My Trauma Story
This is not a typical resume, it is rather my life story, a journey of pain and joy, and of suffering and hope.
My story started before I was born. My parents and generations before them have had their “fair” share of trauma. They tried to do their best to protect us, children, from the aftermath of their invisible wounds, but it is the nature of this beast, the trans-generational transmission of trauma can cause dysfunctional cycles that need to be broken.
I was born in Benghazi, Libya in 1973, the middle of 12 children. I lost one sibling when I was 3, he died shortly after birth, I did not get the chance to know him, but it must have been heart-breaking for my parents, the first of many wounds their hearts would sustain.
When I was 6, my 14-year-old sister went blind, and quickly died of brain cancer. I vividly remember her teachers bringing her report card home, she passed all her classes with an A, there was not a single dry eye in the room. My parents were devastated. I made the decision that day to pursue medicine to become a source of healing.
Growing up the middle of 10 siblings was a wonderful experience. I received lots of attention and affection from both my parents and my sisters and brothers, despite their own wounds. Our collective trauma brought us closer together as a family. Trauma can make or break a family unit. I am grateful that we faced our loss and grief as a one united team.
At age 11, I was about to be kidnapped on my way home from school. I could see the car driver half-naked as he tried to grab me. I got lucky that afternoon. That experience ignited my passion about helping protect children from trauma and violence. It is an unsafe world out there, but we can always try to do our part through making every inter-personal space a place of safety for everyone we encounter.
I did extremely well in medical school, wanted to become a brain surgeon, but surgery was not my cup of tea, every time I entered the operating room, I ended up on the floor unconscious. I became an emergency room physician and really loved it. My heart, however, was always attracted to listening to people’s stories and trying to find the real source of their distress, I was noticing that not all scars are visible, and that it is the invisible ones that are the most difficult to heal. I am not a heart surgeon, but mending broken hearts is my true calling.
In 1998, while trying to visit a friend recovering from oral surgery, I found myself surrounded by 4 cars, 16 guns were pointed at me. I almost lost my life for being at the wrong place at the wrong time. I started to pay attention to the unspoken word, the tone of voice and the body language of people living in fear. I was never drawn to politics, but that restless energy was palpable all over the country.
A year after, my brother-in-law died at age 45 of heart attack, leaving behind 5 beautiful children, the youngest was only 7.5 month old, I was honored to help my sister with her heavy load, I loved my nieces and nephews, I started to work with organizations caring for the orphans, but few months later, all of that was going to change dramatically and drastically.
In July of 1999, my father urged me to leave my home country immediately as I was about to be thrown in jail for engaging in humanitarian activities and taking care of the psychosocial needs of the widows and orphans. I found myself boarding a boat and crossing the Mediterranean Sea to start a life of a refugee.
My application for seeking asylum in England was rejected because the immigration judge declared that he could see no visible scars on my body. He failed that day to see my invisible wounds. I was about to get deported when God Himself intervened and I met my wife, a Libyan-American, and ended up in “The Land of Opportunity” only 5 short months after September 11th, 2001.
Coming to America while she was recovering from her deep wounds was a very difficult adjustment. Being a young, Arab, Muslim man, I faced similar Islamophobia, discrimination, and hate in the United States to what I have encountered earlier in the United Kingdom.
I worked several odd jobs, and after passing my medical license exams I joined the psychiatry residency program at the University of Tennessee in Memphis. While there, I got accepted into the Harvard Program in Refugee Trauma and started to become heavily involved in disaster relief and humanitarian work.
In 2009, immediately after relocating to Portland, Oregon, I was told that my newborn baby “will never make it”. It was a very difficult time for me and my wife before our baby pushed through and against all odds she survived. God is good. I started to focus more on my small family, but again that was about to change forever.
The “Arab Spring” started in 2011. As the movement spread from Tunis to Egypt, I knew it was only a matter of time before the fires would engulf Libya. I found myself going back and forth multiple times to Libya, Syria, and Burma, trying to comfort trauma survivors and show them that there is beauty despite the ugly circumstances, that there is light despite the darkness, and that it is because of their trauma they will gain resilience, perspective, strength, wisdom, and growth.
In 2014, I lost my nephew to an extremist group. I however refused to hate. I started to engage in the work of dialogue and restorative justice and started to write about the topic of combating hate.
Then my mom who was my best friend, died in 2016. I lost my voice the day I lost mom. Her heart could not take any more pain, she was heavily wounded, and my heart was shattered into a million pieces. I was lucky to be next to her when she died. I was heart-broken but needed to nurse my wounds and take care of myself because I have a wife and three daughters who needed me to be there, a safe father, who offers them an open door and unconditional love.
They are growing up in a very dangerous world, they get called names because of the way they dress, they get attacked even in Disneyland “the happiest place on earth”. They are living through a global pandemic, trying to navigate a confusing digital world and online schooling, and at the same time trying to build their social skills in a society that will not hesitate to mercilessly crush their souls. It is my duty and absolute honor to be there for them, and to co-create with them a better world for all children.
