Therapy in Islamabad Capital Territory
People in Islamabad can book therapy online or use public and non-profit services in the capital. PIMS has a psychiatry department, a university clinic on Park Road is open to the public, and Rozan runs a counselling helpline. In an emergency, call the Islamabad Police helpline 15.
Overview
Public mental health care in the capital is concentrated in a few places. The main government service is the psychiatry department at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS). The Institute of Psychiatry at Benazir Bhutto Hospital is close by in Rawalpindi, and a university clinic and a non-profit helpline add low-cost options.
The capital is linguistically mixed. In the 2023 census, about half of residents of the Islamabad Capital Territory gave Punjabi as their mother tongue, with Pashto, Urdu and Hindko the next most common. In a city this mixed, it is worth asking a therapist which languages they work in.
Online therapy can sit alongside these services. A video session avoids travel between sectors and can fit around office hours. For medication, a diagnosis or urgent help, see a psychiatrist or go to a hospital. Safe Healing’s sessions are private Google Meet calls with one therapist, open to adults 18 and over and held in Urdu or English.
Safe Healing therapists
Approved therapists who live and work in Islamabad. Sessions take place online, not at an office.
20 years of experienceTherapist · based in Islamabad
Approaches: Psychodynamic, Narrative therapy, Mindfulness-based, and more
2 years of experienceTherapist · based in Islamabad
Approaches: Islamic counseling, Mindfulness-based, Humanistic, and more
2 years of experienceTherapist · based in Islamabad
Approaches: CBT, Humanistic, EMDR, and more
1 year of experienceTherapist · based in Islamabad
Approaches: CBT, DBT, Psychodynamic, and more
1 year of experienceTherapist · based in Islamabad
Approaches: CBT, Psychodynamic, Humanistic, and more
1 year of experienceTherapist · based in Islamabad
Approaches: Islamic counseling, Narrative therapy, Humanistic, and more
Therapist · based in Islamabad
Approaches: CBT
Every profile is reviewed before it goes live. How we review therapists
In person
Hospitals and institutes with psychiatry or psychology services, from official sources. Check before you go; Safe Healing is not affiliated with them.
Psychiatric assessment for all age groups by a multidisciplinary team, with specialist services in neuropsychiatry, addiction, memory, liaison and child psychiatry.
pims.gov.pkNon-profit and university support
Park Road
Run by the university’s Department of Clinical Psychology and open to the wider community. It offers assessments and therapies for children and adults, including cognitive behavioural therapy and tele-counselling.
stmu.edu.pkPind Bhagwal Road
A non-profit working on emotional health and on reducing violence against women and children. It runs a counselling helpline and psychosocial support programmes.
rozan.orgUrgent help
If you or someone near you is in danger, call now. Safe Healing is not an emergency service.
Your rights
Mental Health Ordinance 2001 (federal law for the Islamabad Capital Territory)
The capital’s reference mental health law is the federal Mental Health Ordinance 2001, which covers informed consent, confidentiality and appeals against involuntary admission. In 2022 the National Commission for Human Rights announced a draft bill to update it for Islamabad.
Read the sourceOne-to-one video sessions with an approved therapist, in Urdu or English, wherever you are in Islamabad.
FAQ
The main government service in the capital is the Department of Psychiatry at PIMS, which assesses people of all ages and has specialist clinics including addiction and child psychiatry. The Institute of Psychiatry at Benazir Bhutto Hospital in Rawalpindi is also close by.
The federal Mental Health Ordinance 2001 is the reference law for the Islamabad Capital Territory. Its status has been debated since health was devolved to the provinces, and in 2022 the National Commission for Human Rights announced a draft bill to update it for the capital.
The Shifa Psychological Services Clinic at Shifa Tameer-e-Millat University on Park Road is open to the public and describes its care as affordable. Ask the clinic about current fees before you book.
Yes. Sessions run on Google Meet, so a lunch break in a quiet office room or an evening at home both work. They are for adults 18 and over, in Urdu or English, and are not a substitute for emergency care.
Call 15, the Islamabad Police emergency line, if someone is in immediate danger. For support by phone that is not an emergency, Taskeen is on 0316-8275336 and Rozan’s counselling helpline is on 0304-111-1741.
7 approved therapists are based in Islamabad. Sessions are online, so you are not limited to them.
Listed fees are PKR 1,500 to PKR 10,000 per session. Each therapist sets their own fee, shown on their profile.
Helpful next steps
