Publications, Graduate Research & Scholarly Contributions

Academic Research on Daoud’s Method

Since its emergence in 1981, Daoud’s Method continued to develop through Daoud’s theorization, and continuous interaction between practice, reflection, artistic creation, therapeutic applications, educational experiences, and academic research.

Research on Daoud’s Method explores its philosophical foundations, conceptual framework, professional applications, and contributions to human development across therapy, education, performance, and the humanities.

The academic study of the Method has taken multiple forms, including:

• edited scholarly volumes;
• research papers;
• doctoral dissertations;
• master’s theses;
• academic studies;
• scientific congresses and seminars.

These contributions document the development of the Method, investigate its concepts, and open new fields of research into creativity, human development, therapy, education, ethics, and artistic practice.

I. Books and Edited Scholarly Volumes

Play, Art, and Creativity Therapy (Jean Daoud’s Method)

Nassar, Christelle (Ed.).
Play, Art, and Creativity Therapy (Jean Daoud’s Method).
Alfurat Publishing.
First edition: 2016.
Second edition: 2018.

This collective volume brings together research papers addressing the therapeutic dimension of Daoud’s Method and its applications in different contexts.

The contributions examine Play, Art, and Creativity Therapy from theoretical, experiential, and applied perspectives, based on decades of professional practice.

The volume includes research papers addressing:

• Daoud’s Method as Therapy;
• artistic creation as a pathway for liberation;
• Formation (التكوين);
• the therapeutic value of creative play;
• writing as a continuation of therapeutic sessions;
• self-discovery and liberation;
• personal experiences within the Method;
• the role and personality of the trainer-former.

These contributions were presented in the Scientific Congress of Play, Art, and Creativity Therapy held in Order of Medical Doctors Lebanon in 2016.

Research consultation links:

• Alfurat Publishing: Play, Art, and Creativity Therapy (Jean Daoud’s Method)
• Library Antoine listing: Play, Art and Creativity Therapy (Jean Daoud’s Method)

The Theatrical Character in ‘Between Me and Me: Her’ and ‘Mouakoun’

Nassar, Christelle.
The Theatrical Character in ‘Between Me and Me: Her’ and ‘Mouakoun’.
Dar Al-Furat Publications, 2018.

This book examines the theatrical character in two of Daoud’s plays and explores dimensions of dramaturgy, character construction, and human meaning within his theatrical writing.

It contributes to research on the relationship between dramaturgy, the human being, and artistic creation in Daoud’s work, and presents the concept of the “ebmodied” as a more proprer description of what the actor is playing on the stage.

Research consultation links:

• Alfurat Publishing: The Theatrical Character in my plays ‘Between Me and Her’ and ‘Mouakoun’
• Kindle edition: The Theatrical Character in my plays ‘Between Me and Her’ and ‘Mouakoun’

Words and Revolution (Verbe et Révolution)

Creation et Critique, Beirut, 2000.

This publication gathers scholarly studies examining aspects of Daoud’s theatrical writing, language, aesthetics, and philosophical concerns.

It includes:

Explosion of the Form and the Power of Words in the Democratic Hyena

A study prepared by Dr. Lily Dagher.

A New Credo

A study prepared by Dr. Huda Rizk Hanna.

The Premises of the Third Millennium Writing

A study prepared by Dr. Najat Salibi.

One Contestation of All Times: the Democratic Hyena of Jean Daoud

A study prepared by Dr. Yola Haddad Alam.

Images and Maxims Serving a Message

A study prepared by Dr. George Sfeir.

Research Consultation Link:

• University of the Holy Spirit of Kaslik’s Library: Verbe et Révolution

II. Scholarly Studies on Daoud’s Method and Artistic Work

Beyond collective publications, research on Daoud’s Method has developed through individual scholarly studies examining its philosophical, therapeutic, educational, and artistic dimensions.

These studies have contributed to documenting the conceptual foundations of the Method and exploring its applications in theatre, dramaturgy, therapy, and human development.

