OnStar and The LightHouse Arabia launch support platform for road traffic accident victims featuring an innovative guided experience and open webinars

• Aimed at supporting anyone who has directly, or indirectly, been impacted by a road traffic incident, a complimentary public webinar series, ‘Healing After Trauma’ and an in-person guided drawing experience will run from 12^th February to 14^th March 2023 and will explore trauma reactions, physical responses and support after an incident
• Each of the webinar sessions will be led by a dedicated psychologist trained in grief and trauma support, and the guided drawing experience will take place at The LightHouse Arabia
• In 2021, 2,620 people were injured in road accidents in the UAE, whilst the WHO estimate that globally, approximately 1.3 million people die each year as a result of road traffic crashes
• The support has been launched after a successful awareness initiative, Through Their Eyes, which saw six regional visual artists reframe the difficult conversation around road traffic accidents through moving artworks

Dubai UAE – OnStar, the pioneering safety and connectivity technology from General Motors, has launched a three-part webinar series, in addition to a guided drawing experience, with The LightHouse Arabia to support victims of road traffic accidents in the UAE. Healing After Trauma is a complimentary health and wellness platform targeting anyone who has directly, or indirectly, been impacted by a road traffic incident. The guided drawing experience will take place on the 12^th of February in-person, while the webinars will be accessible from the 14^th of February to 14th March.

Shereen Harris, Head of Marketing & Subscriptions at OnStar Middle East, commented, “In 2022, our focus was on raising awareness on the topic of road safety through a visual art lens and encouraging difficult conversations around the impact of accidents on victims and their families.  We wanted to continue to build on this awareness with tangible action that supports individual wellbeing post-trauma, particularly as in the UAE alone, 2,620 people were injured in road accidents in 2021. We are delighted with our partnership with The LightHouse Arabia, offering us the ability to support those impacted by road incidents, through professional support to overcome the emotional and mental weight this carries. Through the sessions, LightHouse will be sharing practical tips and tools outlining healthy ways of coping and reform mental wellbeing assumptions.”

The webinars will focus on three key subject areas; developing a deeper understanding of trauma; its physical responses; and supporting oneself and others after a road traffic accident. Leading the sessions will be Aisling Prendergast, Psychologist, Grief & Trauma Specialist and Community Support Services Lead at The LightHouse Arabia. Prendergast will be bringing to the sessions her practice in working with individuals who have suffered traumatic events, impacting their lives and productivity. Over the course of the series, attendees will be taken through a deeper exploration of how experiencing or witnessing a road traffic incident impacts an individual’s reflection of the world. The in-person guided drawing experience, led by Juan Van Wyk, Clinical Psychologist with The LightHouse Arabia, will invite participants to explore shapes in rhythmic repetition, while safely expressing emotions, in a reflective space.

Aisling shared, “The long-term impact of accidents on the victim and their loved ones is often underestimated, and includes stress, anxiety and insomnia. The work that will be done through the Healing After Trauma series will shine a light on the aftershocks of road incidents, not only on the emotional wellbeing of the victim, but also on our overall physical wellbeing and engagement with life.  We are excited to be working with OnStar to widen the net of the community we can support with these vital therapy sessions”.

The alternative art-focused platform launched last year helped OnStar stride towards its vision to support in the case of the unplanned – be it emergencies, injuries or a simple need for directions, by sparking renewed conversation around safety on the road. Building on this, OnStar continues to deliver on its overarching aim to create safer roads for its communities, and support those impacted by accidents through purposeful technology.

To sign up for The LightHouse Arabia’s webinar series and the in-person guided drawing experience please visit www.lighthousearabia.com/events.

Note: Spaces for the in-person guided drawing experience are limited and require pre-registration. Participants must be over 25 years old, and not experiencing acute trauma symptoms.

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About OnStar:
Launched in 1996, OnStar is a wholly owned subsidiary of GM Holdings LLC (“GM”) and offers emergency, security and navigation services in Chevrolet, Buick, GMC and Cadillac models. OnStar offers a range of services such as Automatic Crash Response, Emergency Services and Stolen Vehicle Assistance. OnStar is coming to select markets in the Middle East in 2021. For more information, visit www.onstar.com/ae/en/home/.