About SENS Consulting
SENS Consulting was not built to add more expertise to the field. It was built because, too often, what is presented as support does not actually support. Across years of working with individuals, teams, and organisations in high-pressure environments, one thing became difficult to ignore: there is a gap between what is said and what is lived, between what is taught, and what people can actually use, between what is labelled as “safety” or “resilience”, and what genuinely helps when pressure is real. Not everything labelled as “wellbeing”, “resilience”, or “safety” actually supports people in practice. That distinction matters here.
At the same time, the field has expanded rapidly: more content, more tools, more voices, but not always more clarity, depth, or responsibility. Oversimplified narratives, ready-made advice, and surface-level approaches have made it harder -not easier- for people to find support that is grounded, ethical, and actually useful. SENS was created in response to that. Not as another model, but as a way of working differently:
- Working with individuals as well as teams and organisations
- Taking context, constraints, and real-life dynamics seriously
- Recognising that pressure, exposure, and responsibility shape how people think, decide, and function
- Focusing on what can actually be applied, sustained, and relied on
So the focus remains simple: what helps, and what does not.
Indeed, the name SENS is not accidental. In French, it speaks to direction, meaning, and awareness, which sit at the core of this work. Because in complex environments, clarity is not given. It is built, questioned, and continuously adjusted. And so, Safer Environments and Needs-Based Support is not just a name, but the direction this work holds.
Founder
Aya Mhanna
Lead Consultant and Advisor
Aya Mhanna is a Mental Health and Trauma specialist with over 15 years of experience across clinical practice, protection, and work in complex and high-risk environments. Her background includes work in psychopathology, supporting individuals and groups through approaches that go beyond traditional models, integrating elements of psychodynamic therapy, CBT, and art therapy in ways that remain adaptable to context. Alongside her clinical work, Aya has engaged in research on human rights issues, including political detention and radicalization, shaping her understanding of how psychological, social, and structural factors interact. Over the years, her work has increasingly focused on supporting journalists, human rights defenders, and civil society actors operating under sustained pressure, where risk is ongoing and often deeply personal. Her work is driven by a strong commitment to free expression and human rights, and by what she has repeatedly seen in practice: support is too often fragmented or disconnected from what people are actually navigating. Aya develops trauma-informed, needs-based approaches that bring safety and wellbeing together in practice supporting individuals and teams in ways that are grounded, relevant, and sustainable.
Our Network of Experts
SENS Consulting works with a network of collaborators deeply trusted. These are people who have worked in real contexts in MHPSS, Safety, Cybersecurity, Program management, Monitoring evaluation and Research, as well as with the most at-risk individuals… They were chosen not just for what they know, but for how they think, how they show up, and how they navigate complexity when things are not straightforward. Depending on the situation, SENS brings in the right expertise to complement the work, while keeping a consistent, grounded approach. Below are some of the people SENS chooses to work with.
Anaëlle Saade
Anaëlle is a mental health and psychosocial support specialist with over 10 years of experience working in safety, emergency, and crisis contexts. With a background in clinical psychology, she has supported journalists, activists, and humanitarian staff operating in high-risk environments, providing both direct care and capacity-building. Her work focuses on psychosocial safety, critical incident response, and resilience-building, integrating mental health into broader security frameworks that include physical and digital risk. Anaëlle has designed and delivered trainings on stress management, trauma-informed approaches, and risk mitigation, helping individuals and organizations better navigate complex and high-pressure situations. She brings a holistic, field-informed approach that bridges clinical expertise with operational realities, ensuring that mental health support remains practical, accessible, and responsive to those working on the frontlines.
Victor Khoury
Security & Risk Advisor, Victor brings over 15 years of experience supporting organisations and individuals operating in complex and high-risk environments. His work spans risk assessment, security planning, crisis response, and operational decision-making, with a focus on practical strategies that reflect real-world constraints. He has worked closely with journalists, civil society actors, and international teams across the SWANA region and beyond, helping them navigate evolving threats while maintaining continuity of work. Victor’s approach is grounded, context-aware, and shaped by extensive field experience, supporting teams to make informed choices when risk is high and decisions still need to be made.
Nancy Awad
Nancy is a human rights and protection specialist with over fifteen years of experience supporting at-risk human rights defenders, journalists and activists across the SWANA region. She has worked in some of the world’s most complex and politically sensitive environments, helping individuals and organisations navigate threats, strengthen their resilience, and continue their work safely. Her expertise lies in holistic protection, integrating physical security, digital resilience, and psychosocial wellbeing into practical and context sensitive strategies. She has led risk assessments, crisis response interventions, and security planning for grassroots groups, feminist collectives, journalists, and NGOs. Nancy is currently undertaking advanced training in systemic therapy.
Ahmad Barakat
A Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability, and Learning specialist with over a decade of experience supporting UN agencies and international NGOs to design and implement M&E approaches and evaluate programmes across the media, human rights, and emergency response sectors. He brings cross-regional experience from some of the most complex contexts in the MENA region, working on projects that support journalists, human rights defenders, migrants, and internally displaced populations. He specialises in ToC & proposal development, tool design, data analysis, and reporting, with a strong focus on integrating Gender Equality and Social Inclusion (GESI) and Accountability to Affected Populations (AAP) principles into context-specific, outcome-driven M&E frameworks.
Ayoub Abbous
Experienced technology professional with a background in IT infrastructure, cybersecurity, digital transformation consulting, and digital safety training. He supports organizations in improving their systems, strengthening security, and using technology more effectively. His work includes network design, security best practices, process improvement, and helping teams adapt to digital change. He also delivers practical training that helps staff understand online risks and build safer digital habits. With a balanced mix of technical knowledge and business understanding, he helps individuals dealing with sensitive data and organizations create reliable, secure, and efficient digital environments that support growth, resilience, and long-term success across diverse teams, projects, and evolving operational needs.
Mohamad Hamdoun
Mohamad Hamdoun is a program manager with years of experience in international media development and donor-funded initiatives. His work has focused on supporting independent media organizations, particularly in complex and high-risk environments, with an emphasis on strengthening institutional capacity, sustainability, and impact. With a background in architecture and a career transition into program leadership, he brings a structured, systems-oriented approach to managing multi-stakeholder projects. He has led and contributed to programs funded by major international donors, overseeing strategy, implementation, and partnerships across diverse contexts. His expertise sits at the intersection of media development, project management, and organizational support, with a track record of working closely with civil society actors to deliver measurable outcomes under constrained conditions.