The Socialite Arrested For Beheading a Woman Was a ‘Therapist’

The ruthless killing of a woman by wealthy Pakistani-American socialite Zahir Jaffer has lifted the lid on Pakistan’s unregulated mental health centres and services.

Jaffer received treatment and certification from an elite rehab and psychotherapy centre called Therapy Works that has been operating since 2007.

According to news reports and social media claims, Jaffer went on to give counselling sessions through the centre in 2019, which the centre has denied.

A leaked audio recording said to feature the centre’s CEO Tahir Zahoor, mentioned Jaffer’s history of violence and drug abuse. 

In the recording Zahoor states that Jaffer’s mother, formerly listed as an approved counsellor on the centre’s website, called their staff at 6:55 p.m. on the day of the crime. Investigating police told the media that Therapy Works staff arrived at the Jaffer residence between 7:30 to 8 p.m. and found Noor Mukadam’s beheaded body. 

“The girl jumped trying to escape [at] around 4:30 p.m. In trying to escape, she fell from the roof to the ground. Multiple [household staff] were present – they didn’t help her escape from the gate. [Jaffer] came out and took her back in. We weren’t there,” said the voice in the recording. 

Jaffer’s parents and domestic staff have been arrested with charges of abetting the murder and for concealing evidence. Therapy Works’ Islamabad office has also been issued sealing orders by the city government. Police authorities have asked the centre to hand over all their official documents including their certifications and registrations. 

On its website, Therapy Works claimed to be a member of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP). The association however denied this claim after it was brought to their attention. It takes around two years for students enrolled in Therapy Works’ courses to become approved therapists. 

Therapy Works has received a barrage of public criticism for its connection to the Mukadam case. In response to the outcry, the company released a statement saying Jaffer was enrolled in their UK Level 3 and 4 counsellor training courses. It stated that “[Jaffer] did not complete his coursework and his international essays, and accordingly was never given permission to see clients. This is borne out by our list of authorized therapists in which his name has never been included.” 

However, according to an internal document provided by a former employee who preferred to stay anonymous for legal reasons, Jaffer’s name is included in a list of therapists counselling other Therapy Works students. “Unless you have completed Level 4, you cannot start counselling. If his name is included in the list of counsellors, then 150 percent he has completed level 4,” said the source. 

“Their business model is that when a client seeks therapy from them, after a while, when they have started feeling better, they tell them to join their organisation. Most of the people who come there for therapy are desperate for social support. They are in such a vulnerable condition that if you tell them to get involved in anything, they will. Most of their therapists-in-training are former clients,” the source added. 

Social media users have also shared their own personal experiences receiving therapy at the institution, and called out the centre for alleged ethical violations and unprofessional practices.

In light of the allegations, the mental health advocacy group Pakistan Psychiatric Society has demanded the government to clamp down on the growing number of unregulated mental health centres in the country. 

Pakistan does not have an official licensing or regulatory authority for mental health workers in Pakistan. “It is quite easy for anyone to call themselves a counsellor with minimum to no training [in] mental health,” said clinical and counselling psychologist Muhammad Ali Khan.  

Khan said many of his patients have experienced ethical misconduct from their former counsellors. “At least a third of my clients have shared some sort of incident in which I can say there has been some form of therapist boundary violation.” 

Counsellor Sophia-Layla Afsar, who works with gender and sexual minorities, has encountered therapists who lack basic knowledge about their client’s needs. “If I’m paying for a service in which I'm receiving therapy, but I spend 80 percent of the time educating my therapist, that is frankly bizarre, because I am paying someone else to learn when I should be taken care of,” she said. 

According to Afsar, practitioner neglect can often result in devastating consequences to a patient’s well-being, including increased risk of self-harm and reduced quality of life. 

“There was this instance in Lahore where some clinical psychologist outed a client. That was one of the worst pieces of news in terms of access to care, because so many people just said, ‘I'm not going to go to therapy at all ever,’” said Afsar.

In light of Noor Mukadam’s murder, many individuals have started fearing therapy. “I don’t think I can trust any therapist anymore. I don’t think I will ever go to a therapist in Pakistan ever again,” said Islamabad resident Kashaf Rehman. 

Lack of government regulation and increased distrust in mental health services have prompted citizens and practitioners to share information across social media on how to vet therapists. 

An Instagram post by mental health start-up Sukoon highlights the importance of the qualifications of mental health practitioners. It also recommends the creation of a national registry of therapists and counsellors that is accessible to the public.

Follow Rimal Farrukh on Twitter.