Jerusalem – To celebrate 30 years since its foundation, the PCC hosted a series of activities and various events in the field of mental health, including mobile clinics in a number of marginalized areas, a psychology seminar in the city of Ramallah, and a beneficiaries reception in the city of Jerusalem.
More than 100 people attended the reception – the PCC’s final commemoratory event – that was held at the Dar Issaf al Nashashibi center in Sheikh Jerrah, including women, children and youth, a number of the Center’s founders and members of the Board of Directors, as well as staff and employees of the PCC. The ceremony included a welcome speech by Ms. Rana Nashashibi, director general of the PCC, as well as a presentation on the history of the PCC from Prevention Department director, Rimel Salah. Music and theatrical performances were also conducted by PCC staff members.
The PCC also organized a seminar entitled, "Thirty years of counseling, treatment and psychological supervision" at the Red Crescent in Al Bireh, hosted by Dr. Mubarak Awad, founder of the Palestinian Counseling Center, who came from his residence in the US specifically for the celebrations. Dr Awad explained the beginnings of the PCC’s work, including initial efforts made to raise awareness on the importance of counseling and psychotherapy and touched on the difficulties encountered during the organization’s establishment. After three decades of operation, Mr. Awad expressed his delight in the center’s continued work to change the shape of mental health in Palestine.
Furthermore, the PCC arranged for a mobile services clinic to visit villages in the Negev, Jiftlik and Fasayel in the Jordan Valley, Beit Sakariya in Bethlehem, and Susia in the Hebron area – all of which are underserved. The clinics conducted awareness-raising activities for the local communities, targeting women and children, as well as individual consultations.
Founded in 1983, the Palestinian Counseling Center was the first institution of its kind in Palestine working in the field of mental health. It has contributed to the introduction of many therapeutic methods and counseling programs in both Gaza and the West Bank, especially psychological counseling in schools, art therapy expression, capacity building of local and international organizations in the field of psycho-social health, and development and supervision training. The PCC has developed several programs that have been adopted by the ministries and other local Palestinian institutions, especially the Big Brother/Big Sister program, and non-formal education program.