Ruhma Aboobakar, Project Lead for Faith-Adapted Psychological Therapy and Falak Naz, a Senior Cognitive Behavioural Therapist, joined the Islam Channel’s ‘Salaam Britain’. The broadcast focussed on mental health challenges facing Muslim people.
This is a free-to-air, Islamic-focussed channel that provides news and entertainment for British Muslims. Government polling has found that almost 60 per cent of Muslims watch it, and that it reaches 2.2 million monthly live TV viewers.
The Muslim Mind Collaborative found that 90 per cent of service users prioritise faith and cultural sensitivity in their mental health support.
Taking this into consideration, colleagues have used ‘Behavioural Activation’, a type of therapy helping people understand how actions affect emotions. This is based on the idea that low mood cycles can be broken through regular routines.
Islamic principles have been applied to therapy for service users who feel Islam plays a large part in their life. A booklet is provided to service users with individualised advice, and in some cases, religious teachings.
Ruhma explained that colleagues encourage service users to do things one step at a time when feeling low. This links in with Islamic teachings, as one of Prophet Muhammad’s hadith’s (anecdotes) recommends doing small and regular actions:
“Religion is very easy and whoever overburdens himself in it will not be able to continue in that way so you should try not to be extreme but try to be good”.
To watch the interview on Salaam Britain, take a look below. All credit for the recording goes to the Islam Channel.
Newham Talking Therapies is a free, confidential service for residents. Trained professionals help to identify troubling thoughts through tailored sessions with those looking to improve their mental health.
In September, the service launched a campaign to support young black men, encouraging them to seek support when needed. A billboard was displayed at Westfield Stratford City, seen by thousands of shoppers.
If you live in Newham and need mental health support, you can refer yourself online to schedule an assessment. Alternatively, you can call 0208 175 1770 on weekdays, 9am-5pm.