Dana Shai
Dana Shai, Ph.D., is a psychologist and faculty member at the Academic College of Tel Aviv-Yaffo, Israel. Dr. Shai developed the Parental Embodied Mentalizing (PEM) approach, which explores the role of embodied processes in parental wellbeing and child development. Building on this work, she created the Parental Embodied Mentalizing Assessment (PEMA) and Intervention (PEMI), clinical tools designed to identify and address relational embodied risk and protective factors through the language of movement qualities.
In addition to her work on PEM, Dr. Shai’s research explores early interpersonal development, parenting, the transition to parenthood, co-parental relationships, and the social and emotional development of young children within the family context. Guided by a commitment to translational research, her empirical studies have shaped the development of teaching, training, and intervention programs aimed at supporting families and enhancing relational wellbeing.
Dana lives with her husband, Michael, and their two children. She enjoys gardening, diving, and chocolate-coated hazelnuts.
https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2218-4966