Laila is a licensed clinical social worker in Bethesda, Maryland, who has been in private practice since 2007, specializing in psychotherapy and cross-cultural therapy for individuals, couples, and families. She earned her Master’s Degree in Social Work from The Catholic University of America in Washington, DC, and a Bachelor’s Degree in Sociology and Spanish from LaSalle University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Laila’s unique background (First generation, half-Italian and half-Palestinian) has given her a deep appreciation of diverse human experiences. She comes from a multigenerational line of human rights activists, beginning with her paternal grandmother and father, Dr. Fouzi El-Asmar, a distinguished Palestinian writer, poet, academic, and journalist. From her father, a recognized authority on the political and social conditions of the Palestinian people, Laila gained a passion for human rights that became integral to her work in mental health and human services.