Sherwan Ahmad Khalil’s Story

My journey began with my studies in philosophy, culminating in a Bachelor of Arts degree. Following this, I worked in the humanitarian field with Save the Children International for ten years, focusing on child protection and case management (case management, psychosocial support, grant management, supervision, and capacity building).

My professional career also saw significant development in my academic specialization. I obtained a certificate in sustainable development (a Sustainable Development Expert certified by the United Nations). Subsequently, I pursued further academic specialization in psychology at universities in the United States and the United Kingdom, earning a postgraduate diploma in cognitive behavioral therapy. I continued my learning through specialized academic courses in psychotherapy related to trauma, anxiety, depression, psychological counseling, depression counseling, and psychiatric nursing. Afterward, I transitioned to specialized studies in scientific research, particularly in the social and health sciences.

Currently, I am pursuing a Master of Science degree in Health Sciences in collaboration with Euclid University.

My most prominent intellectual and research activities include:

Firstly, scientific publications: A book on psychological counseling (currently under review and completion) and a book specializing in scientific research (social and health sciences). Secondly, scientific research:

I work within three interconnected circles, which are that I have laid the theoretical foundations for a new psychotherapy, in addition to developing a new theory in the field of schizophrenia, which is a new vision of schizophrenia.

Please share your reflections on what you've learned and you would like to share with our global community.

I can summarize what I learned in the following points:

*Cooperation and coordination always pave the way for activities, support, and assistance in the field of mental health.

*The global community plays an active role in advocacy issues; therefore, advocacy must be global because it is a shared issue, not an isolated one.

The most prominent ideas that can be shared here are:

*Approaching advocacy as a multifaceted issue (legal, social, institutional, etc.) and integrating these aspects together to transform advocacy into an effective tool for mental health, gender-based violence, and other issues.

Advocating for the rights of people who need support and services is extremely important, but we must also pursue another path: advocating for those who advocate for these issues and advocating for those who need support, so that advocacy efforts are consistently integrated and effective. In the field of mental health and its relationship to gender-based violence, I have an idea I would like to put forward:

The relationship between the two sides is proportional, as they both influence each other. Therefore, a project must be established based on the premise that without mental health there is no advocacy in the field of gender-based violence, and vice versa.

What has been your favourite moment as a member of GMHAN?

My favorite moment is this global community within the Action Network; it represents a wonderful environment for sharing experiences and working together for everyone.

Stories can change lives. Share your story with our network and inspire action