About the Center

The Faith and Cultural Wellness Center aims to promote the well-being of the individuals and families in the New York area by providing accessible, quality holistic mental health, and family based therapeutic services, along with its substance abuse/addiction care for communities.

FCW is run by New York Sate licensed Marriage and Family Therapists, Mental Health Professional and professional consultants. Together they bring a wealth of professional, clinical and interdisciplinary services experiences drawn from their unique twenty five years of praxis in their field.

The development of a systems approach to support and improve family functioning is the goal especially those germane to individual, family and group centered wellness. The Center is committed to quality mental health care that is provided in a collaborative effort with consumers' overall health strategies and an array of medical services. 

Focus

The Center focuses on services that fall within the purview of a synergy between religious ethics and human service values and employs systems intervention strategies based in the traditions of marriage and family services.

We utilize a service system that emphasizes trust, respect, confidentiality, and cultural and religious competency.

LEADERSHIP

Muballigh, Muhammad Jafar Abdul-Mubdi

Muballigh, Muhammad Jafar Abdul-Mubdi affectionately known also as Hajji Jafar, was born and raised in Brooklyn New York. Muballigh Jafar’s introduction to Islam came via his relationship with Mohammed Abdul Hakeem, who is a childhood friend. In his journey for greater understanding and meaning, he was introduced to the Shi'ite Islamic school of Jurisprudence,

According to his best recollections, he was introduced to this school of law by Sheikh Sayyid Hashim Abdul Rashid or brother Bilal. Hujjat Islam, Sheikh Muhammad Sawar, the Dean of the Islamic Seminary in New York, was Muballigh Jafar’s first teacher. Plus in later years he went on to study with Sheikh Muhammad kadham at the Brooklyn Mosque & Islamic Guidance Center.  Furthermore, in an effort to continually broaden his horizon and enhance his skills sets as an aspiring religious student and scholar, he enrolled at the Islamic Research Institute, Long Island, where he studied under the tutelage of Dr. Maulana Anwer Ali, Dean of the Institute, where he eventually earned his Ijaza Certificate as a Muballigh. 

Currently he works as a Chaplain of New York State, representing the Shia community, and he has continued to earn advance training in Pastoral Education. Furthermore, he is completing an advanced certificate, in Islamic Studies, with an emphasis in Multicultural and a Contemporary Urban emphasis at New York Theological Seminary. Presently, he was accepted into membership of the Council of Muballighuns International: Faith and Cultural Wellness Center, as a companion Director, and he currently works under the aegis of the Muballigh Theology: Division of Religious, Pastoral and Spiritual Affairs (MT-DRPAS).

Mumtazul Muballigh Muhammad A. Al-Rahman, PsyD, LMFT, NCF, HS-BCP.

Muballigh, Dr. Muhammad A. Al-Rahman, PhD, (c), PsyD, LMFT, NCF, HS-BCP, is the Interim Chairman, Clinical Coordinator, Spiritual and Pastoral Services Director of The Council of Muballighuns International: Faith & Cultural Wellness Center, which is Associated with the Faith and Cultural Wellness Project. That consultation project was developed to service the clinical practice needs of Muslim families and culturally blended African-descent families in general in New York State.

Dr. Muhammad A. Al-Rahman holds a Doctorate in Psychology: Clinical Pastoral Psychotherapy, from the Graduate Theological Foundation (GTF), Mishawaka, Indiana; and presently he is a Doctoral completion Candidate at Saybrook University: College of Social Sciences: Division of Consciousness, Spirituality & Integrative Health, Pasadena California, along with a companion Post Graduate Licensure Candidacy in Child and Adolescent Psychoanalysis, at the noted Harlem Family Institute, New York City. Further, he is a New York State, Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT).  Plus, a National Clinical Fellow (NCF), of the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy (AAMFT); a Professional Member of the Association of Black Psychologists (ABPSi); a Human Services Board Certified Practitioner (HS-BCP) of the National Organization of Human Services (NOHS) and the Center for Credentialing Education (CCE); and hold a National Association for the Advancement of Psychoanalysis (NAAP): Research, Academic and Mental Health Affiliate Membership. Likewise he completed his post-Graduate, clinical residential training, HFI-Body Centered Psychotherapy at the noted Hartford Family Institute’s (HFI), West Hartford, Connecticut; In-Depth Body Psychotherapy & Subtle Energy Healing Program. That training is centered on the GTF and HFI residential prime institutional affiliation (Partnering Resources in Ministry Education [P.R.I.M.E] program).

PUBLICATIONS

The Journey of the Andu-Sahelian Peoples: The Ndigel: Touba and the Nexus with Diasporian Peoples (2019-2021)

Prologue to the text: Caregiving to Muslims: A Guide forChaplains, Counselors, Healthcare and Social Workers (2017); by Imam Dr. Muhammad Hatimand Published by Create Space Publishing Platform, does further support those scholarlycontributions and conversations.

Yusuf Al Rahman

Yusuf Al Rahman was born in Queens, New York in December 1979. The first decade of his life was spent in the multicultural neighborhood of Jackson Heights, once a hot spot for families to move and raise children, was his introduction to diverse cultures. In 1990 at the age of 10, he went to Senegal West Africa to attend secondary school, spending four years at The Hijrah Project: Hijrah Institute Division, a collaborative educational program that operated under the aegis of the Al-Azhar Institute, in the town of Ndame in Senegal. In 1994, Yusuf came back to the United States to enroll at Robert F. Wagner Jr. Institute for the Arts & Technology in Long Island City, New York focusing on performing arts in the then Options Drama program taught by actress Amy Rosenfeld. 

After graduating in 1998, he attended historic Lincoln University in Pennsylvania. His sojourn at Lincoln follows the footsteps of his father. In 2014, he earned his Master’s degree concentrating on film & television directing, at Sacred Heart University: School of Communications and Media Arts, Stanford, Connecticut.  Since graduation, his projects have amassed eight African Academy Award Nominations from ZAFAA in 2014 and 2016. He volunteers with the non-profit organizations, Peace December, and CMAC Inc.

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