How counselling helped Jamila get back to her normal life
Jamila (pseudonym) was married 5 years ago and is a 23-year-old woman. She now has 2 children and lives with her husband and his family. Jamila’s family is very open, and as a result, she was used to lots of freedom. That meant she had enough freedom to study, work and spend time with her friends. However, after she married into a traditional family, she had to give up her education and some other freedoms. Due to the lifestyle difference between Jamila’s family and her in-laws, there were ongoing conflicts in the family. Jamila was frequently experiencing violence. This situation resulted in Jamila suffering from severe depression. She complained of poor sleep at night, poor interest in family life, and no involvement in housework. Jamila had attempted suicide a few times unsuccessfully.
Jamila visited the MHTC-H (Mental Health Training Centre Herat) and received 15 counselling sessions by a female counsellor. Her counsellor also invited her husband to a few counselling sessions, as she was suffering from a family-related issue.
As a result of the counselling work with Jamila and her husband, Jamila is now experiencing a better life. Her husband decided they would move and start a new life in their own house. They moved away from his family. Seeing the strong relationship between Jamila and her husband, the in-law’s family began to change their minds about the situation. They are now behaving well with Jamila. Her husband also seems to be changing his mind and starting to feel positive about Jamila’s chance to study, and she hopes to start her university studies soon.