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Counseling and Psychological Support

Sometimes, when Sikhs are seek counseling or psychological support, it can be challenging to find resources that are rooted in academic psychology while being culturally sensitive to Punjabi or South Asian realities. Below are a list of resources that may help bridge this gap. These centers may not be in your area but, they might be able to set up Skype sessions or refer you to someone who is in your area. This is simply a resource; Kaur Life does not endorse one resource over another. If there are resources that you have found helpful but are not listed here, please let us know and we will add it.


Suicide Crisis Hotlines

You can access a list of suicide crisis hotlines for people in distress worldwide, here. Each country and region typically has one or several suicide crisis hotlines. Here are a few:

USANational Suicide Prevention Lifeline. 1-800-273-8255.

UKSamaritans  116-123

IndiaAASRA  +91-9820466726 | Sneha +91 44 2464 0050  | More resources

Canada Canada Crisis Service  1 (833) 456-4566

Hume Center

The Hume Center is run by psychologists who are of South Asian descent. Their mission is to promote the psychological well being of the community through implementation of services to assist the development of community based Peer Consultation self help groups, to strengthen existing resources in the community by provision of Behavioral Health Consultation, to provide the highest quality of culturally sensitive Behavioral Health Psychotherapy services to underserved and un-served populations, to provide training to mental health professionals and to utilize and share program evaluation processes for assurance of quality in each service. Area Served: California

Sikh Family Center

The Sikh Family Center is a grassroots community-based organization that helps create healthy, violence-free, more equitable communities by bridging gaps in access to public resources and social services, and providing education and direct support to community members using an empowerment approach that attends to cultural tradition, immigration experiences, and language access. To this end, SFC partners with broad network of volunteers, faith-based institutions, nonprofit & government agencies within and outside the Sikh community, and across the U.S. to facilitate.

Chai Counselors

CHAI takes a holistic approach to providing proactive, culturally competent information and referrals on mental health and wellness to the South Asian population.  They work collaboratively with communities and service organizations to end stigma and increase access to mental health. Area Served: Greater Washington DC Area.

South Asian PsychologicalNetwork Association  (SAPNA)

SAPNA is dedicated to connecting scientist-practitioners invested in the psychological concerns of South Asians and South Asian Americans. SAPNA spelled out stands for South Asian Psychological Networking Association.

Karma Nirvana

Karma Nirvana is a hotline for troubled women. It is an organization supporting all victims of honor based abuse and forced marriage. Jasvinder Sanghera, who was born into a Sikh family set up the organization and speaking out against honor killings. Area Served: UK.

The Sikh Awareness Society

The SAS is a community based, non-profit organization formed in 1998 by the British Sikh community who felt an urgent need to raise awareness of sexual abuse, violence and grooming of young Sikhs. Area Served: UK.

Saheli Boston

The mission of Saheli Boston is to empower South Asian women and families to lead safe and healthy lives. Saheli offers a range of free services geared specifically toward the challenges faced by South Asian immigrants in Massachusetts. Saheli has over nineteen years of experience in social work. Saheli provides direct services to survivors of domestic violence, physical and mental health and safety needs of women, legal and immigration referrals, career and economic empowerment resources, and social and cultural volunteer opportunities. Area Served: Boston.

AFSSA

Asian Family Support Services of Austin, or AFSSA (formerly SAHELI) is a nonprofit organization based in Austin, Texas, that provides assistance to Asian and other immigrant families dealing with domestic violence, sexual assault and trafficking. Their mission is to promote abuse-free Asian communities through advocacy, support, awareness and access to social services. Area Served: Austin, Texas.

National Domestic Violence Hotline

Operating around the clock, seven days a week, confidential and free of cost, the National Domestic Violence Hotline provides lifesaving tools and immediate support to enable victims to find safety and live lives free of abuse.

The Survivors Trust

 The Survivors Trust (TST) is a national umbrella agency for over 135 specialist rape, sexual violence and childhood sexual abuse support organizations throughout the UK and Ireland.

Sakhi

Sakhi for South Asian Women exists to end violence against women. We unite survivors, communities, and institutions to eradicate domestic violence as we work together to create strong and healthy communities. Sakhi uses an integrated approach that combines support and empowerment through service delivery, community engagement, advocacy, and policy initiatives. Area Served: New York City.

Narika

Narika’s mission is to promote women’s independence and economic empowerment by helping domestic violence survivors with advocacy, support, information, referrals, and education. A 2011 study reveals that 64% of Indian and Pakistani women have experienced abuse by an intimate partner. According to the DOJ, more than three women are murdered by husbands or boyfriends every day in the United State. Studies suggest that between 3.3 and 8 million children witness some form of domestic violence annually. Area Served: California.

Chetna

Based in the Dallas-Fort Worth area of Texas, Chetna empowers South Asian victims of domestic violence by bringing them to safety, helping them rebuild their lives, and putting an end to their cycle of violence. Area Served: Dallas-FortWorth, Texas.

Sikh Helpline Australia

From racism, family problems, school problems, immigration issues , workers rights, and faith, the Sikh Helpline strives to provide support for Sikhs. It is a community based and confidential telephone and online support service where one can get help, advice, counseling and information on various issues. One of the topics they can address is “Domestic Violence & Women.” Area Served: Australia.


The advice offered in this column is intended for informational purposes only. Use of this column not intended to replace or substitute for any professional advice whether it be psychological, financial, medical, legal, spiritual, or other professional advice. If you have specific concerns or a situation in which you require professional, psychological or medical help, you should consult with an appropriately trained and qualified specialist. This column, its authors, Kaur Life, Kaur Life’s affiliates, and the publisher are not responsible for the outcome or results of following any advice in any given situation. You, and only you, are completely responsible for your actions.