Heartwork

The Islamic world in the 7th Century initiated and created awareness of Mental Health Sickness and how to deal with it. It will be shocking to learn that the first Mental Health Hospitals were built by Muslims and a holistic method of treatment was administered methodically. Most of the present-day theories of OCD, Anxiety, and Phobias were diagnosed and treated. Therefore, this course covers a whole lot of knowledge and understanding. Hurry and register for the Diploma in Islamic Psychology and Theory starting on 6th November 2024 from 4 to 5.30 pm

Heartwork Academy has trained hundreds of students to be top-class counsellors with skilled and expert lecturers with 20 years of experience. Our course is one of its kind, with many specialties for psychotherapy lovers. Join our 11th Batch starting 9 November 2024, from 9 to 12 mornings and only on Saturdays. A Sunday batch could also be arranged at the same time. It is affordable financially.

Your life is worth more than what you think. You are as unique as everyone. Discover your skills and talent in this amazing journey of life skills coaching by Dr. Rhumy Amith, in 3 months at an affordable cost. Contact 0776623163 for registration. This is a ZOOM online presentation session with interactions.

Many decades of perseverance, dedication, struggle, commitment, and passion have finally borne fruit thanks to the visionary Comrade Anura Kumara Dissanayake who awakened Sri Lankans to a 76-year coma and inspired a nation to embrace hope, faith, and unity. together we rise towards a brighter future. Heartwork Academy and Counselling Centres wishes our Comrade
Anura a long life, good health, and the best of spirits to guide our motherland, along with his grand and dedicated team.

CLINICAL STUDY FIELD TRIP TO NIMH MULLERIYAWA HOSPITAL

It was a Red-Letter Day for all those who participated on this unique and memorable tour, including two BSc students from other Campuses who made prior request to join us. We had difficulty in obtaining approval from the Ministry of Health as it is a sensitive place. After several efforts and person visits and discussions this was ultimate made possible. We contributed and made arrangement to serve Sago porridge to the inmates of Both Unit 1 and Unit 2 hospitals (i.e. Angoda and Mulleriyawa)

I know that some of those who made it had so many other important engagements and they gave first priority to the visit. Our students behaved well and asked as many questions as possible from all those experts from different wards. There were humour moments too and it was fun. We arrived at the NIMH at 9.15 and finished by 3.00 afternoon. Special appreciation to Sharunya who took the 3 am bus from Bogawatalawa and Madushani who came from a distant area in Galle.

The Seniormost Nurse Ms. Piumi took us on a very nice journey of what mental health and the history of it along with how the Mulleriyawa Hosptial started and what it is now. The services rendered by the hospital and the staff were unbelievable fantastic with so much facility than we could imagine. The setting with natural gardening and greenery were soothing to feel.

The excursion took us to many places on this expansive and beautifully set compound of many hundreds of acres. Thanks to the Nurse who took us to all these useful places

It was a mini city to be honest, and some of which were taken:
• Wards for forensic suspects ordered by the Magistrate, Mr. Saman did a good explanation
• General wards for medium aged males
• General wards for medium aged females
• Wards for aged males and aged females over 60
• Wards for teenagers from 12 to 18
• Wards for drug addicts – isolation centre.
• Special wards for learning disability
• Special wards for Mothers accompanying children.
• Occupational Therapy and life skills training centre
• Horticultural (agriculture and gardening) area.
• Emergency call 1926 help centre dealing with emergency calls and chats (this is a unique concept which had nurses with computers attending to such activity), separate rooms to discuss individual issues too.
• ECT and Emergency Theater
• Nurses training centre – Thanks to Dr. Shasini (Director, Training) who made arrangements for us to have a get-together and refreshments at the Conference Room 2
• General overview of the entire complex from the reception counter.

Appreciation and thanks to every senior staff in-charge of each of the above departments who made explanations on the functions of these sections.

Finally, we request those who are affected with trauma or depression to get support from this hospital where everything is available free of charge. And, also please support the hospital for some of the needs, with whatever you can and get in touch with me for this purpose.
Special thanks to the Director, and all those who assisted us at the Hospital.
Rhumy Amith

The Eleventh Batch of the Diploma in Counselling and Psychotherapy commences on 14th June 2024. The best and latest from the world of psychology.

