My name is Hisham Abu Raiya. I was born in a small town in northern Israel/ Palestine called Sachnin. There, I attended both elementary and high school.

I am an Arab, Muslim, Palestinian and an Israeli citizen. These facts played, and continue to play, a central role in shaping my identity. I speak Arabic, Hebrew and English fluently.

Early in life, I discovered my two strongest personal propensities: my contemplative

tendency and my genuine interest in the welfare of others.

I did my undergraduate studies in Hebrew University in Jerusalem where I majored in psychology and minored in sociology. I graduated with a B.A. in 1997 and then applied and was accepted to the highly competitive clinical psychology master’s program at the same university. 

In May of 2003, I won the Israeli-Arab Scholarship (Fulbright) to pursue a PhD in the United States.

In 2008 I graduated with a Ph.D. from the APA-accredited, scientist-practitioner, clinical psychology program in Bowling Green State University (BGSU), Bowling Green, Ohio.

I excelled in my academic and clinical work at BGSU:

1. •In 2006, I was awarded the Leventhal Award by the psychology department. This award which is granted annually to a third-year Ph.D. clinical psychology student who shows outstanding performance in both research and clinical work;
   

2. •In 2006, less than three years after I began the program, I completed all the research requirements for my Ph.D. (i.e., thesis, preliminary project, dissertation). 
   

3. •I was nominated by the psychology department for the BGSU’s Graduate College Distinguished Thesis Award and the APA Dissertation Award;
   

4. •I finished my studies with a GPA of 4.00.
   

I completed my predoctoral internship in the Counseling and Consultation Center at The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, and a one-year postdoctoral clinical psychology fellowship at the Counseling & Behavioral Health Services at New York University (NYU).

Click here to download my CV [PDF]