Beyond Beauty: A refugee's journey in pursuit of happiness

Ferial Youakim's dream in life has been to share some of the tools she has found in her own frustrating struggle while not believing in herself. She had to change her thinking to change her life. She had to learn how to believe in herself and love herself for the way she was and not the way others wanted her to be. Although making her mark as a highly respected image consultant in the fashion and retail industries, Ferial Youakim is on the rise of being one of the next inspiring writers of our time. She has battled with thinking she’s not good enough and her own internal contentions; however, she is still standing today and wants to share her story. She had to change her thinking to change her life. She had to learn how to believe in herself and love herself for the way she is and not the way others wanted her to be. Through her story, she wishes to offer peace and success to those who are struggling to find their own self-value. Ferial Youakim’s passion is not just evident in her writing, but also in her work. With a belief that no person should feel less than what they deserve, she wants every single person to understand their own positive self-value. Ferial has hosted image seminars in the hope that the people can discover their true beauty, not just physically, but mentally and emotionally. These seminars create scenarios reflective of social and business settings with the use of personal consultations. Additionally, she has consulted to numerous organizations and retailers about the importance of positive self-image. Feral's career spans over thirty years, and she has no intention of stopping. With an award-winning charity and having had the position of global president of AICI (Association of Image Consultants Internationa), she wants to further her ambition. She will not stop until everyone has discovered their true worth. She doesn’t make people beautiful because she is an image consultant; she reminds them of their beauty.