Workshop trains imams in counselling

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This article was published 25/11/2019 (2483 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Before he became the imam in Red Deer, Alta., Mohammad Patel spent six years at an Islamic seminary in South Africa.

He studied the Qur’an, Islamic law, the life of the prophet and how to lead prayers.

But what would he do if congregants came to him with marital or family issues, struggling with depression or dealing with trauma or anxiety? He didn’t get a single course in pastoral care or counselling.

“There was nothing to prepare me to lead a diverse congregation here in Canada,” said Patel, who was born and raised in southwestern Ontario.

That’s why Patel was in Winnipeg last weekend for Helping, Assisting and Counselling North American Muslims, a three-day workshop organized by the Islamic Social Services Association (ISSA).

“The workshop gave me confidence, it will help me to deal better with people in my mosque,” Patel said.

Mohammed Abdelsatar is originally from Egypt, where he went to seminary.

Now in his seventh year as imam in a mosque in Regina, he also received no counselling or pastoral-care training as a student.

Like Patel, he has people coming to him for help with various personal and relational issues.

“But my training only gave me spiritual answers,” he said, noting spiritual answers have their place, but aren’t always helpful.

“That’s why I need a workshop like this.”

For Shahina Siddiqui, who organized the workshop on behalf of ISSA, those comments underscore its importance.

“There are no seminaries for imams in Canada, and many are also born overseas and don’t know or have the same experiences as people in their congregations,” she said.

They are experts in the Qur’an and can teach about the importance of being pious, moral and upright, but when faced with members having mental health challenges, or dealing with marriage breakdown, domestic abuse or addictions, they often don’t know what to do, Siddiqui said.

The workshop featured sessions on topics such as understanding addictions; basic counselling skills; dealing with diversity; responding to depression, anxiety and trauma; and issues facing Muslim marriages in North America.

“Imams in Canada are faced with many demands and constantly evolving roles,” Siddiqui said, noting many also have recent refugees in their congregations who may be dealing with severe trauma or PTSD due to having witnessed death and fighting in their home countries.

Among those providing training was Andrew McLean, chairman of the department of psychiatry at the University of North Dakota.

“What do you do when someone says they are feeling depressed?” he asked the group of about 12 imams and other congregational leaders in attendance.

“Maybe it’s just a bad day, or is it something more? It could be more if it lasts a long time, or they are struggling at work, their marriage is at risk or the family life poor. Or they could just be tired.”

Asking the right questions is key, as is being careful not to give a wrong answer, he said.

“A wrong answer when someone is troubled could be to say, ‘Go and pray and read the Qur’an.’ What if they do that but don’t get better? Now they feel worse, they feel like a failure as a Muslim,” he said.

For Issa Omar, originally from Somalia but now leading a mosque in Edmonton, the workshop was informative.

“I face a lot of challenges (as an imam), but received no training about them in seminary,” he said.

Omar took a one-day course in how to respond to various needs in his congregation, but it was not enough.

“This is very practical,” he said.

“This workshop is much needed,” added Noman Saeed, an imam from Regina.

“I have been looking for something like it.”

Siddiqui was pleased with the outcome of the workshop, the 10th time ISSA has offered it.

“There was an amazing environment of togetherness, and the trainers were excellent,” she said, noting the participants were focused, engaged and open to difficult conversations.

Looking ahead, she hopes to offer more workshops like this for more imams “so we can continue to have difficult conversations about what ails our community, integrate our values with Canadian values without compromising the spirit of both and build community with others.”

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