At Women for Afghan Women (WAW), we know that safety and stability are just the beginning. Afghan women, girls, and families, whether newly arrived in the United States or living under severe restrictions in Afghanistan, carry deep emotional burdens from conflict, displacement, and loss. That’s why mental health is a core component of our mission, and why our programs prioritize culturally competent, trauma-informed support.
From one-on-one counseling to group sessions and school partnerships, WAW’s mental health services are designed to meet Afghan communities where they are, with dignity, compassion, and care.
Mental Health Support in the United States
In the U.S., WAW is addressing a critical gap in trauma-informed care for newly arrived Afghan immigrants, particularly women and youth. Many of our clients have experienced significant trauma before or during their displacement. The stress of resettlement such as language barriers, cultural isolation, housing instability, and financial pressure, can deepen emotional wounds.
Reaching Afghan Women with Culturally Competent Care
In 2024, WAW provided mental health counseling to 257 clients, including individual, couples, and family counseling, as well as mental health advocacy. These services are tailored to the cultural context of Afghan women, many of whom might otherwise avoid or distrust traditional counseling due to stigma or language barriers.
Through Women’s Circles, regularly held at each community center, women gather in safe, supportive spaces to talk, share, and receive sensitization around mental health topics. These sessions are crucial for breaking isolation and creating peer support networks.
“The information I gained and methods I have learned through this series have led to me having healthier, happier relationships.” – Community Member, Women’s Health Circle Series
Expanding Mental Health Services for Youth and Seniors
In 2024, WAW piloted new mental health services for Afghan youth through partnerships with local middle and high schools in Virginia. The program is expanding to include mentorship and one-on-one counseling and is aimed at building resilience in young people navigating both adolescence and the challenges of resettlement.
Every Tuesday, WAW Mental Health Counselor Ghezal Zekrya provides trauma-informed counseling at Alexandria City High School to support Afghan newcomer students as they navigate stress, peer pressure, and difficult home environments. This guidance is already helping youth choose a better path.
WAW also continues to offer empowering, culturally relevant programs for immigrant senior women. These programs help reduce loneliness and isolation through engaging group activities and shared learning.
Building Long-Term Capacity
To increase impact, WAW is partnering with local mental health professionals to expand counseling, group therapy, and public education around trauma recovery. A new Youth Leadership Program at the Virginia Community Center (VACC) was also launched to help newly arrived youth develop essential life and leadership skills.
Mental Health and Psychosocial Support in Afghanistan
In Afghanistan, where women and girls face extreme restrictions on their rights, movement, and access to education or work, the need for psychosocial support is profound.
WAW offers critical mental health and psychosocial support to Afghan women and their families through various initiatives embedded in our programs and community centers.
Children’s Support Centers (CSCs)
WAW’s Children’s Support Centers provide a lifeline for children whose parents are incarcerated. But the support doesn’t end with the children; psychosocial counseling and awareness sessions are also offered to incarcerated parents, helping prepare them for reintegration and improving family well-being.
Mental Health Psycho-Social Support Project (MHPSS)
Through the MHPSS Project, WAW offers both individual and group psychosocial sessions to women and girls using a toolkit developed specifically for this context. These sessions help address trauma, grief, and ongoing emotional distress from gender-based violence, poverty, and societal exclusion.
The program is part of WAW’s broader Community-Based Protection Mechanism (CBPM), which provides a network of services to some of the most vulnerable populations in Afghanistan.
Healing Is Human Right
Whether in Virginia or Ghazni, a refugee shelter or a prison visitation room, Afghan women and girls deserve access to mental health care that recognizes their experiences and supports their recovery. At WAW, healing is not a luxury, it’s a necessity.
Your support makes this work possible. When we invest in HER, we invest in the mental health of Afghan women and girls.
