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Should a Muslim consult a non-Muslim therapist?

9/24/2012

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“Aren’t they going to make me leave my faith?”

This is often the first thing I hear when Muslims are advised to seek psychological counseling or therapy. Let me begin by highlighting the ridiculousness of this notion. A psychologist has as much influence on your belief as the next guy, which is basically nothing unless you’re the type of person who’s willing to change your existential framework according to the next Joe Blow you meet on the street. Keyword here is ‘willing,’ as in, you must already want to change your religion one way or another; if not, you’ll seek anybody’s advice to change your religion, or disobey Allah, coming from a mile away. Yes indeed, contrary to popular belief, therapists don’t have any magical tools to infiltrate your mind and incept the non-existence of God; unlike Leonardo DiCaprio, psychologists can barely make it past the first layer of the dream sequence without getting shot.

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Can we deal with psychological issues by ourselves?

9/16/2012

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This question is logically followed by two others: what is our capacity to self-healing, and what is it contingent upon?  The majority of us assume we can resolve most minor injuries on our own, and rightfully so; we’ve learned to wrap up sprained ankles and relax when we have a headache. However, there are clearly instances in our lives when this isn’t a viable option, either because the suffering is sufficiently unbearable that we can’t focus on the remedy, or because we lack the necessary tools to effectively manage the situation. Naturally, such circumstances demand that hospitals, friends and mommies are never too far out of reach to make the boo-boo go away. So clearly, our capacity to self-healing depends on the gravity of the problem. Please bear in mind that your capacity to endure the pain is irrelevant when you’re hurt, for even a minor cut necessitates a bandage.

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Can a religious issue in reality be masking a psychological issue?

9/10/2012

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Psychological issues are sometimes confounded with religious ones, making it difficult to get to the bottom of some people’s concerns. But how exactly can the psychological and the spiritual be indistinguishable? Aren’t they clearly distinct components? Unfortunately, I don’t believe the answer is so simple, and this article will avoid tackling the monumental task of mapping their relationship. Instead, it is sufficient to say for now that the soul, mind and body are deeply interconnected; as one component’s pain sometimes affect the other two, one could rationally preclude an individual can falsely interpret the pain of one component to belong to another. Let me provide an example as to avoid senseless philosophizing. Imagine, if you will, a young adult who’s been controlled all his life by his parents; an unfortunate circumstance that many can relate with. This person was never given the opportunity to exercise his own free will lest he experiences the full wrath of his parents or, at the very least, troubling guilt trips. Of course, just because someone is controlled doesn’t negate our need to express our agency. Enter rebellion. But what do we rebel against if we’ve been controlled to be Muslim?

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