Stronger Foundations

1:1 Counselling Service for Muslim Men

Domestic and Family Violence Prevention and Early Intervention

Our Mission

To walk alongside Muslim men so that they can build homes grounded in safety, dignity, and
compassion, drawing on both contemporary psychological evidence and the ethical
foundations of the Islamic tradition, so that no partner or child lives in fear.

Helping Muslim men become the husbands, fathers, and sons their families deserve.

Values

The values below intentionally bridge the clinical evidence base and Islamic ethics, which is the program’s central point of difference.

1. Mercy Before Judgement

Men are met with compassion and without shaming, while accountability for behaviour is
held firmly. This reflects the divine attribute of mercy and aligns with the research finding that
judgemental approaches reduce men’s willingness to change.

2. Safety Is Non-Negotiable

The wellbeing of women and children is the unwavering reference point. Supporting men
and protecting families are treated as the same goal, not competing ones.

3. Strength Through Connection

Isolation is a risk factor; brotherhood, mentorship, and help-seeking are protective. The
service actively rebuilds men’s social support.

4. Honouring the Family (Birr and Ihsan)

The program frames good character in the home as an act of worship and excellence, not
weakness. Two authentic prophetic traditions anchor this value:

خَيْرُكُمْ خَيْرُكُمْ لِأَهْلِهِ وَأَنَا خَيْرُكُمْ لِأَهْلِي
The best of you is the best to his wives, and I am the best of you to my wives.

The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him)

أَكْمَلُ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ إِيمَانًا أَحْسَنُهُمْ خُلُقًا وَخيَارُكُمْ خيَارُكُمْ لِنِسَائِهِمْ
The most complete of believers in faith are those with the best character, and the best of you are the best in behaviour to their women.

The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him)

5. The Marital Bond as a Divine Sign

The service holds a vision of marriage as a relationship of tranquillity, affection, and mercy, as described in the Qur’an:

وَمِنْ آيَاتِهِ أَنْ خَلَقَ لَكُم مِّنْ أَنفُسِكُمْ أَزْوَاجًا لِّتَسْكُنُوا إِلَيْهَا وَجَعَلَ بَيْنَكُم مَّوَدَّةً وَرَحْمَةً إِنَّ فِي ذَٰلِكَ لَآيَاتٍ لِّقَوْمٍ يَتَفَكَّرُونَ
"And of His signs is that He created for you from yourselves mates that you may find tranquillity in them; and He placed between you affection and mercy. Indeed in that are signs for a people who give thought.

Surah Ar-Rum: 20

6. Confidentiality and Cultural Safety

Men can speak openly without fear of community exposure, within a service that
understands their faith and culture from the inside.

7. Evidence and Integrity

Practice is grounded in the best available research and delivered with professional and clinical rigour.

Aim

To reduce the risk of Muslim men using emotional or physical abuse against partners and
children, by strengthening the protective factors identified in the Ten to Men evidence base,
namely social connection, mental health, and healthy, affectionate family relationships.

Program Objectives

Provide accessible, confidential, culturally and religiously congruent 1:1 counselling to Muslim men.
Strengthen each man’s social support network and reduce isolation.
Improve emotional regulation, mental health, and help-seeking behaviour.
Build the skills and emotional capacity for affectionate, respectful fathering and
partnering.
Address attitudes and norms that condone or excuse abuse, while holding men
accountable.
Connect men and, where safe and appropriate, their families to wraparound supports.

Intended Outcomes

• Increased self-reported social connectedness and reduced isolation.
• Improved scores on validated measures of psychological distress and emotional
regulation.
• Improved attitudes toward gender, conflict, and help-seeking.
• Sustained engagement (retention through the program).
• Where the model permits and is ethically appropriate, partner-report indicators of
safety, gathered through accepted family-violence-informed protocols.

Please note: we are a counselling service, not a legal service. We do not write court reports or provide expert assessments. If a court requires confirmation of your attendance, we can provide only a one-page summary of your session dates and engagement, and only with your written consent.

Cost of Service

Standard session fee: $160 per session.

Cancellation and Non-Attendance Policy

Sessions are by appointment. To ensure that the service can be offered to as many men as possible and that each client’s engagement can be accurately documented, the following policy applies:

Notice of cancellation: Clients are required to provide a minimum of 24 hours’ notice if they need to cancel or reschedule a session. Cancellations can be made by phone, text message, or email.
Late cancellations (less than 24 hours’ notice): Where a client cancels with less than 24 hours’ notice, the full session fee of $160 may be charged. Mission of Hope reserves discretion to waive this fee in genuine emergencies on a case-by-case basis.
Non-attendance (no-show): If a client does not attend a scheduled session without prior notice, the full session fee of $160 may be charged. Non-attendance will be recorded and, where a one-page attendance summary is later requested for court purposes, any sessions marked as non-attended will be noted as such.
Repeated non-attendance. If a client fails to attend two or more consecutive sessions without notice, the counsellor will attempt to make contact. Continued non-engagement may result in the client’s place being offered to another person on the waitlist, following a reasonable attempt to re-engage.
Late arrival: If a client arrives late, the session will end at the originally scheduled time.
The full session fee applies regardless of the duration of attendance.

Contact Us

For more information email us at info@missionofhope.org.au

Support Our Initiatives

Mission of Hope relies on the generosity of our Community to keep its much needed initiatives up and running. Please consider making a donation to support our work and initiatives.