Psychology and health care in Palestine

In this podcast episode I speak with Jumana Kaplanian about psychology in Palestine and the stigma about mental health that still exists in the Palestinian society. Jumana  holds a Bachelor’s degree in Social Work and Psychology from Bethlehem University in Bethlehem and an MSc in Psychology from Oxford Brookes University in Oxford.

Mental illness is considered one of the largest and least acknowledged health problems in Palestine.​ For decades the West Bank has suffered from political, social, and economic strife. Palestinians have been exposed to a series of traumatic events, such as imprisonment, torture, humiliation, human rights violations, house demolitions, land confiscation, restriction of movement, unemployment, and under-employment. As a result, many people suffer from various emotional and psychological traumas. 

The importance of psychological treatment in Palestine

Mental health service providers in Palestine usually offer support, rehabilitation, and counseling services for people dealing with psychological problems. Mainly, these organizations focus on counseling and treating the disorders rather than arming people with the required knowledge to realize the importance of psychological needs to seek treatment. In most cases, these organizations are the ones who approach people to offer help. In many other cases, people ignore their psychological distress for an extended period and only seek help when they reach advanced disorder stages. 

Awareness of mental health at Psychology Spa

Psychology Spa works to raise awareness of mental health, fight social stigma, and achieve social transformation regarding mental health.   

​Psychology Spa is the first specialized non-profit company in Psycho education in Palestine since 2016. Psychology spa is a place where groups meet to learn, discuss, share, and seek ways to gain psychological knowledge.   

Website
https://www.psychologyspa.com/

Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/PsychologySpa

If you want to support Stories from Palestine podcast with a donation or if you want to subscribe to the email list or follow on Facebook and Instagram, go to:
https://linktr.ee/Storiesfrompalestine

Connect to Stories from Palestine on social media, sign up for the newsletter, read more about traveling to Palestine and if you can, please support the podcast on Ko-fi. All the links can be found here: https://linktr.ee/storiesfrompalestine

Support the podcast with a donation: https://ko-fi.com/storiesfrompalestine