Arabic speaking Counsellor/Psychotherapist/Psychologist

Arabic speaking Counsellor/Psychotherapist/Psychologist

Salary: £34,434

Hours of work: 35 hours, 5 days a week

IKWRO -Women's Rights Organisation (IKWRO) is an award-winning charity founded (as the Iranian and Kurdish Women's Rights Organisation) in 2002. As testament to its' success and in response to huge need, IKWRO has expanded and now provides unique and vital support for women and girls from all Middle Eastern, North African and Afghan (MENA) communities who are at risk of "honour" based violence, child marriage, forced marriage, female genital mutilation, domestic violence,sexual violence and other forms of gender violence.

IKWRO provides direct services including advocacy and professional counselling. IKWRO opened the UK's first specialist Middle Eastern women's refuge. IKWRO is regularly called upon to share expertise with government, academics, and media and to train professionals from bodies such as the police, social services and schools.

IKWRO has led the recognition of "honour" based abuse and "honour" killing as forms of violence against women and girls. Campaign successes include; the first extradition from Kurdistan-Iraq to the UK of perpetrators of "honour" killing of Banaz Mahmod, the UK's criminalisation of forced marriage, child marriage, virginity testing and hymenoplasty, as well as the first ever national inspection of policing of "honour" based violence.

The post-holder will help Arabic speaking women who have experienced Forced Marriage, Female Genital Mutilation and "Honour" Based Violence. Working in a confidential setting, counsellors listen attentively to their clients and offer them the time, empathy and respect they need to express their own feelings, to help them overcome their problems and to make appropriate changes to their life.

The post holder must be BACP or UKCP accredited (or equivalent e.g. HCPC) or training to achieve these accreditation.

The above post is open to women only and are exempt under the Sex Discrimination Act 7(2) (d) and (e) and the Race Relations Act 5(2) (d) 1976. No agencies please.

Main Duties and Responsibilities

• Establishing a relationship of trust and respect with clients;
• To undertake high quality direct (assessment and therapeutic) and indirect (consultative, advisory and evaluative) specialist psychological interventions; making autonomous clinical decisions about own professional practice.
• Develops treatment and guidance methods and give guidance using a variety of therapy and counselling techniques;

To formulate and implement plans of specialist psychological treatment or management of clients' mental health problems based on an appropriate multi-factorial understanding of the client's problems and current evidence-based best practice, taking into account the current NICE guidelines.

• Studies psychological factors in the treatment and prevention of mental illness or emotional and personality disorders;
• Maintains required contacts with education or other health professionals, as appropriate, and recommends possible solutions to problems presented;
• Encouraging clients to talk about issues they feel they cannot normally share with others;
• Accepting without bias the issues raised by clients;
• Helping clients towards a deeper understanding of their concerns;
• Attending supervision and training courses;
• Liaising with IKWRO's staff, counselors and advisors;
• Working to agreed targets in relation to client contact;
• Undertaking group as well as individual therapy on occasions;
• Keeping records and writing reports.