Nora Sveaass is a Norwegian psychologist and internationally recognized expert on refugees, human rights violations, and psychological consequences of torture and violence. She completed her psychology degree at the University of Oslo in 1975 and obtained her doctoral degree in 2001. She has specialized in clinical psychology.

As professor emeritus at the Department of Psychology at the University of Oslo, Sveaass has dedicated her career to the treatment and rehabilitation of victims of torture and serious abuses. She worked as senior psychologist at the Psychosocial Center for Refugees from 1986 to 2004, and as senior researcher at the Norwegian Centre for Violence and Traumatic Stress Studies from 2004 to 2008. Then at the Department of Psychology till her retirement in 2020.

Internationally, she is renowned for her UN work, having served two terms on the United Nations Committee against Torture from 2005 to 2013, and from  2014 to 2021 as a member of the UN Subcommittee on Prevention of Torture.

In her clinical and educational work, Sveaass has extensively used Anita Killi's films, particularly "Tornehekken" (The Hedge of Thorns) and "Sinna Mann" (Angry Man), in teaching psychology students and training health and social personnel working with refugees. She values these films for their ability to convey children's experiences of war, violence, and trauma in ways that generate meaningful discussions about human rights.

In 2009 she was awarded the Amnesty International Prize (Norway) for her work on human rights, the Akademiker prize and the University of Oslo’s Human Rights Prize in 2018. In 2019 she was awarded The Royal Norwegian Order of Saint Olav and the ICP Human Rights Award in 2024.

She has published extensively within the field psychology, severe trauma and human rights and has recently published an updated second edition of the book "Hva skal vi med menneskerettigheter?", co-authored with Professor Elisabeth Gording Stang.  As clinical specialist engaged in the work with  "Christmas Survivors" she brings her extensive expertise in trauma psychology and her understanding of how film can be a powerful tool for addressing difficult psychological themes.