ISLAMIC MENTAL - PSYCHOSPIRITUAL APPROACH IN PSYCHOLOGY

Psychology is defined as the study of the human mind and behaviour. It is a relatively new discipline as we are taught, which came into being in the 18th Century in Europe and later found its stand in the USA. However, many of us are not aware that Islamic Mental Health (psychology) was originated by our Muslim scholars way back in the 8th Century, and, this present discovery has taken the world by storm. Most Muslims are not aware of these facts.
We at Heartwork Academy of Psychology have been doing much research in secular psychology since 2016 and began conducting the Diploma in Counselling and Psychotherapy. The reason is that many people showed interest in studying psychology and due to this demand, many Academies, Institutions and Campuses started teaching psychology as a subject. Nevertheless, psychotherapy was not heard and not known as being connected to counselling by the local community.

It was Heartwork Academy who filled this vacuum by commencing the Diploma course in Counselling and Psychotherapy in 2016, and we have competed almost 10 batches up to now. There is no counselling without psychotherapy and sadly in Sri Lanka authentic and orthodox lecturers and trainers in psychotherapy are very difficult to find. Alhamdulillah, with our students passing out this void has been patched up to a certain extent.

Our lecturer Dr. Rhumy Amith, has been in the Counselling and Psychotherapy arena since the Tsunami struck the island in 2004 and has worked in those areas to treat clients with PTSD, and therefore is the most senior person in this field at the moment. He was trained by world-famous psychologists such as Dr Ina Watson from the UK (during the Tsunami) and Dr Janet LeValley (during the LTTE war) and finally by Professor Ranawaka from Colombo University (who actually was responsible for the introduction of psychology in Sri Lanka in 1980s). Please log in to www.heartworkcolombo.com to see the credentials of Dr Rhumy Amith

Rhumy Sir did deep research in Islamic Mental Health with leads and connection with the newfound discovery in Islamic Psychology and Therapy in the USA, Canada, UK, India and Pakistan. And, therefore he has prepared an introductory syllabus to teach these to those keen to know about this discipline in Sri Lanka. Actually, it would be a shock to Muslims to know why it took so long to unearth these findings and present them. The original manuscripts of Islamic Psychology Scholars were in Arabic and therefore it was not known to the current psychology world. However, this discovery has now stunned the Western World and they have welcomed it with joy.

Islamic Mental Health is a holistic treatment and in this special course you would learn many new things and you would be proud of the heritage that we have inherited. This course covers the following:
• Islamic Psychology Vs. Secular Psychology
• History of Islamic Psychology & Perspectives
• Contribution of Early Islamic Scholars
• First Psychiatric Hospitals built by Muslims in the 9th Century
• The psycho-spiritual concept - Qalb, Rooh, Nafs & Aql
• Overcoming Anxiety based on the Sunnah
• Cognitive Reconstruction
• Understanding body language
• Islamic Concept of Counselling
• Islamic based Therapies
• Disorders and its causes
• And many more topics

The Diploma course will commence on 3rd July 2024 from 8.30 to 10 during the evenings and the Zoom presentation will be done only on Wednesdays for three months.

Jazaakumulla Khairan for your interest and we welcome you to participate in this wonderful journey of spirituality.

Heartwork Academy of Psychology in affiliation with the British Institute.

ADVICE FOR THE CLIENT TO GET THE BEST OUT OF A COUNSELLING SESSION

In my counselling practice, I have realized that many clients come in a state of incongruence which is understandable due to their trauma. Nevertheless, I wish to recommend certain steps to make the counselling process more beneficial. Please do not allow the Counsellor to become personal with you as I have heard a lot of complaints in this regard from female clients about how the male Counsellors try to manipulate and capitalize on the helpless emotional situations of such females. Most females chose to remain silent as they did not want others to know of their trauma. I have heard of a famous young Muslim doctor practicing in leading private hospitals, who has misbehaved with many females. He portrays himself as a hero on social media with a big following. The client must complain to the hospital authorities about this in such situations. Your silence is his license to do more and more damage to unsuspecting female clients.

• Attend the scheduled sessions on time
• Be specific about the concerns that have led you to seek counselling
• Work with your counsellor to establish goals by having complete confidence
• Reflect on the discussions after each session to see in which stage you are
• Be willing to explore new behaviors and changes within and also outside of your sessions.
• Complete the assigned journal writing and other tasks like Relaxation Therapy, DMR, etc.
• Communicate with your counsellor openly when something is bothering you about the session
• Do not keep quiet when the counsellor trespasses boundaries and make a complaint in such instances.
• Most importantly be committed to yourself because this is about you.

M Rhumy Amith
Counselling Psychotherapist - Heartwork Counsellling Clinic