Psychosocial counseling consultant -Association Intersection Retour vers les opportunités

Title: Psychosocial counseling consultant 

Project: SPACE – Support and protection to activists and civil society efforts 

Background 

The SPACE project, implemented by Hivos, Al Khatt, and the Intersection Association for Rights and Freedoms (IARF), seeks to support and protect civil society organizations (CSOs), human rights defenders (HRDs), and media actors in Tunisia. The project strengthens their rights to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly, while offering services, skills, and networks to enhance their safety and resilience. 

As part of its mandate, IARF will lead on providing psychosocial support, recognizing the emotional and mental strain activists face due to harassment, surveillance, intimidation, and burnout. The wave of attacks that civil society organizations have faced proved that psychosocial well-being is central to sustaining civic action and ensuring the safety and effectiveness of those defending human rights. 

Objective of the assignment 

The Psychosocial Counseling Consultant will provide: 

– Individual psychosocial counseling sessions for HRDs, CSOs, and media actors in need. 

– Facilitation of peer support groups where participants can share experiences and coping strategies. 

– Delivery of resilience workshops aimed at enhancing emotional well-being, positive adaptation, and crisis preparedness. 

The goal is to enable at least 60 beneficiaries to access psychosocial support that fosters resilience, coping skills, and emotional balance in the challenging context in which they operate.

Scope of work 

The Consultant will: 

1. Conduct an initial needs assessment of psychosocial challenges among SPACE beneficiaries 
2. Provide confidential, evidence-based counseling sessions tailored to the needs of HRDs, CSOs, and media actors 
3. Facilitate peer support groups that encourage collective learning, solidarity, and peer-to-peer support 
4. Design and deliver resilience workshops that include practical tools on stress management, trauma awareness, coping mechanisms, and crisis preparedness 
5. Establish referral mechanisms for beneficiaries requiring specialized or long-term psychological support 
6. Document progress while ensuring strict confidentiality and ethical standards in all activities 
7. Report to IARF project management on achievements, challenges, and recommendations 

Deliverables 

– Needs assessment brief on psychosocial support requirements – At least 30 number of individual counseling sessions provided – Facilitation of peer support groups reaching a minimum of 60 participants – At least 2 resilience workshops conducted. 

– Referral database of local psychosocial/mental health resources. – Final report summarizing activities, lessons learned, and recommendations.

Required qualifications and experience 

– Advanced degree in psychology, counseling, social work, or related field – Minimum 5 years’ experience providing psychosocial support in sensitive contexts 

– Demonstrated experience working with human rights defenders, journalists, activists, or civil society organizations 

– Strong facilitation skills for group sessions and workshops 

– Familiarity with evidence-based, trauma-informed, and resilience-building approaches 

– Fluency in Arabic and English 

– Proven commitment to confidentiality, ethics, and survivor-centered approaches 

Application process 

Interested applicants should submit: 

– A detailed CV 

– A technical proposal outlining approach and methodology 

– A financial proposal (daily or monthly rate) 

– At least one professional reference or sample of relevant work Applications must be sent by the 8th of September 2025 to hr@intersection.uno Subject line: “Application – Psychosocial counseling consultant – SPACE Project”