I am considered a "global trauma expert", I have extensive experience and expertise working with survivors of all kinds of trauma with a soft spot in my heart for children and refugees.
I work on breaking family cycles of trauma through my model of care Untangled, a model of care that is used in many communities in the USA and abroad, and I am also an advocate for caring about the caregivers through my model of care The Wounded Healer.
Project Untangled | Untangling the cycle of refugee trauma.
https://www.amazon.com/Untangled-Go-Caregivers-Traumatized-Communities/dp/1594980594
I am experienced in intra and inter-cultural and intra and inter-faith dialogue to combat hate and have written chapters in the books (Islamophobia and Psychiatry) and (Antisemitism and Psychiatry).
https://www.psychiatrictimes.com/authors/omar-reda-md
I have lots of experience conducting play and art therapy with children, peacebuilding and non-violent communication, conflict resolution, and reconciliation, and communal grief activities.
Camp Silah 2018
I help communities, organizations, and governments build trauma-informed systems, services, and resources.
https://charterforcompassion.org/covid-20
I run camps and retreats for families, couples, youth, religious leaders, and planning on doing the same for frontline staff and caregivers through my book The Wounded Healer.
https://www.amazon.com/Wounded-Healer-Pain-Joy-Caregiving/dp/1324019239
I am the psychosocial consultant for the animated film Lamya’s Poem about the Syrian conflict.
Lamya's Poem - UPF (Unity Productions Foundation)
I am the creator of the card game Privilege, the founder of the Daughter-Father Bonding YouTube channel and the Family Bonding Project.
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCs4gAhQc0atwATMyhaMLXgA
And given my diverse background, I have had the pleasure of working on multiple projects globally.
https://www.worldsocpsychiatry.org/article.asp?issn=2667-1077;year=2020;volume=2;issue=1;spage=27;epage=30;aulast=Reda
The things I will never give up on are faith, family, and hope.
The things that help me keep my sanity are my faith, family, practicing gratitude, and engaging in acts of service.
That was briefly my story, not your typical resume, but it is what I use to start difficult healing conversations.
Now ask me anything.
My story started before I was born. My parents and generations before them have had their “fair” share of trauma. They tried to do their best to protect us, children, from the aftermath of their invisible wounds, but it is the nature of this beast, the trans-generational transmission of trauma can cause dysfunctional cycles that need to be broken.
I was born in Benghazi, Libya in 1973, the middle of 12 children. I lost one sibling when I was 3, he died shortly after birth, I did not get the chance to know him, but it must have been heart-breaking for my parents, the first of many wounds their hearts would sustain.
When I was 6, my 14-year-old sister went blind, and quickly died of brain cancer. I vividly remember her teachers bringing her report card home, she passed all her classes with an A, there was not a single dry eye in the room. My parents were devastated. I made the decision that day to pursue medicine to become a source of healing.
Growing up the middle of 10 siblings was a wonderful experience. I received lots of attention and affection from both my parents and my sisters and brothers, despite their own wounds. Our collective trauma brought us closer together as a family. Trauma can make or break a family unit. I am grateful that we faced our loss and grief as a one united team.
At age 11, I was about to be kidnapped on my way home from school. I could see the car driver half-naked as he tried to grab me. I got lucky that afternoon. That experience ignited my passion about helping protect children from trauma and violence. It is an unsafe world out there, but we can always try to do our part through making every inter-personal space a place of safety for everyone we encounter.
I did extremely well in medical school, wanted to become a brain surgeon, but surgery was not my cup of tea, every time I entered the operating room, I ended up on the floor unconscious. I became an emergency room physician and really loved it. My heart, however, was always attracted to listening to people’s stories and trying to find the real source of their distress, I was noticing that not all scars are visible, and that it is the invisible ones that are the most difficult to heal. I am not a heart surgeon, but mending broken hearts is my true calling.
In 1998, while trying to visit a friend recovering from oral surgery, I found myself surrounded by 4 cars, 16 guns were pointed at me. I almost lost my life for being at the wrong place at the wrong time. I started to pay attention to the unspoken word, the tone of voice and the body language of people living in fear. I was never drawn to politics, but that restless energy was palpable all over the country.
A year after, my brother-in-law died at age 45 of heart attack, leaving behind 5 beautiful children, the youngest was only 7.5 month old, I was honored to help my sister with her heavy load, I loved my nieces and nephews, I started to work with organizations caring for the orphans, but few months later, all of that was going to change dramatically and drastically.
In July of 1999, my father urged me to leave my home country immediately as I was about to be thrown in jail for engaging in humanitarian activities and taking care of the psychosocial needs of the widows and orphans. I found myself boarding a boat and crossing the Mediterranean Sea to start a life of a refugee.
