Healing Circles. Pathways to Healing
Psychological support for Afghan women and girls
Since the Taliban’s return to power, Afghan women have lost fundamental rights and have been subjected to severe restrictions, including bans on studying beyond primary school, working in many professions, travelling alone, walking in parks, or raising their voices in public. As a result, depression and female suicide rates have risen significantly.
NOVE has invested in women’s mental well-being by implementing psychological support activities in collaboration with AMNA – Refugee Healing Network, a UK-based organisation dedicated to the mental well-being of refugees.
In 2025, we launched Healing Circles in Kabul, providing psychological support to 33 women heads of household living in poverty, who had experienced trauma from severe events such as war, violence, forced isolation, and the loss of loved ones, homes, or economic security.
We also provided psychological support to 37 girls living at the Future Hope orphanage, supported by NOVE.
The project’s objective is to restore psychological balance, promote simple yet effective strategies for coping with high-stress situations, and offer concrete support to help women regain control over their emotions while fighting deep feelings of despair.
NOVE’s psychologist designed an individual therapeutic path for each participant. The support tools made available included individual psychotherapy sessions, an emergency support channel, and a mindfulness programme to reduce anxiety levels and strengthen emotional stability. Group sessions with other women were also organised to build mutual support practices.
Many participants experienced benefits from the very first sessions. Through dialogue, active listening and reconnection with their own emotions and with others, they made significant progress towards restoring their mental well-being and self-esteem.
When a woman has the opportunity to listen to herself—and to be listened to—in order to understand her pain and find a path to healing, she not only heals herself but breaks the cycle of silence surrounding these kinds of struggles, allowing future generations to face them with greater resilience.
Maryam, NOVE psychologist
Activities will continue throughout 2026, providing psychological assistance to 18 women who are victims of severe trauma.