazim is amping it up with a new book, “Hala and Life.” Her latest endeavour is a self-help book meant to aid people in reflection and social interaction. It is currently available in Arabic only, but an English translation is on the way.
She’s been recognized for her work on a large scale, and has earned the Mohammed bin Rashid Award for Best Businesswoman in the UAE in 2013. She also won the Innovation Emirates Women Award in 2014, and has spoken at the United Nations and Google.
She went from being depressed to becoming an award-winning life coach through willpower– yes, we’re definitely checking her schedule.
