Zahya GHADDAR

Instructor

01/421 000 zahya.ghaddar@usj.edu.lb

I am a speech-language pathologist based in Lebanon. Iobtained a Bachelor's and a Master's degree in Speech-Language Pathology fromSaint Joseph University of Beirut, and I completed my PhD in Public Health andMedical Sciences in a co-tutorship with the University of Liège in Belgium andSaint Joseph University of Beirut. My specialization focuses on therapeuticeducation for patients and their caregivers.

Since 2017, I have been teaching a course on dysphagia forMaster's students, and since 2016, I have been a thesis supervisor at SaintJoseph University of Beirut. I began practicing speech-language pathology in2009, and I am fluent in Arabic, English, and French.

I work with adult patients suffering from speech disorders(apraxia, dysarthria, voice disorders), swallowing disorders (dysphagia),language disorders (aphasia), and cognitive deficits (memory loss, difficultyconcentrating, problem-solving) caused by various neurological conditions suchas strokes, traumatic brain injuries, neurodegenerative diseases (Parkinson's,Alzheimer's), brain tumors, etc.

I also provide evaluations and rehabilitation for medicalconditions (dementia, laryngeal cancer, oral cancer, traumatic brain injuries,tracheotomies, assisted ventilation) and orofacial myofunctional disorders(adjustment of tongue position affecting speech, eating, and swallowing), aswell as speech and phonation disorders (articulation, speech intelligibility,stuttering). Additionally, I assist with voice and communication modificationin the context of digital marketing and offer online sessions (telepractice).

I am the founder of the Reacte Polyclinic in Beirut,offering speech-language pathology and psychomotricity services to children andadults. Furthermore, I am a speech-language pathology consultant for theBekhazi Medical Group and Fouad Khoury Hospital in Beirut.

I am certified as a clinician by:

- LSVT LOUD from LSVT Global (USA)

- SPEAK OUT! (USA)

- Therapeutic Patient Education (GRIEPS, France)

- Family Care and Parental Guidance (The Systemic LinkBeirut, Lebanon in collaboration with the Institute of Training and Applicationof Communication Therapies of Lyon - IFACT)

I am a certified trainer by INSHEA (National HigherInstitute of Training and Research for the Education of Young Disabled Personsand Adapted Teaching) in France.

Finally, I offer training and "counselingsessions" for speech-language pathologists in the Arab world to supporttheir clinical and professional practice.