The Dramaturgy of Human Being in the Works of Jean Daoud – ‘Mouakoun’ as a Model

Al-Riashi, Mark.
A study prepared by Dr. Mark Al-Riashi, Professor at the Faculty of Fine Arts and Architecture at the Lebanese University.

This study examines the dramaturgical dimensions of the human being in Jean Daoud’s theatrical work, taking Mouakoun as a model.

It explores the relationship between dramaturgy, the construction of human meaning, and the representation of human experience within Daoud’s theatrical universe.

From the Aesthetics of Cruelty to the Aesthetics of Responsibility

Najem, Marianne.

A study on Jean Daoud’s play Between Me and Me: Her, prepared by Dr. Marianne Najem, Professor at the Faculty of Arts and Humanities at the Lebanese University.

The study examines the movement from representations of suffering and violence toward an aesthetic grounded in responsibility, human dignity, and ethical engagement.

It contributes to research on Daoud’s theatrical writing and its relationship with questions of humanity, responsibility, and transformation.

III. Doctoral Dissertations on Daoud’s Method

Doctoral research has contributed to the academic development of Daoud’s Method by examining its therapeutic, artistic, and professional dimensions.

The following doctoral dissertations have been completed:

Bipolar Trouble Relapse Prevention: Between Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and the Holistic Method

Bsaibes, Waad Chartouni.
Doctoral Dissertation (in French) in Clinical Psychology.
Based on a sample from the Psychiatric Hospital of the Cross.
Lebanese University, Beirut, 2025.

This doctoral research examines relapse prevention in bipolar disorder through a clinical psychology perspective involving Daoud’s Method.

The Actor: Correlation between the Central Nervous System and the Body

Naim, Mirana.
Doctoral Dissertation in Arts and Art Sciences.
Lebanese University, Beirut, 2025.

This research investigates the actor through the relationship between the body, the nervous system, and performance, contributing to the exploration of embodied dimensions of acting and actor development with a special focus on Daoud’s method, that had been for Dr. Naim the initiating impulse for theater and the culminating form in which her research on neuroscience materializes.

Psychological Immunity and Building Sustainable Resilience According to Daoud’s Method (Play, Art and Creativity Therapy)

Chaaban, Rand.
Doctoral Dissertation in Clinical Psychology.
Lebanese University, Beirut, 2025.

This dissertation examines two central concepts developed within Daoud’s Method:

• Psychological Immunity (المناعة النفسية);
• Sustainable Resilience (الاستنهاض المستدام).

It explores their therapeutic foundations and their role within Play, Art and Creativity Therapy. Moreover, it dedicates a field study demonstrating their efficacy in reducing mutiple PTSD in a sample of Lebanese youths.

The Actor in Lebanon

Chami, Rabih.
Doctoral Dissertation in Arts and Art Sciences.
Lebanese University, Beirut, 2018.

This research contributes to the study of acting and actor development within the Lebanese theatrical context.

It comprises a chapter dedicated to the body in Jean Daoud’s method.

Dramaturgy of Actor Formation Based On The Sufi Method

Nassar, Christelle.
Doctoral Dissertation on Daoud’s Method in Formation, and therapy.
Lebanese University, Beirut, 2014.

This doctoral dissertation examines the foundations of actor Formation within Daoud’s Method, particularly through the concept of Dramaturgy of the Actor and the Sufi Method developed by Daoud.

It addresses the relationship between artistic formation, personal development, and professional practice.

It comprises two large sections. The first is dedicated to the philosophy and creative pedagogy in Daoud’s method. The second lays the foundations and working paths towards formation and psychotherapy in Daoud’s method.

As such, it constitutes an essential reference to anyone who wishes to study Daoud’s method.

IV. Master’s Level Theses on Daoud’s Method

Master’s research has explored the applications of Daoud’s Method in clinical psychology, education, theatre, and therapeutic intervention.

Reducing the Symptoms of Dependent Personality in the Victims of Early Marriages using Daoud’s Method

Ramadan, Nehmat.
Master’s thesis in Clinical Psychology.
Lebanese University, Beirut, 2026.

