Religion and Spirituality in Psychiatry

Psychotherapy from an Islamic Perspective 315can help them modify their expectations andresult in decreased marital conflict. (17)5.5. Muslim Women and Extended FamilyMost Muslim psychotherapy clients are women(p. 120), (4) and among the most common problemsthey face are those related to interpersonalrelationships with their husbands and the familiesof their husbands. Parents have a high positionin Islam so that Muslims are encouraged notto say even the slightest harsh words to parents,especially their mothers and especially when theyhave become old (Holy Koran 17:23 and 31:14).Furthermore, Muslim women in many familieshave to take care of their own parents as well astheir husband’s parents. Fighting this situationand trying to help the client toward more independencemay result in negative feelings both inthe client and her husband and lead to the terminationof therapy. The therapist instead can firsttry to learn about the family dynamics and thenuse those dynamics to help the client withoutunnecessarily confronting them. For example,Daneshpour (2008) reports a case in which shehelped the client use her mother-in-law as an allyto alter her husband’s behavior. (17)5.6. PolygamyHaving more than one wife is allowed in Islam,but because the polygamous men usually havedifficulty complying with their duties to theirwives, it is restricted in many Islamic countriesand is therefore rare. For example, in Iran andseveral other Muslim countries it is allowed onlyby means of court order that either requires thefirst wife’s consent or her right to divorce. (27)Although this law may be interpreted asoppression against women, Islamic clerics arguethat not allowing legal polygamy may be moreoppressive against women. They say that youngwomen usually outnumber men, because moremen work outside the home (especially in Islamiccountries) and more men die due to accidentsor wars. Thus, allowing polygamy gives widowsand single women more chance to marry legallyand be eligible for support. Second, abandoninglegal polygamy does not prevent men fromhaving multiple sexual partners becausethere are easier but more unsafe ways for this(pp. 363–454). (16)Again, therapists should be aware of their ownpossible negative feelings and not allow thesefeelings to interfere with their effort to professionallyhelp their clients.6. CONCLUSIONGiven the complexity of psychotherapy itself,psychotherapy of a client from another religion orculture will be more difficult and more complex.Naturally, psychotherapeutic skill and experienceplay an important role in success. However,of the many other variables, obtaining sufficientknowledge about the client’s culture and religionseems vital. Although this chapter can helptherapists to better understand and help religiousMuslim clients, it is to be regarded only as a shortintroduction that by no means is complete. Thus,searching for more information from other valuablesources is always recommended.REFERENCES1. Sommers-Flanagan J , Sommers-Flanagan R , eds.Counseling and Psychotherapy Theories in Contextand Practice. New Jersey : John Wiley & Sons;2004 .2. Hers en M , Sle d ge W , e ds . Encyclopedia of Psychotherapy. New York : Academic Press ; 2002 .3. R ig gs T, e d. Worldmark Encyclopedia of ReligiousPractices , Vol 1. New York : Thomson Gale;2006 :349, 350.4. D wair y M. Counseling and Psychotherapy withArabs and Muslims: A Culturally Sensitive Approach .New York : Teachers College Press; 2006 .5. Husain SR. Religion and mental health from themuslim perspective. In: Koenig HG, ed. Handbookof Religion and Mental Health . San Diego:Academic Press; 1998 :289.6. Badri M. Can the psychotherapy of Muslimpatients be of real help to them without beingIslamimized? In: Fadel HE, ed. FIMA yearbook2004 . Jordan : Jordan Society for IslamicMedical Studies; 2005 :61–87. Also available athttp://www.islamic-world.net/psychology/psy.php?ArtID=204 .7. Mehraby N. Psychotherapy with Islamic clientsfacing loss and grief . Psychother Australia .2003 ; 9 (2): 30 –34.