The first step is smaller than it looks.
Iraqi therapists and psychiatrists, by chat, voice or video, in Arabic, Kurdish or English. Leave your email or number and we'll tell you when we open.
No real name · Pay per session in dinars
Four things we never do.
Everything else can change. These can't.
We never ask for your ID
Use any name you like. Your therapist never sees your email or phone number, and nothing is shared with family, employers or insurers.
We never skip the vetting
A recognised degree, two years of practice, a clinical interview, and any licence checked at the source.
We never choose your therapist for you
You do. Every profile lists the languages they work in, so you can pick someone you'll understand. We're starting small, so the choice will grow.
We never sell packages or subscriptions
Pay one session at a time, in dinars, with no foreign card needed. The price is on the profile before you book.
How it will work
Four steps. That's it.
A preview of the app we're building. Names and times are made up.
Therapists who speak your language
Filter by languagePick someone who fits.
Specialism, languages, qualifications and price on every profile. Nothing reaches a therapist until you book, and switching is free.
Book a real opening.
Their real calendar, evenings and weekends included. Pay for that one session in dinars, and nothing renews.
Talk however suits you.
Chat, voice or video, your choice each time. Encrypted and never recorded.
Something to hold onto after.
Message your therapist when something comes up, so it doesn't have to wait a week.
Two kinds of help
Therapy or psychiatry?
Not sure which you need? A few questions at the start help you choose.
Helps you handle what you're going through.
Regular sessions with a qualified therapist, for anxiety, low mood, trauma, grief, family strain, or something you can't name yet.
Chat, voice or video
Messaging between sessions
No diagnosis needed to start
Medical care, when talking isn't enough.
Assessment and medication advice from a qualified psychiatrist.
Assessment and diagnosis, explained plainly
Medication advice, and follow-up on how it's working
Move between therapy and psychiatry any time
Couples therapy too, through the same questions.
Does this actually work?
On average, results comparable to in-person care.
Over two decades of randomised trials, mostly in North America, Europe and Australia. Evidence from Iraq and the Arab world is still limited.
Read the studies →Five reviews and meta-analyses, 2016–2026
- Batastini et al. (2021) — Are videoconferenced mental and behavioral health services just as good as in-person? A meta-analysis. Clinical Psychology Review.
- Shaker et al. (2023) — Psychiatric treatment via telemedicine vs. in person in PTSD, mood and anxiety disorders: a systematic review and meta-analysis. JMIR Mental Health.
- Seuling et al. (2023) — Therapeutic alliance in videoconferencing psychotherapy compared to psychotherapy in person: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Journal of Telemedicine and Telecare.
- Hubley et al. (2016) — Review of key telepsychiatry outcomes. World Journal of Psychiatry.
- Meyer-Keirath et al. (2026) — Comparing video-based and face-to-face psychotherapy: a systematic review and multilevel meta-analysis. Journal of Medical Internet Research.
Why we're building this
In Iraq, only 1 in 10 people with a mental disorder were treated in the past year.
That's from Iraq's national survey, 2006–07. Not for lack of wanting help: care is far away, someone might see you asking, and there are few to ask.
psychiatrists per 100,000 people
WHO Mental Health Atlas 2024
psychiatric hospitals for 45 million people
WHO Mental Health Atlas 2024
of Baghdad women surveyed in 2020 had war-related trauma
Lafta & Merza, 2021
of displaced Iraqis studied since 2014 had PTSD
Ahmed et al., 2024
Read the sources →Nine figures, all sourced
- 01About 1 in 7 adults (13.6%) had a mental disorder in the past 12 months — Alhasnawi et al., World Psychiatry (2009): Iraq Mental Health Survey, 2006–07
- 02Only 10.8% of people with a disorder were treated in the past year — Alhasnawi et al., World Psychiatry (2009): Iraq Mental Health Survey, 2006–07
- 03Only 23.7% of serious cases were treated in the past year — Alhasnawi et al., World Psychiatry (2009): Iraq Mental Health Survey, 2006–07
- 04Over 70% of Baghdad residents surveyed would not marry someone with a mental illness — Sadik et al., International Journal of Mental Health Systems (2010): Baghdad household survey
- 0555% of those surveyed would feel ashamed if a family member were diagnosed with a mental illness — Sadik et al., International Journal of Mental Health Systems (2010): Baghdad household survey
- 060.3 psychiatrists per 100,000 people — WHO Mental Health Atlas 2024: Iraq country profile
- 075 psychiatric hospitals, and 24 psychiatric units in general hospitals, for 45 million people — WHO Mental Health Atlas 2024: Iraq country profile
- 0891% of 1,000 women surveyed in Baghdad in 2020 had experienced war-related trauma since 2003 — Lafta & Merza, Medicine, Conflict and Survival (2021)
- 0961.9% of displaced Iraqis had PTSD, pooled across 18 studies since the 2014 ISIS invasion — Ahmed et al., Medicine, Conflict and Survival (2024)
What people ask first.
Is this actually private?
Sessions are encrypted and never recorded, and messages are stored encrypted. We never sell your data or tell anyone you're here — not family, employers or insurers.
What does it cost?
Each clinician sets their own rate in dinars, shown before you book. You pay per session, and nothing renews.
What if I cancel?
How much comes back depends on how much notice you give, less the payment provider's cut; cancel late and part of it goes to the clinician. You'll see the exact cut-off before you pay.
Does it work outside Iraq?
Yes, anywhere with a stable connection. Prices are in dinars, and international cards work too.
What if I need help right now?
Wejdaan isn't an emergency service. If you or someone you know is in immediate danger, call 122 for an ambulance or 104 for the police in Iraq, contact local emergency services elsewhere, or go to the nearest hospital.
Who is behind Wejdaan?
A team of young Iraqis, making it simple and private to see a qualified clinician in your own language.
Something else on your mind? Ask us →
Not open yet. Two ways in.
We're bringing clinicians on first, then opening to everyone. Nothing here commits you to anything.
Looking for help?
Join the waiting list
One message when we open, nothing else. No real name needed.
Therapists & psychiatrists
Applications are open
Apply now. We check any licence at the source, then invite you to a short clinical interview.