Istanbul Gelisim University - 600 Afghan refugees will be given 'Islamic-based' psychological support

600 Afghan refugees will be given 'Islamic-based' psychological support

Within the scope of the project to be carried out in Turkey, psychological counseling will be provided to 600 Afghan refugees. In addition to the standard classical psychological counseling, "Islamic-based" psychological support will be given to the refugees.

Dr. Lyla Schwartz and Dr. Abbas Hussaini from Istanbul Gelisim University are also planned to work in the project, which is expected to include 600 Afghans living in Turkey. Speaking about the project, Dr. Mohammad Isaqzadeh from Princeton University made explanations about the methods to be followed in the project and the purpose of the project.

Stating that the project will be the first consultancy for refugees in Turkey to be implemented according to Islamic values, Dr. Isaqzadeh said, “My sister and her family lived as refugees in Turkey from 2015 to 2016. During their stay here, I became aware of the difficulties Afghan refugees face in Turkey. Many Afghan refugees have experienced traumatic experiences in Afghanistan, from extreme poverty to losing family members and friends. While most of these people experience intense physical and psychological difficulties to reach Turkey, they rarely have access to mental health professionals who can speak their language and provide them with psychological counselling. This is how the idea to teach refugees basic coping skills came about.”

“THIS WILL INCLUDE ISLAMIC TRADITIONS LIKE PRAYER AND DHIKR”

Giving information about the methods to be used in counseling, Dr. Mohammad Isaqzadeh stated that there are two types of counseling in question, “Standard psychological counseling is based on the cognitive behavioral therapy intervention called 'Start Now'. It teaches participants coping skills and how to deal with negative emotions related to depression, anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The program has been widely implemented and studied in the USA and Europe. Islamic-based counseling will be modeled after 'Start Now' but will include Islamic traditions such as prayers and dhikr, and will be based on concepts such as Allah, tawakkul, patience, and lessons will be learned from the life of the Prophet in dealing with difficulties in life.”

Stating that at the end of the project, immigrants who received the Islamically integrated version of the "Start Now" training would consider themselves successful if they found a significant improvement in their mental health, Princeton Researcher Isaqzadeh added, "Every congregation has several psychologists or counselors, while each congregation has one or more imams. Imams can attend a brief training on counseling and coping skills and help refugees better cope with the negative psychological effects of war and displacement."