A 2-day training workshop on Uplifting Mental Health of Socio-economically Disadvantaged Individuals was organized by the National Institute of Psychology on 16-17, May 2024. It was the second workshop of the series. The resource person for the workshop was Ms. Sonia Ahmed, a multicultural psychotherapist from Canada, specializing in culturally sensitive counselling and psychotherapy.
There were four learning modules that were based on eight sessions executed in two days. On day one module 1 and module 2 were covered where module 1 was understanding of disadvantaged communities that was elaborated in two sessions, understanding disadvantaged communities with practical implications in healthcare settings and factors underlying mental health of disadvantaged people. Module 2 focused on assessment of mental and physical health problems in disadvantaged communities. It was carried out in two sessions, assessment of internalizing problems and assessment of problems having physical health outcomes. Module 3 and module 4 were discussed on day two of the workshop. The focus of module 3 was disadvantaged populations: treatment and interventions spanned in two sessions i.e., addressing personal biases when working with disadvantaged populations and therapeutic interventions. Module 4 empowering disadvantaged people was spanned over three sessions i.e., 1. Protection policies and laws, 2. Strengthening support system and 3. Counselling skills.
Ms. Ahmad covered various aspects of the challenges faced by disadvantaged people, including stigmatization, marginalization, abuse, trauma, violence, prejudice, and stereotypes. She also discussed factors influencing disadvantaged status, such as human trafficking and domestic abuse etc. The assessments of various psychological problems were done through hand on activities, such as role plays, brain storming, and discussions. Additionally, Ms. Ahmad highlighted the existing protection policies and laws in Pakistan for disadvantaged individuals.
Dr. Humaira Jami Assistant Professor at NIP with her PhD and Post-Doctoral studies in Gender Psychology commenced in day-2 of the workshop. Dr. Jami reflected on gender biases, prejudices, and stereotypes with indigenous examples. The available policies on harassment, domestic violence, child abuse were discussed elaborately with practical insights and group discussions. This session was well equipped by resource pack and available tools to measure biases. Later, Dr. Naeem Aslam Assistant Professor NIP and a clinical psychologist provided valuable counselling skills such as empathy, active listening skills and ability to communicate well with the client in a safer way. Dr. Aslam shared his expertise on keeping consideration of the ethical standards while counselling. Ms. Ahmad concluded the workshop by providing her insight on strength-based counselling skills.
The second cohort of the participants in the workshop were clinical psychologists, academicians, therapists, speech language pathologists, counsellors, medical practitioners, child psychologists, political activists and internees from a wide array of public and private organizations such as Progressive Student Federation, Shifa Tameer e Millat University, Wah Medical College, Fauji Foundation Hospital, Benazir Bhutto Hospital, Zeal and Zest Learning Institute, Basic Education Community School, GC Women University Sialkot, District Health Unit Attock, ZAN, Govt. Postgraduate College Abbottabad and Riphah International University.
The workshop was facilitated by Assistant Professors, Dr. Humaira Jami, and Dr. Haleema Saadia, successfully fostered active engagement and dialogue among participants, allowing for in-depth discussions on promoting inclusivity and support for disadvantaged populations in Pakistan. Participants raised significant concerns, particularly regarding the implementation of advocacy acts, highlighting the need for deeper exploration of policy advocacy strategies and legal frameworks, for domestic violence, harassment, sexual abuse, and child protection policies. Participants gained insights into the lived experiences and challenges faced by disadvantaged communities, fostering empathy, and understanding that can inform more inclusive and equitable practices in their professional and personal lives. The workshop was made successful under the guidance and practical support of Director National Institute of Psychology Professor Dr. Rubina Hanif in collaboration with International Organization of Migrants.