Dr. Halaj is a Senior Lecturer (asst prof) in the Department of Community Mental Health at the University of Haifa. She earned her M.A. from Teachers College, Columbia University, and her Ph.D. in clinical psychology from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, where she focused on insight in anxiety disorders. She completed a postdoctoral fellowship at University College London, examining insight and its relationship to metacognition in nonpsychotic disorders.

Her research explores how individuals with nonpsychotic disorders perceive and interpret their experiences, and how these processes are influenced by metacognitive abilities. Her work advances the understanding of insight beyond psychosis, both theoretically and clinically. She is also committed to promoting mental health in underserved communities and culturally adapting evidence-based interventions for the Arab community. In addition to her research, Dr. Halaj is actively involved in several initiatives aimed at promoting mental health awareness and access within the Arab community in Israel.

 

Larin is a second-year M.A. student in Community Mental Health at the University of Haifa, where she also completed her B.A. in Psychology. Her research focuses on the relationship between insight into mental health conditions, self-stigma, and willingness to seek psychological treatment, with an emphasis on differences between Jewish and Arab participants.

 

 

 

 

Yuval completed her B.A. in Psychology and is currently pursuing her M.A. in Clinical Psychology, specializing in child populations, both at the University of Haifa. Her research focuses on examining the relationship between clinical and cognitive insight and age of onset in mood and anxiety disorders.