Issam Cherkaoui-Jaouad

Psychologist and teacher by training, graduated from the Faculty of Psychological Sciences and Education at the ULB, I will first present the different experiences and influences that have led to the type of support I offer you.

Having lived half of my life in Morocco and the other half in France and Belgium, I have developed a very strong sensitivity to the importance of the place one occupies within the environment in which we live. I have been able to develop a deep questioning about the meaning given to our existence and about the impact of what is reflected back to us by the world around us. This questioning has accompanied me throughout my training and has allowed me to develop a number of tools (Adler’s sense of community, Nonviolent Communication, psychoanalytic analysis, …) that enable me to support people towards a fulfilling sense of existence, allowing them to evolve more serenely on an ongoing basis.

I also had the chance to work in day centers that specialized in different mental health issues (addiction, borderline personality disorder). This experience was extremely enriching because it allowed me to combine individualized support as the designated reference person with group support through various activities offered, most often organized by the patients themselves. Through this work, I truly became aware of the rich and complex relationship that exists between a patient’s individual issue and that person’s involvement within their network (family, friends, work, etc.). It was necessary to take these two aspects into account simultaneously in order to effectively support the person toward a more fulfilling life that is experienced as more meaningful.

Moreover, my experience as a psychology teacher has enabled me to enhance my skills in transmitting and sharing know-how and interpersonal skills. I have had the opportunity to teach in various fields related to psychology such as Developmental Psychology, Communication, Applied Psychology, Psychology of Couple Conflicts, and Psychopedagogy. I have had the opportunity to teach to very diverse audiences:

Teenagers, adults already integrated into the working world, adults returning to studies, and teenagers living with disabilities. This experience was also a great revelation for me regarding the importance of sharing not only knowledge but also humanity and connection. Offering consideration, attentive listening, respect, and even a form of friendship to the students was the key ingredient for effective, healthy, and motivating transmission for them and for me.

It is therefore through all of these experiences that I offer you guidance that will lead to rich, mutual growth.

At the individual level, for adults, I offer work on a variety of issues (Depression, Burnout, Grief, Professional or Personal Difficulties, …) using as a framework the personal experience of all interpersonal relationships. The aim is to find a new balance that will make it possible to emerge from a certain stagnation and rumination, which is for me the main source of psychological suffering. I also offer work with adolescents for issues that are particularly prevalent in today’s society (School dropout, learning methods, career guidance, …). This will involve support whose main goal is the development of a combination of independence and autonomy through a relationship of respect, equality and unconditional regard.

Finally, I can also help and support you regarding communication within your relationship. In a two-person dynamic, it is unfortunately very easy to end up stuck in an interaction that gives the impression that no way out toward healthy communication and clear understanding is possible. Drawing on the tools of Nonviolent Communication and the perspective offered by a more analytical approach, I would like to try to assist you so that together we can reach this way out.

By taking care to support you without judgment and in strict respect of the confidentiality of our exchanges, I commit to putting my whole self at the service of whatever you bring to our sessions. I invite you to work together on the wonderful path you have chosen and to awaken together that courage that is already within you!