The Ahmadiyya Muslim Medical Association of Canada held a webinar on childhood mental health, bringing together psychologists, educators and community leaders to address anxiety, resilience and emotional regulation in young people.
“It is very easy to scare a child …”
The event, presented in collaboration with the Association of Ahmadi Muslim Educators, featured Dr Safeer Khan, psychologist Dania Saeed, Montessori teacher Sadia Iqbal and life coach Maqbool Sheikh.
Dr Khan warned that children absorb stress from their environment, often developing anxiety symptoms that go unnoticed. “It is very easy to scare a child,” he said. “Unfortunately, in many families, there is a method to maintain discipline that we do not realize affects them.”
Dania Saeed emphasized that parents must develop their own emotional regulation skills before expecting the same of their children. “No matter what we tell our children, our actions will always speak louder,” she said, citing guidance from Hazrat Khalifatul Masih V (aba) on the importance of setting righteous examples.
Sadia Iqbal offered practical strategies for building resilience in young children, including promoting independence through age-appropriate tasks, allowing children to experience failure and learn from it, and establishing predictable routines.
The webinar also introduced AMJ Student Services, a platform offering free mental health counselling, career guidance and mentorship to Ahmadi Muslim students across Canada. The services are provided by licensed professionals who share the cultural and faith-based understanding of the community.
Note: This report is part of the webinar series introduced by AMMAC in December 2025
