Dr. Saliha Afridi is a clinical psychologist. She is also the founder and Managing Director of The LightHouse Arabia, a community wellness center in Dubai.

Dr. Afridi earned her Bachelor’s Degree from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, and her Master’s and Doctorate Degrees in Clinical Psychology from the Arizona School of Professional Psychology in Phoenix. Her clinical training has been as a generalist working with children, adolescents, and adults on a range of diagnoses. Her expertise is in parenting, as well as burnout within the workplace sector.

Dr. Afridi moved to the UAE from the United States 11 years ago to make a positive impact on the mental health of the region. She established The LightHouse Arabia, which is now one of the largest mental health centers in the UAE. Her mission was to make mental health services accessible to the UAE community. Since its founding in 2011, Dr. Afridi and her team have contributed thousands of hours to the community, free of charge, to educate and raise awareness on best practices for mental health and wellness. Her most recent achievement was bringing the internationally acclaimed Australian Mental Health First Aid to the UAE, where her team has trained over 1,000 mental health first aiders for early detection and treatment of mental health difficulties within their communities.

A frequent guest expert on radio and in print media, Dr. Afridi spends extensive time consulting with private sector companies and government organizations on programs related to mental health and wellness.