Change Lives.... One Family At A Time

In every life there can be a season of so much sorrow that people

do not know where to turn or how to “right the ship.” The storms

are too strong, the light from the light house too faint, and they

have no compass to know which way to go.

The mental health professionals at The Bismillah Institute are

skilled navigators of those life storms – depression, anxiety,

families dealing with life changes, teen mental health

challenges, and women in crisis.

Since 2019, Vjolca Capri and her team at The Bismillah Institute

have helped more than 1,100 people to find their way back to

wellness in a culturally-sensitive setting. What makes The

Bismillah Institute unique?

People in crisis can count on:

Urdu, German, and Hindi.

The experiences shared here have been edited slightly to

protect privacy but are testaments to the positive change that

can happen when people reach out for help.

Please consider giving sadaqah to The Bismillah Institute.

As The Institute has continued to grow and help more people,

the team has also organized to obtain nonprofit status. This

makes your donations to be tax deductible and allows us to help

more people. Supporting The Bismillah Institute now as a

nonprofit organization will multiply the kinds of grants our

programs are eligible to receive to help women, teens, and

families.

WOMEN: As of the end of March 2024, we have had to close

waiting lists until we can find additional funding. Currently, five

women meet with mental health professionals as they navigate

major life crises like deportation of family members, abuse, or

“My daughter was crying

every day but wouldn't tell us

why. She just barricaded

herself in her room from the

minute she came home from

school until the minute she left

again the next morning--

sometimes not even coming

out to eat anything at all. We

called the Bismillah Institute

for help when we realized

nothing we could do was

working. The Institute was

able to get my daughter to

open up about the bullying

experiences that she kept

from us. They helped her find

her strength again, increased

her self-esteem, and helped

her reconnect with us too.

Within weeks, we saw the first

smile we had seen in the

months before we found the

Bismillah Institute. Now, she

was spending time with us

again and joining us at meals.

She was laughing again. I'm

so grateful for all the help they

gave us. They changed our

lives.”

~ Bismillah Institute Client

MARRIAGE DIFFICULTIES: We had more than double that on a wait list. From one woman helped by Bismillah:

“Our marriage was a mess. No one expects their marriage to be turned upside down--yet there we

were...avoiding each other, having separate lives, and zero connection. I didn't want to accept it was

the "desi"; way. We have exceptional examples of sincere love in marriage from both our culture and

our religion--but we were following none of them and yet blaming them both for our mess. The

Bismillah Institute's Marriage and Family counselor helped us to really identify the bricks that built

the wall that stood between us. She helped us deconstruct the wall together while supporting our

personal struggles in private sessions too. She left no stone unturned. She asked the hard questions

but still kept our religion in mind. And as a result, we were a stronger couple. We are expecting our

third child this year... I would like to think it’s a gift Allah gave us for trusting the process of working

together to stay together. Jazakallah Khair for everything!”

Your gift of sadaqah is a beacon in the storm for them.

TEENS: Since launching “Teen Talk” in 2021, dozens of teens

reach out every month. In a time of historic levels of crisis for

teens, The Institute has been able to help, support, counsel, and

even “graduate” patients who have reached a level of emotional

stability as well as success functioning at school and getting

along with family members that they feel strong enough to stand

on their own.

“My family struggles with money a lot. So when I began having panic attacks last year, I didn't have

the heart to tell them I needed help. I tried to deal on my own with my anxious thoughts, but it was

becoming so tough that I just couldn't breathe sometimes. I was constantly doing play-by-plays of

the worst-case scenarios in my mind--for like every single thing imaginable. I couldn't think of

anything else. I spilled all the tea one really bad night to one of my friends. She told me about the

Bismillah Institute and how I could get help there. After texting them myself, they set me up right

away. They helped me understand that I didn't have to go through this alone. Then they helped

speak to my parents about it too, something I was avoiding. They explained to my parents what I

was struggling with and how they were going to help me get my life back on track--at no cost to

them. We were so relieved. This year, I got into my top college on a full ride. And I can't imagine

myself getting through it without my counselor's help.”

Your gift of sadaqah is a beacon in the storm, a light for them to follow as they journey to

adulthood.

FAMILIES: Your gift of sadaqah is a life raft preserving their wholeness and wellness together

as they navigate tribulations, change, and challenges. Imagine a family facing this all alone:

"After my angry teen called DCF and reported child abuse, the Bismillah Institute was there to help us

navigate this catastrophe with care, concern, professionalism, and most importantly in this

community: discretion. I was beside myself with shock. But this organization provided us with really

comprehensive mental health care with a social worker to help us navigate the crisis, therapists who

understood our pain, a chaplain to help keep me from losing my faith, and unparalleled expertise in

handling the court system. I can not begin to tell you how thankful I am to the Bismillah Institute.

Instead of running around between several organizations, this one solved all our issues in one place.

I have been trying to wrap my head around the basics of just waking up in the morning, let alone

trying to fight fairly in a process aimed at discriminating against us due to our faith. The director

helped educate us in how we can fight the issues without losing more than we already had. The

therapists were so patient and knowledgeable. I instantly trusted them---and so did my angry teen.

Which is enough said, really if you knew us. Thank you so much for being here. You've changed our

lives."

Your gift of sadaqah is a life raft for families to stay together, grow stronger, and weather life’s crises.

In addition to helping people, your sadaqah can strengthen The Bismillah Institute. For example,

the costs of setting up the accounting and administrative structures to satisfy IRS requirements. required us to come out of the counseling center’s budget with $1,200.

That amount would have covered the cost of helping 20 teens for three months. Another example: our website is currently hosted through Wix.com, a company with Z10nist roots

that has pressured their staff to follow an Anti-Muslim narrative on the crisis and fired some who do not. Having created a site years ago, unaware of their corporate roots, The

Institute is now seeking to completely cut ties with Wix. The cost?

For a website that is functional and provides the necessary elements for patient privacy, the cost is $3,000, which we

would rather spend on helping 50 families but feel strongly that we need to cut ties with Wix.

A sign in our office reminds us that we need to be: “Strong enough to stand alone, smart

enough to know when you need help, and brave enough to ask for it.”

The Bismillah Institute helps our community with all of this and our team is strong enough to stand alone but

asking for your help at this critical time as we launch services formally through the nonprofit.

Thank you for considering

--Vjolca Capri, Founder and Executive Director

The Bismillah Institute

A 501C(3) Organization