The Dubai Women's Renaissance Association has launched a qualification programme for practitioners in social services, psychological counselling, and family counselling, coinciding with the UAE's Year of the Family 2026. The initiative targets the preparation of specialised professional cadres capable of strengthening family stability and cohesion, in line with the state's orientations and vision for building a more connected and sustainable society.
The programme is the first of its kind at the national level in that it brings together the specialisations of social work and psychological and family counselling within an integrated qualification framework, enabling participants to acquire the professional knowledge, experience, and skills needed to address family, psychological, and social issues from a comprehensive and balanced perspective.
Dr Fatima Al Falasi, Director General of the Dubai Women's Renaissance Association, affirmed that the launch of the programme is aligned with national orientations that place the family at the forefront of community development priorities, noting that investing in specialised cadres is one of the most important factors in enhancing family stability and improving quality of life.
Dr Al Falasi said the qualification programme represents a strategic step towards building a generation of practitioners who are academically and professionally equipped to handle evolving social, psychological, and family challenges, keeping pace with the needs and aspirations of UAE society.
"At the Dubai Women's Renaissance Association, we believe that the stable family is the foundation of a cohesive society, and from this stems the importance of providing advanced training programmes that contribute to developing national competencies and enhancing their ability to deliver professional services that elevate the quality of support provided to families and individuals," she added.
She further stated that the programme embodies the association's mission to support social development and empower specialists to adopt best global professional practices, which will positively reflect on the stability of the Emirati family and advance the goals of the Year of the Family 2026. For her part, Loulwa Ahmed, Acting Director of the Training and Consulting Department at the Dubai Women's Renaissance Association, explained that the programme was designed in response to the growing need to strengthen integration between the fields of social work and psychological and family counselling, and to bridge the knowledge gap between the two specialisations, enabling practitioners to deliver more comprehensive and effective interventions.
Loulwa noted that the programme comprises 12 specialised training courses totalling 60 training hours, delivered by a select group of experts, consultants, and specialists from inside and outside the UAE, ensuring participants a rich training experience that combines theoretical and practical elements and keeps pace with the latest professional developments in social services and psychological and family counselling. She added that the programme focuses on equipping participants with the tools and skills needed to address various family and psychological issues, reinforcing commitment to ethical and professional standards, and entrenching the concepts of integrated interdisciplinary work in the service of the family and community.