A descriptive phenomenological study of Muslim clients’ experiences of religion during psychotherapy with Muslim therapists

Abstract: The field of Islamic psychology is a rapidly expanding one. Previous research has covered a broad spectrum including adapting existing therapeutic processes to work with Muslim clients, formulating Islamically oriented theoretical models, validating the efficacy of Islamic based interventions, and standardising assessments for use with Muslim populations. However, there is a scarcity of research derived from the Muslim clients’ perspective. This study attempted to provide practical insight into the experience of Islam in the therapy process between Muslim clients and Muslim therapists through a process of phenomenological enquiry. Three female Muslims who had been in therapy processes with Muslim therapists were interviewed. The interviews were transcribed and analysed to identify shared themes between the narratives. These themes served to reveal the essence of the experience of Islam for Muslim clients in psychotherapy with Muslim therapists. Based on the descriptions from the interviews it is evident that Islam played an integral part in the therapy process for all three participants. The participants’ experience of the therapy process broadly reflected a journey of religious identity formation. The decision to engage in therapy appeared related to confronting a personal religious identity crisis. In order to heal, the participants recount learning about and re-engaging with their religion. As they developed and committed to a new religious identity, the participants described a corresponding decrease in distress and improved psychological well-being. The participants’ Muslim therapists also appeared to play an important role in the experience. By providing a shared religious context they enabled the participants to explore their subjective beliefs and reforge their religious identity without feeling judged or pressured. Additionally, their therapists served as spiritual guides and role models that enabled the participants to incorporate the values and beliefs they desired into their own lives. These findings provide valuable information in understanding how distress arises for some Muslim clients. Furthermore, it suggests areas to explore that could provide practical guidance and techniques to use when working with Muslim clients. Lastly, the richness of the information gained in this study encourages further qualitative research in the field of Islamic psychology.M.A. (Counselling Psychology