The debate of this master dissertation is scheduled in October 2026.

Reducing Psychological Burnout in Educator of the Intellectual Development Institution (Department of Challenged Children) using the Holistic Method

Mansour, Suzanne Assad.
Master’s thesis in Clinical Psychology.
Lebanese University, Beirut, 2026.

The debate of this master dissertation is scheduled in October 2026.

Activating a Therapeutic Program to Prevent and Delay the Relapse of Addicts in the Specialized Hospital of Al Chifa

Matar, Mustafa Adel Hadi.
Master’s thesis in Clinical Psychology.
Lebanese University, Beirut, 2021.

This master’s thesis explores the efficacy of Daoud’s method in preventing and delaying the relapse of addicts in the Specialized Hospital of Al Chifa, demonstrating promising results.

The Efficiency of Play, Art, and Creativity Therapy in Reducing Aggressive Behavior in Adolescents

Shaaban, Rand.
Master’s thesis in Clinical Psychology.
Lebanese University, Beirut, 2020.

This master’s thesis demonstrates the efficiency of Daoud’s method in reducing aggressive behavior in adolescents in only ten sessions, with an observable overall progress toward well-being.

From the Word to the Scene: the Expression of the Ideology and the Methodology of the Sufi Theater in Jean Daoud’s ‘Mouakoun’

Naim, Mirana.
Master’s degree research in Arts and Art Sciences.
Lebanese University.

This research examines the transition from text to performance and the expression of Daoud’s Sufi Theatre methodology in Mouakoun.

The Sufi Theater

Advanced Studies Diploma (DEA), Paris III University.

Research into Daoud’s Sufi Method in actor Formation focusing on the concept of the research of the absolute human being.

V. Scientific Conferences and Academic Seminars on Daoud’s Method

The development of Daoud’s Method has also been accompanied by scientific congresses, academic seminars, and intellectual gatherings bringing together researchers, university professors, practitioners, and professionals from different fields.

These events have provided spaces for presenting research, discussing theoretical developments, sharing practical experiences, and exploring the applications of the Method in therapy, education, theatre, and human development.

Scientific Congress of Play, Art, and Creativity Therapy

Lebanese Order of Medical Doctors, Beirut, December 2016

The Scientific Congress of Play, Art, and Creativity Therapy addressed the therapeutic dimension of Daoud’s Method through a series of research presentations and field experiences developed over thirty years of practical work by his students.

The congress explored the applications of Play, Art, and Creativity Therapy in diverse contexts, including:

• psychiatric hospitals;
• private clinics;
• displaced persons and refugee communities;
• children and adolescents;
• prisons;
• addiction rehabilitation;
• nursing homes;
• work with different populations and age groups.

The congress highlighted the development of the therapeutic branch of Daoud’s Method through sustained professional practice and research.

Seminars on The Democratic Hyena

The publication Words and Revolution (Verbe et Révolution) collects the studies of Jean Daoud’s innovative poetry in The Democratic Hyena.

First Seminar on The Democratic Hyena

Faculty of Arts and Humanities, Lebanese University
March 24, 1999

The seminar brought together researchers from the Lebanese University, including:

• Dr. George Sfeir;
• Dr. Leila Dagher;
• Dr. Najat Salibi Tawil;
• Dr. Huda Rizk;
• Dr. Yola Haddad.

The discussions addressed the philosophical, literary, and aesthetic dimensions of Jean Daoud’s theatrical writing.

Second Seminar on The Democratic Hyena

Cultural Movement – Tripoli
June 20, 1999

Participants included:

• Dr. Desire Saqqal;
• Dr. Najat Salibi Tawil;
• Mr. Hassan Khoury;
• Mr. George Bakassini.

The seminar continued the exploration of the literary, social, and philosophical dimensions of The Democratic Hyena.

Seminar: The Absolute Human Being in the Works of Jean Daoud

Higher Institute for Doctoral Studies in Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences, 2017

This academic seminar examined the concept of the human being in Jean Daoud’s artistic and intellectual work.

