Episode 236: Voices from Gaza:  Understanding War Trauma with Dr. Iman Farajallah
25 February 2026

Episode 236: Voices from Gaza: Understanding War Trauma with Dr. Iman Farajallah

Behaviour Speak with Ben Reiman

About

In this conversation, Dr. Iman Farajallah shares her profound experiences and insights as a psychologist working with trauma, particularly in war zones like Gaza. She discusses her personal background, the impact of war trauma on children, and her efforts to give a voice to those affected. The conversation also touches on the challenges of mental health support in Gaza and the concept of complex continuous trauma, highlighting the ongoing struggles faced by the Palestinian population. This conversation delves into the profound and complex trauma experienced by the population of Gaza, particularly focusing on the impact on children. The discussion highlights the continuous nature of trauma, the intergenerational effects, and the parallels with other marginalized communities. Dr. Farajallah shares insights from her work training first responders and supporting refugees, as well as her personal journey of healing through spirituality.


Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/-yxX3XhmWYU


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Contact:


LinkedIn


https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-iman-farajallah-psyd-6aa190149/


YouTube


https://www.youtube.com/@dr.imanfarajallah3658


 


Links: 


My Life Is a War: Voices of Traumatized Palestinian Children under Israeli Occupation


https://www.amazon.ca/Life-War-Traumatized-Palestinian-Occupation/dp/B0D378QVCX


Gaza's Children: Innocence Lost - 8 min video with some of the interviews by Dr. Farajallah with children in Gaza 


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X4T5NxztIfw&t=1s


The Invisible Wounds of Palestinian Children


https://www.psychiatrictimes.com/view/the-invisible-wounds-of-palestinian-children


Interview on Al Jazeera


https://www.aljazeera.com/video/the-stream/2024/1/9/how-does-the-war-on-gaza-affect-mental-health-of-palestinian-children


Interview on CBC 


https://www.cbc.ca/player/play/audio/1.7053750


Articles by Dr. Farajallah


Farajallah I. Health and mental health services in Gaza: A system under siege. Anatolian Clin. 2024;29(Special Issue on Gaza):22-3. 


Farajallah, Iman. Continuous Traumatic Stress in Palestine: The Psychological Effects of the Occupation and Chronic Warfare on Palestinian Children. World Social Psychiatry 4(2):p 112-120, May–Aug 2022. | DOI: 10.4103/wsp.wsp_26_22 


Farajallah I. Behind the Rubble: Psychological trauma of wars and human rights abuses on women and children in Gaza. Anatolian Clin. 2024;29(Special Issue on Gaza):119-36. 


Farajallah, I. (2018). Children of War: Psychological Impacts of War and Postwar Trauma on the Palestinian Children in the Gaza Strip (Doctoral dissertation, Sofia University).


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