DISASTER MENTAL HEALTH COUNSELLING
(ICDMHC 2026)

We are delighted to announce an International Conference on Disaster Mental Health Counselling (ICDMHC 2026), which will be held from 12^th – 13^th October 2026. Organised by the Faculty of Human Development at Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris (Sultan Idris Education University).

• Disaster Mental Health & Psychosocial Support (DMH & MHPSS)
  Discussions on strengthening MHPSS systems across the disaster lifecycle, evaluating intervention effectiveness, integrating Psychological First Aid (PFA) into national frameworks, enhancing triage and assessment models, and scaling community-based mental health support in crisis settings.
• Community and Ummah-Based Resilience and Recovery in Disaster Context
  Explores Ummah-centred and community-driven resilience, focusing on the role of faith, social cohesion, and religious institutions in fostering psychosocial recovery, as well as indigenous and faith-based frameworks that support collective healing.
• Mental Health in Climate and Humanitarian Emergencies
  Examines the psychological impacts of climate change and humanitarian crises, including climate anxiety, displacement, and prolonged emergencies, while highlighting strategies for building climate-resilient mental health systems.
• Integrative Approaches in Crisis, Trauma, and Grief Counselling: Expressive Arts, Islamic Therapy and Spirituality
  Focuses on integrative counselling approaches combining expressive arts, Art therapy, Islamic therapy and spirituality to support trauma and grief recovery, emphasizing meaning-making, emotional regulation, and holistic healing practices.
• Disaster Mental Health Intervention through Innovation, Digital Tools, Creative Media and AI
  Explores innovative and technology-driven approaches to disaster mental health intervention, integrating digital tools, artificial intelligence, and creative media to enhance accessibility, cultural relevance, and holistic psychosocial support.
• Performance, Memory, and Cultural Sustainability in Times of Crisis, Disaster and Trauma
  Explores how performance, storytelling, and cultural practices contribute to preserving memory, rebuilding identity, and supporting psychosocial recovery, while sustaining cultural heritage in times of crisis and displacement.
• Policy, Ethics and Culture Contexts in Disaster Response
  Addresses ethical practice, culturally responsive approaches, and policy integration in disaster mental health, including governance, multi-agency coordination, and alignment between global frameworks and local contexts.

We invite established scholars, emerging researchers, and practitioners from a wide range of fields, including but not limited to:

• Academics, Researchers & Lecturers — from universities, research institutes, and higher education institutions
• Counsellors & Clinical Psychologists — with expertise in trauma, grief, and crisis intervention
• Healthcare & Public Health Experts — involved in disaster response and mental health services
• Disaster Management Personnel — including first responders, emergency planners, and relief workers
• Policymakers & Government Agencies — engaged in mental health policy, disaster risk reduction, or public welfare
• Religious & Faith-Based Leaders — contributing perspectives on spiritual resilience and community healing
• AI & Digital Innovation Experts — exploring technology-driven solutions in mental health support
• Expressive Therapy Practitioners — in art, music, drama, and creative therapies
• International MHPSS Stakeholders — from NGOs, UN agencies, and global humanitarian organisations
• Graduate & Early-Career Scholars — presenting original research and emerging findings

Submissions may include theoretical papers, empirical research, creative works, and reflective practice. Contributors are encouraged to submit original and high-quality work that fosters critical discourse and advances interdisciplinary understanding.

We look forward to your participation — whether as a presenter or participant — at ICDMHC 2026, and to engaging with the exciting developments in the future of mental health counselling.

Keynote Speakers

Distinguished international speakers sharing their expertise

KEYNOTE 1

Prof. Dato' Sri Dr. Abu Hassan Asaari bin Abdullah

Crisis Management & Community Resilience Expert

MBBS, FRCS (Edinburgh), FAMM, FAMS (Singapore), FASEM, FIMMA (Indonesia). A pioneering figure and the “Father of Modern Emergency Medical & Trauma Services” in Malaysia, Prof. Dato’ Sri Dr Abu Hassan Asaari Abdullah has been instrumental in shaping the nation’s emergency and trauma care system under the Ministry of Health Malaysia. As former Head of Emergency Medical and Trauma Services at Hospital Kuala Lumpur, he led transformative advancements in crisis response, trauma management, and disaster preparedness. With decades of frontline and leadership experience, his work bridges life-saving emergency care and psychological resilience, emphasising integrated approaches across leading medical institutions in Malaysia and Indonesia.

KEYNOTE 2

Dr. Pauline Convocar

President-Elect, Asian Society of Emergency Medicine

Dr. Pauline Convocar is the Immediate Past President of the Philippine College of Emergency Medicine (PCEM). She now leads PCEM's Section on Advocacy in addressing national and global emergency care disparity issues and developing inclusive health systems for the disadvantaged. She is instrumental to the organization of PCEM's Section on Gender Equity and Empowerment to ensure inclusivity and diversity in the field of emergency medicine. She is currently the President-Elect of the Asian Society of Emergency Medicine and the Chair of the Specialty Implementation Committee of the International Federation of Emergency Medicine.

KEYNOTE 3

Dr. Donny Hendrawan

Head of Doctoral Program, Faculty of Psychology, Universitas Indonesia

Dr. Donny Hendrawan is the Head of the Doctoral Program and Head of the Neuropsychology and Human Development Laboratory, Faculty of Psychology, Universitas Indonesia. He completed his Master's and PhD degrees from Nagoya University under the Japanese Government Scholarship. His research focuses on neuropsychology, human development, and psychopathology. He has active research collaboration with Universiti Teknologi Malaysia in the areas of post-disaster mental health.