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An independent Syrian mental health initiative

Healing begins with being understood.

An independent, non-political initiative for every Syrian, from every region and every faith.

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  • In your words
  • Family first
  • Made with Syrians
Two friends smiling, each with an arm around the other's shoulder

How can we help you today?

Why we're here

Mental health struggles are common, but rarely talked about.

More than a decade of war, displacement and loss has left deep wounds, and stigma keeps many families silent.

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Across the Middle East, mental health struggles are common but rarely talked about. In Syria, more than a decade of war, displacement and loss has left deep wounds.

Yet most people can't get care, and stigma keeps many families silent. We're here to change that.

1in10

Syrians lives with a mild-to-moderate mental health condition.

World Health Organization estimates

1in30

lives with a more severe one.

World Health Organization estimates

Asking for help is not shameful. It's a sign of strength.

Support services

Trusted support inside Syria

Services we've gathered in one place. In an emergency, go to your nearest hospital.

Confidential

Fadfada

UNDP

Support from psychologists who call you at a time you choose. You can use a nickname.

Visit website
DetailsHide
What it offers
Confidential psychosocial support from psychologists and specialists; under-18s with parental consent.
How to reach it
Fill in the form on the website and a specialist calls you at the time you choose.
Hours
9 am–9 pm daily except Friday.
In person

Community centres

UNHCR

One-on-one or group counselling, and referral to specialized care.

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DetailsHide
What it offers
One-on-one or group counselling, awareness sessions, social activities, referral to specialized care.
How to reach it
Find your nearest centre on the UNHCR website.
Hours
Varies by centre.
Near you

Primary health care centre

About one in three centres now has staff trained to help with common mental health problems.

Ask at your nearest centre
OnlinePaid

Arab Therapy

Online counselling and therapy with Arabic-speaking therapists.

Visit website
DetailsHide
What it offers
It covers concerns such as anxiety, depression, stress, relationships, and other emotional difficulties.
Hours and cost
Hours depend on the therapist's availability. Cost varies by therapist and session or package.

Nafsyria is not an emergency service and does not replace professional care. The services above are independent of us.

Our approach

How we work

Six principles that guide everything we share.

  • In your words

    Everyday language, not medical jargon.

  • Faith and care, together

    Religious figures and community leaders are our partners on the path to healing.

  • Family first

    Caring for yourself is caring for your children.

  • Healing, not forgetting

    Carrying the past without letting it control the present.

  • For every Syrian

    Every region, every faith. Independent and non-political.

  • Made with Syrians

    Reviewed by mental health professionals and community representatives.

Our vision

What we're working toward

A Syria where asking for help is normal, and trusted support is within everyone's reach.

Read our goals in fullShow less
  • A Syria where asking for help early is normalized.
  • Easy access to trusted, verified services.
  • People who can recognize the signs of distress in themselves and their loved ones.
  • Parents equipped with simple, practical tools to support their children emotionally and talk with them calmly about difficult times.
  • Young people protected from drugs and other harmful substances, and less harm for those already using them.
  • A free, 24-hour national support line for everyone in Syria.
  1. Asking for help early is normal
  2. Trusted services within reach
  3. Recognizing signs of distress
  4. Practical tools for parents
  5. Young people safe from drugs
  6. A free, 24-hour national line

Roadmap

Three phases

We're building Nafsyria step by step, from online to a national support line.

  1. Phase one

    Start online

    Short videos in Syrian dialect, practical guides for parents, and a directory of verified services.

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    Launch Nafsyria's website and social media with short videos in Syrian dialect on stress, trauma, substance use and asking for help; a faith-and-care series with religious figures; practical guides for parents; and a directory of verified support services.

  2. Phase two

    Grow with community partners

    With local groups like the Syrian Scouts and the 963 Run Club, reaching young people and families where they are.

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    We will partner with local groups that already bring Syrians together, such as the Syrian Scouts and the 963 Run Club, to reach young people and families where they are. Together, we'll focus on mental health and children's learning and development, helping families notice early signs and find the right support.

  3. Phase three

    A national support line

    A free, confidential, 24-hour line for everyone in Syria, starting with a pilot in Damascus.

    How the line would workShow less

    We are proposing a free, confidential, 24-hour support line for everyone in Syria. We have established a pilot with the City of Damascus, with a plan to scale it up to the national level.

    • The line will rely on trained volunteers and staff supervised by licensed professionals, a model that research shows works as well as lines run by professionals alone.
    • Rather than starting from scratch, we propose upgrading the Ministry of Health's psychological hotline, launched in 2023, into a single free, easy-to-remember national number, run by the Ministry in partnership with community organizations, as Lebanon does with its 1564 line.
    • Training will follow proven programs such as Lifeline Australia's (about 180 hours, including supervised shifts) and the shared clinical standards of the US 988 Lifeline.
    • Training would be sponsored by partners and donors, while the state funds the line's operation, as US states fund their local 988 centres.

Why Nafsyria?

Our name joins nafs (نفس), the Arabic word for the self and the soul, with Syria, because a country's healing begins within each of its people.

Our mark is the letter ن, the first letter of nafs: a curve holding a dot, the way we hold those who need us.
Damascus seen from Mount Qasioun, between pine branches and yellow wildflowers

About us

Clinical expertise, community knowledge

An independent initiative bringing together mental health professionals and community members in Syria and the United States.

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Our team combines clinical expertise with lived knowledge of Syrian communities, so that everything we share is both medically sound and culturally grounded.

The team

  • د. عبدالرحمن الملوحي
  • هنا بركاتSocial therapist
  • د. جميل حسّون
  • د. خليل الزايد
  • د. تاليا طبّ
  • غيث القنواتيActivist

Thanks to all of the team.

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