MMHI

The Muslim Mental Health Initiative (MMHI) at UC Berkeley is the product of years of collaboration, discussions, and brainstorming between Muslim student leaders and Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS). MMHI was designed to address the multiple barriers that Muslim students (many also students of color) faced in seeking mental healthcare from CAPS, namely, unreasonably long waiting times, lack of diversity among counselors, and a limited number of meetings permitted per year. Through MMHI, therapists are available on a drop-in basis for students and provide a space for them to express their struggles to a professional who would not only provide comfort in the moment, but will also connect them to resources that the student may need in the future. 

Beyond their Islamic identities, MMHI’s therapists are trained and practice just like any other therapist, with the exception that meetings are unlimited, free, and anonymous. MMHI also offers phone appointments so that our therapists are available to all students, on and off campus. MMHI provides a platform through which UC Berkeley students can discuss how best to confront and erase the stigma of mental health in our communities on campus and in our personal lives. Throughout the academic year, we host events in collaboration with off-campus public health-oriented advocacy organizations as a way to encourage dialogue around mental health and how to practice acceptance, inclusivity, and care for ourselves and communities in a way that upholds UC Berkeley's principles of community.

Collaboration with Khalil Center | 2017 - 2021 & 2025 - Present

The Khalil Center, a leading community psychological and spiritual wellness center, has been an important partner in MMHI’s journey. Rooted in Islamic theological concepts and integrated with the science of psychology, Khalil Center emphasizes psychological reconstruction, behavioral reformation, and spiritual elevation in the care they provide.

From 2017 to 2021, Khalil Center played a central role in MMHI’s early years, helping us establish a strong foundation of services tailored to the Muslim student community. Their clinicians offered non-clinical consultation hours, support groups, and faith-informed wellness programming that resonated deeply with students. This first partnership was instrumental in giving MMHI the credibility and momentum to grow into a trusted campus initiative.

After a season of growth and new collaborations, we returned to Khalil Center in 2025 following strong community feedback. Students and alumni expressed how much they valued the unique strengths Khalil Center brought, and this renewal marked an exciting new chapter. Their clinicians are trained in Traditional Islamically Integrated Psychotherapy (TIIPS), blending clinical expertise with spiritual grounding. In addition, Khalil Center’s extensive resources and presence across the United States connect our campus community to a broader network of culturally competent care.

Today, through this renewed collaboration, MMHI once again benefits from Khalil Center’s culturally competent clinicians, who provide non-clinical consultation hours, support groups, psychoeducational workshops, and faith-informed wellness services. We are grateful to have Khalil Center with us at both the beginning and the present, guiding MMHI with their expertise and commitment to holistic Muslim mental health.

Collaboration with Maristan | 2021 - 2025

Maristan is a non-profit organization that strives to revive the Islamic legacy of research and education that informs holistic healing and provides culturally and spiritually congruent, professional, accessible, and affordable mental health care for all.

Our partnership with Maristan was a turning point that helped propel MMHI forward. With their support, we brought culturally competent therapists to campus who offered non-clinical consultation hours, support groups, and meaningful one-on-one care for students. Maristan also enriched our campus through workshops, seminars, and cultural competency trainings that strengthened awareness and support for Muslim mental health.

We are deeply grateful for Maristan’s role in shaping MMHI’s growth and leaving a lasting impact on the Berkeley Muslim community.

The Wellness Fund

In 2015, the student body voted to pass the Wellness Initiative Fee, allowing the creation and continuation of wellness programming at UC Berkeley. The Wellness Initiative Fee, since then renamed the Wellness Fund provides new fee revenue that is used exclusively to support wellness services and programming for students, as well as renovations, furnishings, and alterations to existing spaces required to support these new wellness programs.

Wellness, health, and recreation services are in dire need of improvement at UC Berkeley, which lacks new, innovative mind-body services that students want. The Wellness Fund aims to address the concerning rise of mental health complications on campus and provide new support for minority student groups (ie. students of color, LGBTQIA students, veterans, student parents, international students, students with disabilities, and other student populations face unique wellness challenges that require additional support not currently available to them). 

The Cal MMHI is grateful for their partnership with The Wellness Fund, without whom their vision would be unable to reach its potential. To learn more about The Wellness Fund and how it supports students at UC Berkeley, click here.