Copyright
Caesar Hakim; Hamish J. McLeod; Mohammad AlkhatibPublished On
2026-08-04Language
- English
Print Length
6 pagesTHEMA
- JMN
- JBCC7
- JH
BISAC
- PSY003000
- PSY031000
- PSY030000
- SOC002010
- SOC042000
Keywords
- Applied psychology in conflict zones
- Palestinian villages
- Community mental health
- Cross-cultural psychology
- Trauma and resilience studies
- Qualitative fieldwork narratives
2. Names of the Book Villages
Moving Through the Villages
- Caesar Hakim (author)
- Hamish J McLeod (author)
- Mohammad Alkhatib (author)
This chapter explains the symbolic naming of the fictional villages that structure the book, each name drawn from real Palestinian naming traditions and chosen to carry meaning relevant to the therapeutic work described within it. Ayn al-Rumman, meaning spring of pomegranates, evokes renewal and the enduring strength of Palestinian heritage. Deir Talal, meaning convent of Talal, reflects a place of reflection and service, now reimagined as a psychological centre. Beit Baseera, the house of insight, points to the clinician's own mind as the source of diagnostic understanding. Um Adeeb, mother of Adeeb, draws on the mother-child bond as a model for the therapeutic relationship. Beir Naseem, Naseem's well, speaks to water and breeze as sources of life and new beginnings after war. The chapter then introduces the book's guiding device: a cart moving slowly between villages, stopping at stations where readers engage with psychological theory in practice. This journey mirrors the process of therapy itself, moving people out of the frozen stuckness that trauma can produce and toward fluidity, possibility, and renewed growth.
Contributors
Caesar Hakim
(author)Dr. Caesar Hakim is a clinical psychologist, supervisor, and academic whose career spans clinical practice, teaching, and research. His expertise encompasses psychodiagnostics, psychotherapy, and clinical supervision, with a particular interest in trauma and mental health within communities affected by war and displacement. He holds a PhD in Clinical Psychology from the University of Haifa (2015) and currently serves as Assistant Professor at An-Najah National University and Honorary Lecturer at the University of Glasgow. From 2025 to 2026, he was a Visiting Academic at the University of Edinburgh. He has served as Clinical Director at a mental health centre and, for nearly a decade, as a clinical supervisor, training and mentoring psychologists in assessment and psychotherapy. He also led the development of a psychology internship programme in Palestine, established in partnership with NHS Scotland and the University of Glasgow. His publications include Curcum's Trees: A Decolonial Healing Guide and Applied Psychology in Context: Stories and Lessons from Villages Under Occupation, both of which reflect his commitment to culturally grounded approaches to trauma and mental health care.
Hamish J McLeod
(author)Prof. Hamish J McLeod qualified as a clinical psychologist in 1992 and then completed a PhD at Imperial College, University of London. His clinical practice in the NHS has been focused working with people experiencing complex mental health and neuropsychological conditions. He is Professor of Clinical Psychology at the University of Glasgow and Programme Director for the Doctorate in Clinical Psychology course.
Mohammad Alkhatib
(author)Mohammad Alkhatib is an early-career clinical psychologist with a Master’s in Clinical Psychology from An-Najah National University. He has over five years of experience at Bethlehem's Guidance and Training Center, specializing in clinical Psychology and mental health training. This book marks his first as an author.