IMU Faculty of Islamic Sciences teaching fellow Assoc.Prof. Turgay ŞİRİN conducted a seminary program titled “First Responder Education in Spiritual Counseling and Guidance for Disasters and Crises” on Feb 18, 2023, in the faculty’s meeting hall. The seminary was carried out by the coordination of the Uskudar Muftiate Family and Religious Guidance Office. It was attended by the Spiritual Support Team affiliated with the Muftiate visiting the Kahramanmaraş centered twin earthquakes victims who, after losing their residences, settled in several institutions and organizations in Uskudar.
In the educational program discussed the spiritual guidance processes in disasters and crises Assoc.Prof. Turgay ŞİRİN tackled several psychological symptoms related to the disaster such as trauma, acute stress disorder, post-trauma stress disorder, secondary trauma, and grief process as well as the proposed solutions for them. He explained how the psychological well-being of the earthquake victims may be provided in the face of the difficulties of moving to new urban area, alongside of the post-disaster trauma. Assoc.Prof. ŞİRİN who emphasized the importance of the spiritual support works shared details on how the accommodators may protect themselves from secondary trauma and carry out the spiritual support process.
At the end of the program, the attendees expressed the productivity of the seminar. They thanked Istanbul Medeniyet University and demanded the continuation of such activities.