My application for seeking asylum in England was rejected because the immigration judge declared that he could see no visible scars on my body. He failed that day to see my invisible wounds. I was about to get deported when God Himself intervened and I met my wife, a Libyan-American, and ended up in “The Land of Opportunity” only 5 short months after September 11th, 2001.
Coming to America while she was recovering from her deep wounds was a very difficult adjustment. Being a young, Arab, Muslim man, I faced similar Islamophobia, discrimination, and hate in the United States to what I have encountered earlier in the United Kingdom.
I worked several odd jobs, and after passing my medical license exams I joined the psychiatry residency program at the University of Tennessee in Memphis. While there, I got accepted into the Harvard Program in Refugee Trauma and started to become heavily involved in disaster relief and humanitarian work.
In 2009, immediately after relocating to Portland, Oregon, I was told that my newborn baby “will never make it”. It was a very difficult time for me and my wife before our baby pushed through and against all odds she survived. God is good. I started to focus more on my small family, but again that was about to change forever.
The “Arab Spring” started in 2011. As the movement spread from Tunis to Egypt, I knew it was only a matter of time before the fires would engulf Libya. I found myself going back and forth multiple times to Libya, Syria, and Burma, trying to comfort trauma survivors and show them that there is beauty despite the ugly circumstances, that there is light despite the darkness, and that it is because of their trauma they will gain resilience, perspective, strength, wisdom, and growth.
In 2014, I lost my nephew to an extremist group. I however refused to hate. I started to engage in the work of dialogue and restorative justice and started to write about the topic of combating hate.
Then my mom who was my best friend, died in 2016. I lost my voice the day I lost mom. Her heart could not take any more pain, she was heavily wounded, and my heart was shattered into a million pieces. I was lucky to be next to her when she died. I was heart-broken but needed to nurse my wounds and take care of myself because I have a wife and three daughters who needed me to be there, a safe father, who offers them an open door and unconditional love.
They are growing up in a very dangerous world, they get called names because of the way they dress, they get attacked even in Disneyland “the happiest place on earth”. They are living through a global pandemic, trying to navigate a confusing digital world and online schooling, and at the same time trying to build their social skills in a society that will not hesitate to mercilessly crush their souls. It is my duty and absolute honor to be there for them, and to co-create with them a better world for all children.
I am considered a "global trauma expert", I have extensive experience and expertise working with survivors of all kinds of trauma with a soft spot in my heart for children and refugees.
I work on breaking family cycles of trauma through my model of care Untangled, a model of care that is used in many communities in the USA and abroad, and I am also an advocate for caring about the caregivers through my model of care The Wounded Healer.
Project Untangled | Untangling the cycle of refugee trauma.
https://www.amazon.com/Untangled-Go-Caregivers-Traumatized-Communities/dp/1594980594
I am experienced in intra and inter-cultural and intra and inter-faith dialogue to combat hate and have written chapters in the books (Islamophobia and Psychiatry) and (Antisemitism and Psychiatry).
https://www.psychiatrictimes.com/authors/omar-reda-md
I have lots of experience conducting play and art therapy with children, peacebuilding and non-violent communication, conflict resolution, and reconciliation, and communal grief activities.
Camp Silah 2018
I help communities, organizations, and governments build trauma-informed systems, services, and resources.
https://charterforcompassion.org/covid-20
I run camps and retreats for families, couples, youth, religious leaders, and planning on doing the same for frontline staff and caregivers through my book The Wounded Healer.
https://www.amazon.com/Wounded-Healer-Pain-Joy-Caregiving/dp/1324019239
I am the psychosocial consultant for the animated film Lamya’s Poem about the Syrian conflict.
Lamya's Poem - UPF (Unity Productions Foundation)
I am the creator of the card game Privilege, the founder of the Daughter-Father Bonding YouTube channel and the Family Bonding Project.
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCs4gAhQc0atwATMyhaMLXgA
And given my diverse background, I have had the pleasure of working on multiple projects globally.
https://www.worldsocpsychiatry.org/article.asp?issn=2667-1077;year=2020;volume=2;issue=1;spage=27;epage=30;aulast=Reda
The things I will never give up on are faith, family, and hope.
The things that help me keep my sanity are my faith, family, practicing gratitude, and engaging in acts of service.
That was briefly my story, not your typical resume, but it is what I use to start difficult healing conversations.
Now ask me anything.
Reviews
I had the privilege of being counseled by Dr. Omar Reda in my undergraduate studies at Oregon Institute of Technology where he excelled as a professional in several aspects: intelligence, commitment, responsibility, communication.... In addition to having the highest reviews as a professional consoler. Dr. Omar Reda consistently proved himself to be the most inquisitive doctor who can be counted upon to lead the class in asking insightful questions. Through his enthusiastic conversations, he demonstrated himself as a world leader.
~ Abdullah Alshawa
~ Abdullah Alshawa
