On today's podcast show, I was delighted and excited to have a special guest Dr Shahd Alshammari on the show. I had recently come across her amazing and beautifully written work when she was invited into the school I work in to give a talk to senior students on various topics including her recently published work titled "Head Above Water" which was published in 2022.
Dr Shahd and I discuss in some depth how her love for Literature started but also some of the challenges and difficulties she faced in her young adult life as she found out that she was diagnosed with Multiple sclerosis (MS). We discuss this aspect of her life in some depth and she reveals some of the obstacles and difficulties she faced but also overcame in time.
Currently, Dr Shahd infuses her past experiences to help her current students and the wider community overcome aspects of trauma and helps them to find some steps to recovery through writing and purging some of the troubled aspects of their lives. We discuss the importance of journalling and how it can help your mental health as well as helping the creative part of your brain!
Dr. Shahd Alshammari teaches literature and creative writing in the Middle East. She is the author of "Head Above Water: Reflections on Illness" (2022) and you can find out more about her work here:
https://shahdalshammari.com/
Thank you for listening to the show.
Thank you for your support. Your host Miriam Khan @ Raise Your Vibes.