It brought together professors from:

• the Faculty of Fine Arts and Architecture at the Lebanese University;
• the Faculty of Arts and Humanities at the Lebanese University.

The seminar explored the philosophical dimensions of Daoud’s understanding of the human being, including the search for the Absolute and the development of human potential through artistic and creative processes.

Seminar on Between Me and Me: Her

Tajawuz Cultural and Intellectual Association
Faculty of Fine Arts and Architecture, Lebanese University, 2006

This seminar was dedicated to Jean Daoud’s play Between Me and Me: Her.

The discussions examined the theatrical, philosophical, and human dimensions of the work, including questions related to trauma, silence, violence against women, transformation, and the possibility of human renewal.

Recognition at the Festival of Tortosa

Festival of Tortosa, 2006

Jean Daoud was honored at the Festival of Tortosa in recognition of his distinguished artistic practice.

This recognition reflects the international appreciation of his contribution to theatre, performance, and artistic research.

VI. Research in Progress

Research on Daoud’s Method continues to develop through academic studies, professional applications, and ongoing theoretical and practical inquiry.

Current and future research emerges from:

• Daoud’s continued theorization;
• graduate research projects;
• professional applications in therapy and education;
• artistic research;
• interdisciplinary collaborations;
• reflection emerging from Formation (التكوين) and laboratory practices.

As the Method continues to develop, additional scholarly works and research projects are expected to contribute to the documentation, analysis, and expansion of its concepts and applications.

VII. Strategic Research Agenda for Daoud’s Method

Developing Future Scholarship on Human Development, Creativity, and Transformation

Daoud’s Method opens a wide field of research that extends across psychology, education, theatre, philosophy, health sciences, and social development.

Because the Method approaches the human being as a whole, its concepts cannot be reduced to a single disciplinary framework.

Future research may therefore investigate its theoretical foundations, professional applications, and contributions to contemporary questions related to human development, mental health, creativity, ethics, aesthetics, and collective wellbeing.

The following axes represent priority directions for future scholarly development.

1. Clinical Psychology and Mental Health

Creativity, Therapy, and Human Development

The therapeutic branch of Daoud’s Method, Play, Art, and Creativity Therapy, offers important research opportunities in the field of mental health.

Priority areas include:

• the development and evaluation of Play, Art, and Creativity Therapy approaches;
• Psychological Immunity (المناعة النفسية);
• Creative Immunity (المناعة الإبداعية);
• Sustainable Resilience (الاستنهاض المستدام);
• Safaa (الصفاء) as a therapeutic developmental process;
• Istisfaa (الاستصفاء) as a continuous process of maintaining and recovering inner development;
• therapeutic processes supporting self-understanding and transformation;
• prevention-oriented approaches in mental health.

A particular area of interest concerns moving beyond models focused exclusively on difficulty and pathology toward approaches that investigate human capacities, creativity, and developmental potential.

Future research may examine how therapeutic practice can support individuals in maintaining vitality, creativity, and readiness throughout life.

2. Human Development

The Human Being as a Continuous Becoming

One of the central contributions of Daoud’s Method is its understanding of the human being as a person continuously engaged in self-development.

Research opportunities include:

• the human being as a seeker of the Absolute;
• the Deep Self (الذات العميقة);
• the Child Before Trauma (الطفل ما قبل الصدمة);
• Readiness (الجهوزية);
• lifelong development;
• creativity as a fundamental human capacity;
• identity, meaning, and personal transformation.

These concepts invite research into human development not only as adaptation to circumstances, but as the continuous unfolding of the person’s deepest possibilities.

3. Education

Creative Education and the Development of the Whole Human Being

Daoud’s Method proposes an understanding of education that extends beyond knowledge transmission toward the development of the whole person.

Future research may explore:

• Creative Education;
• Formation (التكوين) of educators;
• creativity-based learning environments;
• the role of play and artistic processes in education;
• educational prevention;
• learner development and self-expression;
• ethical relationships in education.

A particularly significant area of research concerns Civil Sanctity (القداسة المدنية) in therapeutic and educational relationships and how respect for the dignity and uniqueness of each help seeker and learner can transform therapeutic and educational practices.

