I am Hend Badawy, a psychotherapist and play therapist with over 15 years of experience supporting children, adolescents, and adults across Egypt, the UK, and online worldwide.
I offer therapy in Arabic and English, with a deep understanding of Arab culture, the immigrant experience, and the unique challenges of navigating life between cultures. My approach is integrative and client-centred — combining evidence-based methods with creative therapeutic techniques to meet each person exactly where they are.
My clinical training and background
My journey in mental health began at Kasr El Aini Medical School in Cairo, one of Egypt's most prestigious medical institutions, where I graduated in 2006. I went on to complete my psychiatry residency at Al-Abassia Hospital, one of Cairo's largest and most established mental health institutions, where I gained hands-on clinical experience across a wide range of specialities and age groups.
In 2011, I specialised in child and adolescent psychiatry, dedicating my practice to empowering young people and their families through therapeutic intervention. I further deepened my clinical knowledge through a Master's degree in Neuropsychiatry from Ain Shams University, which strengthened my understanding of both the biological and psychological dimensions of mental health. My thesis focused on the impact of structured training programmes in the treatment of children with ADHD — an area that remains central to my work today.
Play therapy training in the UK
A lifelong passion for creative therapeutic approaches led me to the United Kingdom, where I completed a Master's degree in Play Therapy at Roehampton University in London. My studies were grounded in Carl Rogers' client-centred approach, emphasising empathy, authenticity, and unconditional positive regard for every client.
I integrate a wide range of creative and non-verbal therapeutic modalities into my practice, including:
Drama therapy
Music therapy
Sandplay
Narrative therapy
Play-based approaches
This flexible, creative approach allows me to connect with clients of all ages — not just children — and to offer a form of therapy that goes beyond words, meeting people in the way of expression that feels most natural to them.
Clinical experience across the UK and Egypt
After completing my play therapy training in 2019, I worked at the International Clinic London and Waterloo Community Counselling Centre, supporting adults from diverse ethnic backgrounds including refugee communities. Working with adult clients using creative therapeutic techniques was both deeply meaningful and professionally formative.
In 2020, I joined Place2Be — one of the UK's leading organisations supporting the mental health of students and staff in schools. I have since resumed this work in Liverpool, where I manage and deliver therapy within a secondary school setting. This experience has given me an exceptional understanding of how school systems work and how to support young people within them.
In 2021, I reconnected with the mental health community in Egypt, collaborating with Maadi Psychology Centres and the outpatient clinics of Behman Hospital, one of Egypt's oldest and most respected private psychiatric institutions. Alongside my institutional work, I have also served as a wellbeing consultant for organisations working in research and journalism, supporting staff members exposed to distressing and traumatic material.
Supporting Arab communities — Wesal and beyond
In 2020, I co-founded Wesal — وصال, an online support group for Arab parents living abroad, alongside another UK-based Egyptian play therapist. What began as a community initiative grew into a formal wellbeing programme in partnership with Lancashire Council, offering creative therapeutic support to Syrian refugee families and helping them build healing and resilience in a new country.
I also co-founded HadiBadi — حادي بادي, an initiative that promotes quality Arabic literature for children and young adults, engaging young readers in immersive, joyful ways that deepen their connection to the Arabic language and cultural identity.
These initiatives reflect something I care about deeply, making mental health support accessible, culturally relevant, and genuinely meaningful for Arab communities wherever they are in the world.
My therapeutic approach
Primarily, my approach is a client-centred approach where your needs are at the heart of every session, alongside integrating a range of evidence-based therapeutic models and skills which I trained on throughout my years as:
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), where we can adapt structured, goal-focused therapy for anxiety, depression, and unhelpful thought patterns
Interpersonal Therapy (IPT) is focused on relationships, communication, and the emotional impact of life events
Psychodynamic therapy explores how early experiences and unconscious patterns shape who we are today
Play and creative therapies, non-verbal, expressive approaches for clients of all ages
Narrative therapy helps clients reframe and reclaim their story
This diverse training allows me to craft genuinely personalised therapy plans, empowering each client to develop self-awareness and become their own agent of healing. I deliver sessions in both Arabic and English, adapting to whichever language feels most natural and comfortable for you.
An invitation to connect
Although I have tried to capture the most important parts of my journey here, there is always more to share — and more importantly, I would love to hear about yours.
I offer a free 15-minute introductory call by phone or video, so we can get to know each other, you can ask any questions you might have, and we can explore together whether we might be a good fit — with no pressure and no commitment required.
If anything you have read resonates with you, I warmly invite you to get in touch.