Sadrine Atallah, the first sexologist in Lebanon. Photo courtesy of Atallah.
Being a sexologist in Lebanon doesn’t sell. The public is either drastically underinformed or deeply reluctant to engage with the topic. Being the first sexologist in Lebanon is even harder.Sandrine Atallah knows the irony well. She’s endured the constant "shou hayda?" ("what’s that?") about her profession, which many still don’t see as legitimate, and ongoing doubts about her skills.Atallah has split her life between Paris and Beirut since childhood. She trained in France for sexology and hypnosis, then returned to Lebanon in the 2000s armed with credentials — and an unapologetically direct voice. In 2007, she became the country’s first officially practicing medical sexologist, establishing her practice in a society where discussions of sexual behavior remain taboo.When criticized, Atallah — who was once a shy...
Being a sexologist in Lebanon doesn’t sell. The public is either drastically underinformed or deeply reluctant to engage with the topic. Being the first sexologist in Lebanon is even harder.Sandrine Atallah knows the irony well. She’s endured the constant "shou hayda?" ("what’s that?") about her profession, which many still don’t see as legitimate, and ongoing doubts about her skills.Atallah has split her life between Paris and Beirut since childhood. She trained in France for sexology and hypnosis, then returned to Lebanon in the 2000s armed with credentials — and an unapologetically direct voice. In 2007, she became the country’s first officially practicing medical sexologist, establishing her practice in a society where discussions of sexual behavior remain taboo.When criticized, Atallah — who was...