4. Theatre and Performance Studies

The Performer as Researcher of the Human Being

Daoud’s Method offers original contributions to theatre and performance studies, particularly through the concept of Dramaturgy of the Actor (دراماتورجيا الممثل).

Future research may explore:

• Dramaturgy of the Actor as a holistic approach to performer development, and its applications in educationa nd in therapy;
• Dramaturgy of the Body;
• Dramaturgy of the Voice;
• Dramaturgy of Words;
• Dramaturgy of the Invisible;
• Dramaturgy of Affects;
• the relationship between actor development and human development;
• the performer as a creator of meaning.

Further research may investigate the relationship between performance, embodiment, creativity, and human understanding.

5. Philosophy and Ethics

Toward a Human-Centered Philosophy of Relationship

Daoud’s Method contains a philosophical dimension expressed through concepts such as:

• the human being as seeker of the Absolute;
• Non-Utilitarianism (اللانفعية);
• Gift of self: Hibat al-Dhat (هبة الذات);
• Civil Sanctity (القداسة المدنية);
• philosophy as lived experience.

Future research may examine these concepts as contributions to contemporary discussions on:

• human dignity;
• ethics of care;
• professional relationships;
• responsibility toward others;
• the meaning of creativity and existence.

A particular research opportunity concerns the ethical foundations of relationships between professionals and the people they accompany, including therapists, educators, artists, and trainers.

6. Community, Prevention, Peace, and Social Development

Creativity as a Pathway for Prevention and Social Transformation

The applications of Daoud’s Method in different social contexts open research perspectives related to prevention and community development.

Potential research areas include:

• non-violence;
• conflict prevention and resolution;
• creative approaches in community work;
• rehabilitation contexts;
• work with vulnerable populations;
• displacement and refugee contexts;
• prison environments;
• social resilience.

These directions explore how creativity and human development approaches can contribute to strengthening communities and preventing destructive patterns.

7. Neuroscience and Embodied Human Development

Exploring the Relationship Between Body, Brain, and Creativity

Daoud’s Method places the body, voice, movement, sensation, and expression at the heart of human development.

Future research may investigate:

• the relationship between body and psychological processes;
• embodiment in therapeutic and artistic practice;
• voice and human expression;
• creativity and neural processes;
• performance and cognitive processes;
• the relationship between the nervous system and the actor’s development.

Such research may contribute to emerging fields connecting neuroscience, arts, psychology, and embodied cognition.

8. Artificial Intelligence, Creativity, and Humanity

Human Creativity in a Technological Era

The rapid development of artificial intelligence raises fundamental questions about creativity, human uniqueness, and meaning.

Daoud’s Method offers important perspectives for future research concerning:

• the nature of human creativity;
• embodied and relational dimensions of creation;
• the uniqueness of human expression;
• artistic creation in the age of AI;
• ethical questions surrounding technology and human development.

Research in this area may contribute to broader discussions about what distinguishes human creative experience.

VIII. Interdisciplinary and Transdisciplinary Research

A Holistic Field Requiring Multiple Perspectives

The complexity of Daoud’s Method emerges from its understanding of the human being as a whole.

Its concepts, practices, and applications extend across multiple fields of knowledge. No single discipline can fully encompass the Method, because each discipline reveals a different dimension of human experience.

Psychology may explore therapeutic processes and human development.

Education may examine learning, creativity, and the development of the person.

Theatre and performance studies may investigate embodiment, artistic creation, and the Dramaturgy of the Actor.

Philosophy may explore questions of meaning, existence, ethics, and the human search for the Absolute.

Health sciences may contribute perspectives on the relationship between body, mind, creativity, and wellbeing.

Social sciences may examine prevention, community development, and collective transformation.

However, Daoud’s Method does not simply invite parallel disciplinary studies.

It calls for research approaches in which disciplines enter into dialogue and generate new understandings of human development.

