6 Week Depression Support Group for Muslims 

Sign up deadline: 29th January 2023

Depression in the Muslim community is rife, and experienced in a unique way compared to others due to the misunderstandings, and silenced nature of simply experiencing mental health issues as Muslims. It can be exceptionally difficult to relate to others, seek support, validation or receive empathy and acknowledgement.

It can be frustrating to never feel understood or constantly feel the need to justify, or water down what it is you are feeling and thinking, never being truly honest with yourself or others. This difficulty can be further escalated when your faith is not considered part of your wellbeing journey, or it is even attacked or blamed for what you are experiencing.

At Inspirited Minds, we get it. We know that every one of you is different, and therefore your experiences are different. We’ll never pretend to truly understand your experiences because that’s unique to you, but we do get it and we are determined to help you through this. To find meaning and learning in what it is your are experiencing, and most importantly, for you to be able to say “I am winning”.

We have listened to your requests and concerns, and will be launching a series of in person and virtual 6 week support groups in 2023. These support groups have been exclusively developed by qualified individuals in the field, and guided by people of Islamic knowledge with years of experience. The first of these support groups will be focused on Depression for Muslims and will be held weekly via Zoom.

If you are someone who has been diagnosed with depression or experiences symptoms of depression, and also:

• Feels they are ready to prioritise their mental health and wellbeing
• Wants to work with and hear from other people who are on similar journeys
• Is unsure of how Islam fits into their mental health, OR feels that their faith is a huge part of their wellbeing
• Wants to have a different understanding of their self than what is currently available

Then this support group is an investment in this world and the next.

By attending all 6 weeks you will

• Further your understanding of depression, how it presents for you, relates to your experiences, different ways of coping and symptoms of Depression in Islamic history
• Understand the Islamic Concept of hardship including Prophetic stories and from the Sahabah and how you can utilise their experiences in your coping
• Learn and explore different and unique narratives that the Qur’an and Sunnah offers, through a mental health/wellbeing lens, unavailable elsewhere
• Understand the CBT model and Person Centred approaches to understand how your thinking and behaviour patterns work, and figure out ways to break negative cycles
• Learn the Sunnah ways of wellbeing, and multiple different exercises and activities that can help you on a daily basis
• Explore the purpose of emotions, identifying positive, negative, comfortable and uncomfortable ones and how we can manage them
• Engage in weekly activities that explore an ayah, a name of Allah, Qur’anic stories and other Islamic examples that is beneficial for our awareness, mindfulness, grounding and to build a better relationship between our mental health and our Deen
• Partake in weekly homework that will motivate you to try different exercises and activities to reflect and build on
• and so much more!

Each attendee will be provided with a free toolkit at the end of the support group which consists of:

• The Daily Companion to help you stay on track of your mental health and wellbeing
• An Individual blue print, which will have a personalised care plan
• A pack of resources to refer back to in future and build on constantly

Dates & Times

Mondays at 6pm – 7.30pm, from 13th February – 20th March

• Week 1 – 13th February
• Week 2 – 20th February
• Week 3 – 27th February
• Week 4 – 6th March
• Week 5 – 13th March
• Week 6 – 20th March

Sign up + Payment information

To register your interest, please fill out the screening form below. Please note that the sign up form has been created for the safety of all parties and does not automatically enroll you onto the support group.

By filling out this form, you are registering your interest for participating in the support group, and if you are selected, then you will be requested to make payment in full by the 6th of February 2023. Failure to do so will mean your space will be given to the next person waiting. So, please do keep an eye on your inbox/junk mail, In Shaa Allah.

Concessions available

If you cannot afford £30 for the full 6 weeks, we can offer a discounted rate. This option will be made available on the sign up form. If you have any questions please email support.groups@inspiritedminds.org.uk for more information. Please be assured that this will remain anonymous to the facilitator and will be handled with privacy.

Facilitators

Disclaimer

Due to the sensitive nature of the topic and the discussion of potentially triggering topics, we recommend individuals to only attend if they feel safe and well enough. Please note that a member of our qualified support team will be present whom you will be able to contact via the chat box should you need any support during the support group, however this is subject to the benefit of the entire group.

Important things to note before the sessions

• Please arrive at least 5 minutes prior to 6pm GMT as we aim to have a prompt start every week.
• The support group sessions will take place via Zoom and the link will be sent both 1 hour before and 10 minutes before each session. Please ensure you check your junk mail to ensure you do not miss this.
• The support group places are non-refundable, so please check that you can attend all sessions in advance of booking.
• We are unfortunately unable to provide partial refunds in the event of participants missing any of the sessions.
• We highly encourage participants to attend all sessions and participate in as many discussions as possible in order to reap the full benefits of the support group.
• If you miss more than 2 sessions, you will be removed from the support group in order for us to ensure the confidentiality and progress of the group.
• We require all forms (before, during and after) to be completed in order to receive your takeaway toolkit.
• For any further questions or information, please email support.groups@inspiritedminds.org.uk.