#DBWCFORUMS: Holistic Health and Well-being Forum

October 11th, 2022

The Dubai Business Women Council (DBWC) has organized a special edition of the "Holistic Health and Wellness Forum" at the headquarters of Dubai Chambers, bringing together more than  65 participants as well as leaders of the business community and companies in Dubai.

The event came in conjunction with Mental Health Awareness Month and in celebration of World Mental Health Day, which falls on October 10 of every year. It is also in line with Dubai’s mandate to support health and wellness and create a healthier work environment.

The forum discussed the importance of mental health in boosting productivity in the workplace as well as the need to maintain a healthy lifestyle, and adopt practices that reduce work pressure and its challenges, as well as its negative impacts on everyone’s life and health.

The conference was organized in collaboration with "Beyond Mindful Living," and in partnership with support partners including Mind Resilience Training and Claudia Sidoli, Personal Trainer of the Mind, Success & Confidence Coach, and Corporate Educator & Elevator.

The forum brought together an elite group of speakers and experts with expertise in the field of health and medical care and treatments for trauma therapies, where they spoke about the need to invest in mental health, overcome psychological workplace issues, and innovate in safe work settings.

During the event, it was unanimously agreed that mental health is an essential element in defining everyone’s future and that it is a shared personal and institutional responsibility, with the participants calling for investing in mental health and creating an ideal business environment away from psychological constraints.

Speakers emphasized the need to educate the public about the dangers of stress and anxiety as well as their detrimental effects on various personal and professional aspects. They also emphasized the importance of not underestimating the psychological challenges related to work environment and its pressures.

Forum activities

The event started with a talk by Scott Armstrong, Founder of "Mentl", in which he spoke about the importance of mental health, followed by the first panel discussion, which was moderated by Claudia Sidoli.

The session involved the participation of Rebecca McGowen, Wellness and Benefits Director at Beneple, Nancy Debban, Training and Talent Development Consultant, and Scott Armstrong, where they discussed the importance of mental health in workplace.

The first session was followed by a talk with Bahar Wilson, founder of Beyond Mindful Living, who stressed the need to overcome the vicious cycle of procrastination.

Entitled "Entrepreneurs Mental Health and Burn Out," the second session brought together Lara Al Saad, Career empowerment coach, Dina Bisharat, Team and Leadership Coach, and Hiba Khayata , Career Services Manager, Career and life Coach at American University of Sharjah. The session was moderated by Sami Khoury, founder and Mindset Trainer at Mind Resilience Training.

Chris Haill, founder of MindForce, also took part in the forum where he spoke about the future and progression of mental health in the UAE. Also, during the forum, a talk entitled “Maximize your peak performance: Brain and Body” was delivered by Dr. Shai Efrati, Co-Founder Aviv Scientific & Professor at Tel Aviv University - Aviv Clinics Dubai .

The third and final panel session discussed how to deal with grief and trauma. It was attended by Dr. Saliha Afridi, Managing Director of the Lighthouse Arabia, Dr. Mary Thompson, Clinical Director at Vivamus, and Bahar Wilson, founder of Beyond Mindful Living. The session was moderated by Mélanie Lapointe, Learning & Development Specialist, Partnership Manager, and Consultant DE&I.

The forum comes in line with the council’s ongoing efforts to spread awareness about techniques that help alleviate psychological pressures and the hardships of daily life. It also aims to help the participants pursue and adapt to their professional lives and achieve success on both personal and professional levels.

It is also a part of the #DBWCFORUMS initiative, which aims to increase the awareness of women, entrepreneurs, and workers of both genders in the business community on a variety of topics that improve and hone their skills and support them in maintaining an ideal, more-balanced, healthy life away from work obligations and pressures in line with international best practices.

Established in 2002, under the umbrella of the Dubai Chamber of Commerce, the Dubai Business Women Council is the UAE’s leading platform for the personal and professional development of business women in the Emirate of Dubai.

It aims to support businesswomen and entrepreneurs in taking the first steps in the world of business. The Council plays an important role in enhancing the contribution of businesswomen to the country's economy and promoting economic development in all sectors of the business community.