Hi, I’m LIRA LOW.

I am an intercultural mediation and mental health specialist with 13+ years of experience in government diplomacy, armed conflict mediation, trauma support and therapy. Currently living in Zürich, with roots and years spent in Singapore, England, Australia, Israel and France. Home is where my suitcase is.

I am a peace lover, first and foremost. Conflict and trauma have always been part of my life, from my personal generational history and childhood relocations to eventually living in Israel during my formative years. It was a place steeped in culture, history and beauty; yet ravaged and scarred by the physical and mental torment of constant conflict. I saw how the human spirit from both sides of the conflict was made only more beautiful by their trauma, and I was captivated.

Bringing this wonder of our human resilience to my career, I started out as a diplomat at the Singapore Ministry of Foreign Affairs focusing on the Middle East before joining the Geneva-based Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue (HD) as a private diplomat doing quiet, high-level behind the scenes work in mediation for confidential armed conflict negotiations across Asia and other regions.

Confronted by human misery and power brokerage, I became increasingly aware of my own human frailty and inadequacy to handle the many emotions that arose at both the negotiation tables and in my own body. Peace seemed elusive, in both my professional and personal lives. Talking about our trauma it seemed, was not always welcome.

I was curious when I saw how even the smallest attempts to acknowledge and address the unsaid emotions with parties to conflict meant that something clicked, something new flowed between us, and that we could take one baby step closer towards peace.

I realised too that peace really does start within ourselves first. I decided to pursue this path by going back to postgraduate school to retrain in counselling, trauma and mental health, eventually practicing as a therapist. It was during my own transformative process in therapy that I learned I was a Highly Sensitive Person (HSP) and grew to love and embrace my innate sensitivity as a strength rather than a weakness.

After moving to Zürich in 2018, I remained actively involved in both the mental health and humanitarian sectors. Over time, my expertise extended to advising governments, mediators, international organisations and the EU on trauma-informed mediation in peace processes. Even now, I continue to provide guidance and support to these organisations, and share my knowledge and experience through trainings. Recent clients include Swisspeace, ODI, HD, and USAID amongst others.

In 2023, I felt a profound calling to return to where peace all begins… in and of ourselves. Recognising the vital role of personal transformation in fostering peace, I returned to my roots, combining my extensive background in mental health and conflict resolution with a deep understanding of trauma-informed approaches to help individuals as they navigate their inner journey towards healing and harmony.

Inspired by the values of Mencius who believed in the innate goodness of human beings, and as a nod to the rich heritage of countries now mired in cultural and political conflict around the world, I founded The Mencius Advisory to bring together the collective offerings of my life’s experiences thus far.

I am still a peace lover, and I’m still learning about how the pursuit of peace transforms us every day. Curious to find out how it can transform you too?

LANGUAGES.

Besides English as my mother tongue, I speak advanced Hebrew, conversational German and Mandarin, and beginner’s French and Arabic. 

I work in English as my primary language.

CULTURES. 

While I am familiar with and embrace all world cultures, I have particular intercultural fluency between the East, Middle-East and West, with deep understanding of norms, attitudes, preferences, working styles and interpersonal expectations in the following communities:  

Asian
East Asian, South-East Asian and South Asian

Jewish
Israeli, Ashkenazi, Sephardic and assimilated/diasporic

Muslim
Levant, Gulf Arab and South-East Asian

Anglo-Saxon
especially British, American and Australian 

European
especially Germanic, Nordic, West and South European

KEY QUALIFICATIONS.

BA in Political Science and Hebrew Studies
Melbourne University

MA in Conflict Resolution and Mediation
Tel Aviv University

MA in Counselling
Monash University

Certified Mediator
Israel

Certified Eye Movement and Desensitisation and Reprocessing (EMDR) Trauma Therapist
Pressure Management and Humanitarian Negotiation
Geneva 

In my therapeutic work, I use an integrative approach drawing on narrative therapy, inner child work, cognitive and behavioural therapy (CBT), and acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) in a client-centered approach for adults; while I support children in discovering their own naturally resilient resources through play and art therapy.

I am also a certified Colour Analyst by the London College of Style and am theatre-trained in the Stanislavski system of method acting and professional stage makeup. This allows me to bring the many skills of role preparation for mindset, bodywork and presentation into getting you rehearsed and confident to face any challenge ahead of you.