There are so many negative beliefs when it comes to a Muslim struggling with his or her mental health and not everyone has access to support. But nowadays people are trying harder to come out of stereotypical thoughts on mental health. Spaces are open to help people in need without any judgements or dehumanising what they have experienced.
Who Is A Muslim Female Therapist?
A female Muslim therapist is someone who is aware of the challenges a Muslim faces. They may have gone through the same challenges themselves, so they would know to guide a person during therapy sessions.
When a Muslim is looking for someone who can keep matters confidential and he/she also doesn’t have to explain the instructions of Islam then a female Muslim therapist is the right choice, she understands how important her client’s faith is and she knows how to consider Islamic principles into therapy.
Usually, a female Muslim therapist serves couples, families or individuals with her counselling techniques and Islamic instructions but they know how to meet the specific needs of Muslims, especially Muslim women. Muslim women are usually made feel guilty and blamed for not meeting the stereotypical expectations, for which they go through severe mental issues and even face barriers to accessing mental health treatment, this is something a female Muslim therapist being a female herself understands and creates a comfortable space for clients to express their thoughts and emotions without any hesitation.
What Does A Female Muslim Therapist Do?
Female Muslim therapist gives an open space to discuss concerns, some common issues are body image, navigating religious identity, and societal pressure. Not only women but Muslim men also confide in female Muslim therapists due to their religious similarities. Not only that they can also discuss cultural expectations, gender roles, how to manage difficult emotions, coming out of past trauma and many more. Some female Muslim therapists are experts in premarital counselling and marital therapy, helping couples to start their married life with guidance that aligns with Islam.
Mental Health And Therapy In Islam
Mental health and therapy are linked with the Islamic guidelines that have emphasised well-being. While the guidelines help with being spiritual and emotional, therapy is an initiative to address the challenges of mental health. In the Quran and Hadiths (sayings and actions of Prophet Muhammad ) seeking support during times of need has been mentioned and therapy has been seen as a beneficial step in the Islamic context. Scholars and professionals understand how important it is to get help from trained therapists during depression, anxiety and trauma, they understand therapy helps us to cope with unsorted feelings and heal from it. And if a therapy is integrated with Islamic values it connects individuals with Allah SWT more deeply. Also, such therapy respects the religion, and its set of beliefs and would not discard any religious instructions. It gets easier to face the challenges of religious values and in Islam, being healthy mentally and physically contributes overall to well-being.
Why Consider Seeing A Female Muslim Therapist?
When one is looking for someone who would understand and respect his/her culture, religion and values, then a female Muslim therapist is the right choice. From one Muslim to another Muslim the Islamic values do not need to be explained and female Muslim therapist understands the issues of men and women, as there is a similarity in religion. Visiting such a therapist someone is relieved that his/her point of view will be understood and valued.
Challenges Faced By A Muslim Female Therapist
A Female Muslim therapist faces multifaceted challenges in their profession. Often they encounter people who discriminate and doubt their ability to provide proper therapy due to their gender. They can face questions within the Muslim community, hindered from speaking about mental health openly. Moreover balancing the personal beliefs of the therapist with professional responsibility can also be a challenge, especially when working with sensitive clients. The therapist has to value the client’s beliefs and also ensure a proper therapeutic process.
Ways To Find A Female Muslim Therapist Nearby
It would be easier to cater to mental health needs if a female Muslim therapist is around the region. Below are some guidelines for finding one without any struggles
Online Directories
Online directories have a database of mostly all the information. All it needs for the users is to input specific keywords for what they are looking for, such as location, specific criteria and anything more. Then the directories present all the options it has relevant to those keywords And it also makes it easier for users to view, compare and go for the right choice. So, to narrow down the search one can use specific keywords like female Muslim therapist and female Muslim counsellor. These directories have detailed profiles of women therapist mentioning their specialities and contact information which makes it easier to reach out to the specific therapist who meets the needs.
Referrals
Referrals are one of the most effective and trusted sources. Taking suggestions from friends and family who understand the cultural and religious concerns and have experienced the therapeutic process and its benefits would be a wise decision. Then they can recommend or refer to a female Muslim therapist. One can easily save time and effort by taking the help of referrals to reach out to a nearby female Muslim therapist who is likely to meet the needs.
Community Organizations
Making use of networking from the community would be very helpful. Members of community organisations may have many Muslim professionals, including a female Muslim therapist. They can suggest someone who specialises in serving therapy aligning with Islamic guidelines. Some community organisations also hold events on topics like mental health so that people can learn and be aware and in such events, they bring therapists to have a discussion session, so if one attends such events he/she can build own network with therapists and understand their specialised area.
Professional Associations
Many associations have published their own directories and also offer referral services that help individuals find a therapist according to their needs. One can see through these directories to find a suitable female Muslim therapist and know all the information on where she practices. Moreover, some associations keep separate directories for religious communities so it would be easier to find the right one.
Social Media
Social media users can find information on female Muslim therapists by just using hashtags. One can join mental health-related groups, and information on many therapists is mentioned there, one can easily suggest a female Muslim therapist on social media and discuss with members of those groups who had positive results. There is an option for direct messaging a therapist if an individual likes anyone and wants to speak with her.
Statistics On Muslim Mental Health Issues
Muslims face a lot of inequalities when it comes to mental health, stigma, discrimination and lack of sensitive services. According to the Woolf Institute, only 2.6% of Muslims have completed their course of mental health treatment in 2021- 2022. Every 1 in 6 children has a common mental issue and it has also been mentioned that compared to other religious groups Muslims have lower recovery rates. Only in the year 2022 Muslim Youth Helpline handled 12,442 cases through modalities like phone calls emails WhatsApp etc, it proves the need for access to therapy within Muslim communities and open discussions need to be held about it. According to Al Jazeera, 32% of young Muslims in the UK suffer from suicidal thoughts at some point in their life, 52% go through depression and 63% struggle with anxiety. But now people are working to break barriers, even a new therapy scheme is applied to Muslim patients which will be sensitive to their religious and cultural beliefs. BBC says earlier many Muslims didn’t take treatment because of the disgrace attached to mental health issues in society but now Muslims are coming forward, and therapists are helping their Muslim clients with therapies and being respectful of their beliefs. Some patients who stopped the religious practise because of depression have started to practise again after therapy sessions. People involved in the treatment are trying their best to spread the help throughout the country.
Author: Kaspia. Shajahan
I am a graduate and throughout my academic journey, I actively participated in institutional clubs. Additionally, I gained experience as an education consultant, which allowed me to develop strong communication and problem-solving abilities. My background showcases a diverse skill set, blending financial acumen with interpersonal and advisory skills.
