December 8, 11am Pacific
Dear counselor educators, supervisors, and students,
As a community committed to antiracism, members of NARTIC are greatly saddened by the devastating loss of life, suffering, and humanitarian crisis resulting in the war between Israel and Hamas. Many U.S.-based counselor educators, counselors, and counseling students have been negatively impacted by the significant rise in Islamophobia and anti-Palestinian rhetoric in the wake of the current crisis in Gaza.
We recognize that among us in the CES community are members who are going through tremendous pain, and we see the importance of holding space for those impacted by this war. Therefore, we would like to invite U.S.-based counselor educators, counselors, and counseling students who might need a supportive space to come together during this trying time because of their religious affiliations and Palestinian cultural backgrounds.
The focus will be connection through a compassionate space. We hope that you will join us.
Dana Isawi, an assistant professor at Northern Illinois University and member of NARTIC along with Waleed Sami, an Assistant Professor at City College of New York will be facilitating this support space via Zoom.
Event: Supportive Space for Members of the CES Community Who are Experiencing Distress Related to Their Religious and Palestinian Cultural Backgrounds
Time: 11:00am PT (2:00pm ET, 1:00pm CT) (1.5 hour)
Date: December 8th, 2023
Venue: Zoom Link will be provided to registered attendees the day before the event.
Registration: Please register for the event at https://forms.gle/EoCGW6WHWtJ4NWQL6
Facilitators:
Dana Isawi is a counselor educator and social justice advocate. She was born and raised in Palestine before she moved to the U.S. to pursue her higher education. Her Palestinian roots go back for generations and she is the granddaughter of Palestinian refugees. She has been deeply impacted by the Palestinian-Israeli conflict throughout her life where she developed resilience and maintained hope for a more just world for all. During these trying times, she recognizes the emotional and embodied toll that we are carrying individually and collectively. She hopes to offer an intimate space for our community to connect in heartfelt solidarity to support collective care.
Waleed Sami is a counselor educator with several years of clinical and research experience, working with individuals, families, and couples. He is Muslim-American and has experience working with and in diverse communities and attending to their mental health needs. Waleed has worked with many refugee populations who have been impacted by war and natural disaster and has experience facilitating healing and support groups during critical incidents.