Dr. Michel Nawfal is a Mental Health Professional. He’s a Medical Doctor and a Licensed Clinical Psychologist with a focus on Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. He received his undergraduate education in premedical studies (BS: Bachelors of Science) at the American University of Beirut in 1998 after which he earned his medical degree (MD degree) from St. George’s University School of Medicine with clinical rotations at the Brooklyn Hospital Center in New York, a Cornell University affiliate in 2003.

Dr. Nawfal had an interest in psychological disorders and their complexity. Deciding to practice in the Psychological and Behavioral Sciences, he has pursued graduate education again at the American university of Beirut to earn a master degree in psychology with an internship in psychotherapy at the American University of Beirut Medical Center. Trained and supervised in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy through the extra-mural program by the Beck Institute, Dr. Nawfal is a CBT therapist. With a post-graduate course in psychopharmacotherapy from Harvard Medical School and being a medical doctor as well, registered at the Lebanese Order of Physicians (LOP registration number N/507), he is legally eligible to prescribe medications in Lebanon. Dr. Nawfal currently practices in Lebanon (Beirut, Jounieh) and does online consultations and therapy sessions.

Dr. Michel Nawfal’s expertise includes working with individuals struggling from Anxiety (Generalized, Social, Phobias, Anxiety from Disease) , Panic Attacks, OCD, Depression, Mood Swings, Personality Disorders, Eating Disorders, ups and those who are going through break ups or through difficult phases int heir lives.

Dr. Nawfal lectured and taught at many universities in Lebanon such as the Lebanese American University, Notre Dame University, Haigazian University and the American University of Beirut,

Memberships and Affiliations

Dr. Nawfal is currently a Professional Colleague and Fellow Member of the Academy of Cognitive Therapy. Since 2005, He has been a Full member of the American Psychological Association (APA) and an Active member of the French Association of CBT (AFTCC). He served on the board of the Lebanese Psychological Association (LPA) for 2 consecutive mandates from 2011 to 2014 and then from 2014 to 2017. He was a board member of the Lebanese Medical Association of Sexual Health (LebMASH) for 5 years, as well as a past Board member of the Middle-East Eating Disorders Association (MEEDA) for 2 years. He is currently the Vice President of the Middle East Psychological Association (MEPA) since 2018 as well as the president of the Lebanese Psychological Association (LPA). He was elected as a board member of the Lebanese Order of Psychologist for the 2022 to 2023 mandate.  He is also a board member of Houna Initiative that was founded by Sheikha Majda Al Sabah in Kuwait.

Research Interests: Brain Pathology and Neurosciences

It has always been Dr. Nawfal’s plan to follow the complete academic track in order to teach, practice and do research- all of which he has accomplished. Among his research work, Dr. Michel Nawfal was the study coordinator of two research projects for Janssen-Cilag Pharmaceuticals. In conjunction with the chairperson (at the time) of the Social and Behavioral Science at the American University of Beirut Dr. Arne Dietrich, PhD, Nawfal worked on a Neuroscience research investigating the activity of certain brain areas in running individuals and its implication on Depression and Anxiety. This study involved PET scanning of the brains of running candidates – a world’s first at the time!

Volunteer Work

Despite his busy schedule, Dr. Michel Nawfal has also made volunteer work a staple of his medical career. Since July 2006, he offers free work for patients referred by the the Charity Clinic of St. Vincent de Paul Charity Society – Ghazir Chapter.

Awards

In 2006 he was also granted by the American University of Beirut the Sheikh Fawzi Azar Award for an outstanding analysis and critique of the MMPI-2 (Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory 2nd Edition), the most widely used personality test in the world, and how it could be used in the Middle-East, as it is written in English and published in the United States of America. He was also granted the UFE medal in 2007 from the Union of the French outside France (Union des Français de l’Etranger: UFE) for his help in evacuating European citizens who were living in Lebanon during the Lebanon-Israel war of 2006.