Basel Zayed, Founder & Clinical Director

Basel has been practicing as a psychotherapist since 2012, offering his expertise both locally and internationally. Basel is a professor of mental health counseling at Lesley University and a dedicated member of the Brain and Behavior Laboratory research team at Curry College. With the help of students, interns, research assistants, and colleagues, he leads his research lab in music psychology, where he explores the intersections of music, identity, and wellness. 

Drawing from diverse professional and cultural backgrounds, Basel's journey is characterized by a pursuit of therapeutic exploration and personal development. Rooted in an intrinsic love for music and an unwavering commitment to healing, he recognizes the transformative potential of creativity for change within the field of psychology. Basel is a music composer and performer, a board-certified music therapist (MT-BC) and a licensed mental health counselor (LMHC).

Basel's educational journey includes a master's degree from City University, London, UK in 2012, and another Mental Health Counseling degree from the University of Massachusetts, Boston in 2019, and another Clinical Psychology degree from Antioch University in Keene, NH, in 2024 which has laid a robust foundation for his ongoing doctoral studies. Guided by his own life experiences, Basel's resilience in navigating challenges fuels his aspiration to contribute positively to the well-being of others.

Throughout his journey, Basel has demonstrated a profound empathy for his clients. Possessing an exceptional aptitude for establishing connections across cultural and societal boundaries, he has fine-tuned his ability to provide culturally sensitive and inclusive therapy. His clinical interests blend around themes of trauma, identity formation, and life transitions, with a focus on their manifestation in contexts of depression and anxiety.

Basel's therapeutic approach is an eclectic blend of diverse modalities. Infused with insights from his background in music therapy, talk therapy, ethnic and cultural background. He integrates alternative techniques such as mindfulness, meditation, mentalization, and narrative therapy in his practice. His toolkit also encompasses acceptance and commitment therapy, client-focused orientations, and motivational interviewi