Moving forward, learning from both Western and Islamic Frameworks

In this step, Dr Abdallah Rothman, responds to the question: “how does your conceptualisation of Islamic Psychology sit alongside mainstream or Western conceptualisations of mental health?”

Dr Rothman describes Islamic Psychology as a “bottom-up” and indigenous approach that is distinct from the Western conceptualisation of mental health. However, there are lots of useful tools from secular, or Western, conceptualisations of psychology and mental health that can be incorporated into an Islamically-indigenous approach like Islamic Psychology.

Dr Rothman suggests that the two approaches both have elements of useful knowledge and practice that can be shared. In particular, the secular academy should look to Islam as a wisdom tradition that has a lot to offer to understand the human being and the human condition.

Over to you

Tell us which practice perspective you come from – Islamic, Western (mainstream), or both? Think of one piece of good practice from the ‘other’ perspective that has been, or might be, useful to you.

For example, if you are a religious practitioner, think of one aspect of Western or mainstream mental health practice that might be helpful to you when providing support?

And vice versa, if you are a mainstream practitioner, is there anything you have learnt about Islamic conceptualisations of mental health that might influence your practice when providing support for Muslim mental health?