The Mindful Muslim Podcast

The Mindful Muslim is an Inspirited Minds podcast that hosts raw, open, and honest conversations on various topics within the sphere of mental health, psychology, Islam and spirituality.

This month, Sivan spoke to Humzah Hussain and Adam Afghan. Humzah was born and raised in London and is an Arabic/Islamic teacher, Imam, Khateeb and Youth Worker. He studied in Egypt before being accepted into the Islamic university of Medinah, where he is currently studying in his 4th year specialising in the Science of Hadeeth. He has an advanced diploma in psychology and a passion in helping Muslims fulfil their true potentials and all people who may be suffering from mental health issues. He is also the Islamic Advisor for Inspirited Minds, and has an upcoming podcast of his own called Medinah Students.

Adam Afghan is a Researcher and Mental Health activist. Adam’s struggle with anxiety, depression, OCD and intrusive thoughts culminated with him eventually seeking help to improve his wellbeing. He has since written a number of papers and eBooks on Mental Health and Islam, focussing on practical solutions to manage mental health. He has also been featured on Inspirited Mind’s ‘The Mindful Muslim’ and ‘Freshly Grounded’ podcasts. He is passionate about raising awareness around mental health and reducing the stigma for men to share their struggles.

They has a fruitful discussion on:

• The importance of studying Islam and understanding our purpose in this life
• The Qadr of Allah, what it means and how to accept the pre-destination of our lives
• Ahadith and Prophetic examples of emotions such as sadness and grief
• The importance of reaching out for help and hardships we face
• The beauty of living your life for the sake of Allah
• Separating Waswasa and OCD
• & so much more!

If you would like to ask us a question, suggest a topic you would like us to discuss on the podcast or if you would like to feature on the podcast as a guest, then please get in touch with the Mindful Muslim Podcast Team at [email protected].

Support our podcast by becoming a Torchbearer for Inspirited Minds.

The Mindful Muslim is an Inspirited Minds podcast that hosts raw, open, and honest conversations on various topics within the sphere of mental health, psychology, Islam and spirituality.

This month, we spoke to Dr. Hooman Keshavarzi, who is an expert on OCD and the Founding Director of Khalil Center – the first Islamically oriented professional community mental wellness center and largest provider of Muslim mental healthcare in the US. He is licensed as a psychotherapist in the state of Illinois, holds a Doctorate of Psychology, a Masters of Clinical Psychology and a Bachelors of Science in psychology and Islamic Studies.

He is currently a visiting scholar for Ibn Haldun University (Istanbul, Turkey) and Adjunct Professor at American Islamic College, Hartford Seminary. He is also a fellow at the Institute for Social Policy and Understanding at the Global Health Center, conducting research on topics related to Muslims and Mental Health. Dr. Hooman is an international public speaker and trainer currently serving as a Clinical supervisor of graduate students of clinical psychology at the Village of Hoffman Estates (DHS). He also delivers seminars on specialized topics around multiculturalism and psychology.

In this episode, Dr. Hooman shed light on:

• The clinical definition of ROCD and its symptoms, and what Islam says about it
• Most common misconceptions about ROCD and how to tell the difference between an intrusive thought stemming from OCD versus from shaytan
• How mosques, community centres and organisations can be more inclusive of people with OCD
• Best treatment methods available to help people with ROCD
• Practical ways to deal with OCD and support a love one struggling with OCD
• & so much more!

You can connect with the Khalil Center via twitter.

If you would like to ask us a question, suggest a topic you would like us to discuss on the podcast or if you would like to feature on the podcast as a guest, then please get in touch with the Mindful Muslim Podcast Team at [email protected].

Support our podcast by becoming a Torchbearer for Inspirited Minds.

The Mindful Muslim is an Inspirited Minds podcast that hosts raw, open, and honest conversations on various topics within the sphere of mental health, psychology, Islam and spirituality.

This time we have a candid conversation with Suhayl. Our host, Meanha Begum, dives into Suhayl’s lived experience of gambling addiction and suicidal thoughts, and has struggled immensely in dealing with the consequences, shame and stigma surrounding it. He has shown great courage by speaking and conducting workshops at Masaajid, Madrasahs and community-based events to help those who are struggling, including family and friends.

He is primarily responsible for the development of culturally appropriate support and resources at Beacon Counselling Trust. This has been fundamental in helping to reduce the stigma around gambling-related harm and facilitate treatment referrals from the BAME (Black, Asian and Minority Ethnicities) communities.