Interdisciplinary Research

Interdisciplinary research on Daoud’s Method may bring together complementary perspectives from fields such as:

• clinical psychology and neuroscience;
• education and developmental sciences;
• theatre studies and embodied cognition;
• philosophy and ethics;
• social sciences and community development;
• health sciences and preventive approaches.

Such collaborations can contribute to a deeper understanding of concepts including:

• the Deep Self (الذات العميقة);
• the Child Before Trauma (الطفل ما قبل الصدمة);
• Safaa (الصفاء);
• Istisfaa (الاستصفاء);
• Readiness (الجهوزية);
• Psychological Immunity (المناعة النفسية);
• Creative Immunity (المناعة الإبداعية);
• Sustainable Resilience (الاستنهاض المستدام);
• Dramaturgy of the Actor (دراماتورجيا الممثل);
• Civil Sanctity (القداسة المدنية).

Transdisciplinary Research

Beyond collaboration between existing disciplines, Daoud’s Method opens possibilities for transdisciplinary research: research in which new frameworks may emerge from the encounter between different forms of knowledge.

The Method’s development itself has followed such a path.

Its concepts have emerged from the interaction between:

• artistic creation;
• therapeutic practice;
• education;
• philosophy;
• personal development;
• professional Formation (التكوين).

Future research may therefore contribute not only to studying the Method but also to developing new ways of understanding creativity, human development, and the relationship between individual transformation and collective wellbeing.

Research Laboratories as Spaces for Knowledge Creation

The laboratory tradition within Daoud’s Method provides a natural environment for interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary research.

Laboratories create spaces where:

• practice informs theory;
• theory guides exploration;
• professionals and researchers collaborate;
• new concepts emerge from lived experience.

Such spaces may support future collaborations between universities, research centres, professional institutions, and practitioners internationally.

IX. Research, Formation (التكوين), and International Collaboration

Contributing to the Ongoing Development of Daoud’s Method

Daoud’s Method continues to develop through the interaction between research, professional Formation (التكوين), practical application, and international dialogue.

Because the Method is a living field of knowledge, researchers are encouraged to engage with both its theoretical foundations and its practical applications.

A meaningful understanding of the Method requires more than the observation of isolated techniques. It requires engagement with its concepts, ethical foundations, and experiential dimension.

Opportunities for Graduate Students and Researchers

Graduate students, doctoral candidates, postdoctoral researchers, and independent scholars interested in studying Daoud’s Method are invited to explore research opportunities in areas including:

• psychology and psychotherapy;
• human development;
• education;
• theatre and performance studies;
• philosophy and ethics;
• creativity research;
• community development;
• health sciences;
• interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary research.

Researchers may contribute through:

• master’s and doctoral research;
• academic publications;
• research projects;
• conferences and seminars;
• interdisciplinary collaborations.

Formation (التكوين) and Research Preparation

Because Daoud’s Method is rooted in lived practice, researchers wishing to engage deeply with it are encouraged to undertake an appropriate Formation pathway.

Formation provides researchers with:

• direct experience of the Method;
• understanding of its foundational concepts;
• familiarity with its practices and applications;
• engagement with its ethical principles.

This experiential dimension supports rigorous research by allowing scholars to approach the Method not only as an external object of study but also as a coherent field of knowledge and practice.

Collaboration with Universities and Research Centres

Theater for Life, the organizer of formations on Daoud’s Method welcomes collaboration with:

• universities;
• research centres;
• academic laboratories;
• professional training institutions;
• healthcare and educational organizations;
• cultural institutions.

Potential areas of collaboration include:

• joint research projects;
• academic seminars;
• conferences;
• graduate research supervision;
• professional Formation (التكوين);
• research and training programmes;
• international knowledge exchange.

A Continuing Invitation to Scholarship

The future development of Daoud’s Method depends on rigorous research, critical reflection, and dialogue between practitioners and scholars.

Researchers are invited to participate in exploring, documenting, and developing this evolving field of knowledge.

Through academic inquiry and international collaboration, Daoud’s Method continues its movement as a living approach dedicated to understanding and developing the human being through creativity, relationship, and transformation.