The Institute for Counseling and Psychotherapy (ICP) has celebrated World Mental Health Day 2023.

ICP celebrated World Mental Health Day 2023 at a special event held at the Meerumaa Event Hall, on Tuesday.

The attendees at the event included key stakeholders from the mental health sector and team members from ICP and SIMDI Group.

During the event, a special Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between ICP and Aster Little BlueJays/DYU Healthcare.

As per the MoU, Aster Little BlueJays, which operates under DYU Healthcare, will offer the services of qualified and experienced visiting psychologists, training, and capacity building. It also provides a platform for both organizations to share resources and expertise.

Dr. Mariyam Shakeela, Chairperson of ICP, and Dr. Prashanth Gowda, Chairman of DYU Healthcare, signed the MoU.

Dr. Mariyam Shakeela and Dr. Prashanth were accompanied by The Managing Director of SIMDI Group, Mr. Mishal Didi, The Managing Director of ICP, Ms. Shidhatha Shareef and The Founding member and Director of DYU Healthcare Mr. Gopi.

Through this MOU, ICP aims to fulfill its mission of reducing the discrepancy between the demand for mental healthcare and the available capacity in the Maldives.

The chairperson of ICP and CEO of SIMDI Group, Dr. Mariyam Shakeela, stressed the criticality of mental health, emphasizing this year's theme "Mental Health is a Universal Human Right". During the speech, it was highlighted that there is an increasing demand for psychological care in the Maldives and it is not only the responsibility of government, but initiative must be taken by everyone in the society.

The chairperson praised the new partnership with Aster Little Bluejays of Bangalore, India, which promises to expand the services provided by ICP and share resources between the two institutions.

Over the last eight years, ICP has emerged as a premier mental health service provider in the Maldives, specializing in psychological assessments and various forms of therapy catering to individuals of all ages.

In addition to clinic-based services, ICP provides training and awareness sessions to promote mental health education.

ICP has emerged as a premier mental health service provider in the Maldives, specializing in psychological assessments and various forms of therapy catering to individuals of all ages.