Through his experience, he discusses:

• The problem of gambling addiction, how/why it can cultivate and its underlying emotions, thoughts and feelings.
• The cycle of addiction with concurrent stigma, shame, and a lack of belonging.
• How escapism acts as a vehicle to addictive behaviours – Strong cultural barriers to seeking help, support and counselling.
• The urgent need for compassion, empathy and open pastoral discussions in a community setting.
• The lack of Muslim representation in matters that affect the Muslim community.
• The journey towards recovery, preventing relapse and reconnecting with a sense of belonging.

The Beacon Counselling Trust has a Free 24-hour National Gambling Helpline Number at 0808 8020 133.

If you would like to ask us a question, suggest a topic you would like us to discuss on the podcast or if you would like to feature on the podcast as a guest, then please get in touch with the Mindful Muslim Podcast Team at [email protected].

Support our podcast by becoming an Inspirited Minds Torchbearer.

The Mindful Muslim is an Inspirited Minds platform that hosts raw, open, and honest conversations on various topics within the sphere of mental health, psychology, Islam and spirituality.

Our host, Sivan Kader, has a thought-provoking discussion with our guest about her studies in the field of neuroscience (for which she has an MSc qualification), her interest in self-compassion, mental health stigma, Islamic philosophy and psychology. She also talks about her expertise on the many layers of mental wellbeing, how there are multiple barriers that exist with identifying, seeking help and dealing with mental health issues and what we can do on a self, social and societal level to benefit ourselves and others.

Currently she is a journal specialist in scientific research, and she approaches every project with an awareness of how our brain links to our mental health and behaviour. Her research into the concept of neurogenesis explored how our brain cells (called neurons) are encouraged to grow and develop, and are inter-related to the alleviation of mood disorders, such as depression.

Here are some of the other topics discussed in this episode:

• The benefits of neurogenesis and how it’s related to intermittent fasting and an antioxidant rich diet
• The bubble of stigma of ‘mental health’ in the Muslim community, and how it’s often seen (incorrectly) as a sign of weak faith, shame or weakness
• How loving yourself is a very extreme form of self-care, and what we can do to balance our self-care with being more compassionate towards ourselves
• The concept of gratitude, future-journaling, reflections on death and other tools that we can use to encourage emotional reasoning, compassionate empathy and mental wellbeing
• The key character traits and practices that we can all practice in-order to help ourselves and supports others
• The role of the Muslim community towards creating a conducive environment for those struggling and suffering, and what more we can do to play our part

We offer advice and support by our team of qualified and trained support workers for a range of mental health-related problems, including listening support, counselling and our anonymised Ask IM advice service. If you would like to ask us a question, suggest a topic you would like us to discuss on the podcast or if you would like to feature on the podcast as a guest, then please get in touch with the Mindful Muslim Podcast Team at [email protected].

Support our podcast by becoming a Torchbearer for Inspirited Minds.

The Mindful Muslim is an Inspirited Minds podcast that hosts raw, open, and honest conversations on various topics within the sphere of mental health, psychology, Islam and spirituality.

This month, we spoke to Jamilla Hekmoun, who is a Research Fellow at the Woolf Institute in Cambridge. She is currently writing up her PhD on Muslim men’s mental health. Jamilla is a former Board Trustee at the Muslim Youth Helpline and Chair of the Muslim Mental Health Alliance; a network of organisations aiming to collaborate on mental health in the sector, for which Inspirited Minds is a member. She is an Executive Board Member at the Muslim Council of Wales and is also Head of Community Engagement at SEF-Cymru, an education charity based in Wales.

In this episode, we spoke about:

• Jamilla’s personal experience of anxiety and depression which she published in a book chapter on her lived experiences
• Her thoughts on the cost of living crisis, financial stress and how that links to mental health, specifically men’s mental health
• Her research on men’s mental health and how men are usually the providers within families, especially in Muslim households and so feel the impact of the cost of living crisis more so
• The taboo and stigma around men’s mental health
• & so much more!

You can connect with Jamilla on twitter @JamillaTweets or instagram @jamillajamillajamilla

If you would like to ask us a question, suggest a topic you would like us to discuss on the podcast or if you would like to feature on the podcast as a guest, then please get in touch with the Mindful Muslim Podcast Team at [email protected].

Support our podcast by becoming a Torchbearer for Inspirited Minds.