British Muslims are underrepresented in UK secular psychological well being providers, in comparison with different spiritual teams (NHS Digital, 2020; Workplace for Nationwide Statistics, 2022), are much less prone to search skilled assist (Hamid & Furnham, 2013), and will expertise poorer remedy outcomes than people from different spiritual backgrounds (Baker & Kirk-Wade, 2024; Mir et al., 2019). Many are involved that therapists could method faith insensitively (Mayers et al., 2007), highlighting the necessity to enhance accessibility of psychological well being providers for spiritual purchasers (Ayub & Macaulay, 2023).
Proposed methods embody therapist–shopper religiosity matching and therapist respect for spiritual beliefs (Mayers et al., 2007, cited in Publish & Wade, 2009), although sensible steering stays unclear. This research explored British Muslims’ preconceptions of remedy with non-Muslim therapists to determine anticipated limitations and facilitators to engagement (Hassan et al, 2025).
What are British Muslims’ perceived limitations and facilitators to partaking in remedy with non-Muslim therapists?
Strategies
A qualitative on-line questionnaire research was performed, recruiting British Muslims (aged 18+ with no prior expertise of receiving or delivering remedy) through Twitter, LinkedIn, and WhatsApp (June–August 2022). After on-line consent, members considered a CBT vignette and a therapist video discussing the significance of acknowledging both common shopper values or faith in remedy (Hassan et al., 2024). Individuals then offered a written response to a immediate, which requested about their views on remedy with a non-Muslim therapist.
Reflexive thematic evaluation was performed following Braun and Clarke (2006, 2019) and Robinson’s (2022) method to organising massive qualitative datasets in Excel. Responses had been iteratively coded to determine recurring themes and contradictory views. Information from each experimental situations had been mixed as a result of substantial thematic overlap. Reflexive discussions had been used to look at researcher positionality and potential biases, together with these of the lead researcher, a British-Pakistani Muslim girl.
Outcomes
Of 136 responses, 56 had been excluded for not answering the query, leaving 80 for evaluation. Most members had been feminine, Sunni, aged 18–50, and Asian or Asian British. Smaller numbers recognized as African/Black British, Arab or Arab-mixed heritage, White British, or Different.
Themes
1. Perception variations as a barrier
Some members felt basic perception variations would hinder therapeutic connection and depth of assist. One famous a Muslim therapist has:
a greater understanding of my place as we’re located inside the similar framework.
Others felt non-Muslim therapists might handle solely surface-level points:
a non-Muslim therapist may assist me repair the issue on the floor degree however I’m not assured they’ll be capable to get to the foundation of the issue.
Some described spiritual coping as options to remedy, together with…
belief in Allah, salah, dua, robust household and group ties.
2. Concern of judgement
Individuals expressed concern they may not really feel understood or revered in remedy…
Non-Muslim folks have a tendency to only not perceive what it actually means to be spiritual… patronising attitudes.
I might be fearful {that a} non-Muslim therapist can be judgemental about my religion.
…Issues of systemic surveillance…
fear about being referred to Stop… this might have an effect on my capability to securely entry remedy.
And of battle about beliefs…
I might be fearful {that a} non-Muslim therapist can be judgemental about my religion, I’m a really conservative Muslim and imagine that sharia [Islamic law] must be adhered to strictly.
3. Most felt remedy could possibly be efficient with respectful, knowledgeable therapists
Most members famous remedy could possibly be efficient if therapists had been acknowledging and respectful in direction of particular person’s beliefs. Associated to this, an “Islamic utility” of CBT was prompt, maybe indicating that people felt that CBT must be sympathetic and complimentary to perception techniques. Some additionally felt therapists ought to have some type of non secular understanding, or perceive Muslim religion and tradition. Different valued traits included gender matching {and professional} competence, with a minority prioritising therapist ability over religiosity and a few noting differing views may even be helpful, offered remedy was sympathetic to their values: “getting a diverse viewpoint is useful’’.
Amongst 80 Muslim respondents, perception variations and fears of judgment hindered the work with non-Muslim therapists, although respect and cultural competence rendered remedy efficient.
Conclusions
This research identifies perceived limitations to remedy engagement amongst British Muslims, together with perception variations, worry of judgement, and systemic mistrust. Individuals indicated remedy could possibly be acceptable if clinicians demonstrated respect for Islamic beliefs and cultural and non secular data and understanding. Some prompt adapting CBT to align with spiritual values, though particular diversifications had been unclear.
Nevertheless, participant views on this research mirror preconceptions moderately than remedy experiences, and you will need to understand that precise challenges with non-Muslim therapists could differ to these anticipated. Findings additionally spotlight that Muslim communities could really feel fairly unsure in direction of remedy previous to remedy, and may benefit from initiatives to advertise remedy and psychological well being providers locally.
For non-Muslim therapists there could also be a must construct belief in remedy and develop religiously affirming practices in medical care.
Strengths and limitations
This research presents perception into British Muslims’ anticipatory fears and expectations of remedy with non-Muslim clinicians, highlighting the significance of therapist cultural and non secular sensitivity. Nevertheless, arguably, past therapist coaching round spiritual and cultural competency, it contributes little to medical apply, as respect and acceptance for spiritual variations are already core therapeutic values.
Counting on a single open-ended query additionally limits understanding of why members held specific preconceptions and investigation of what a religiously affirming CBT may contain, proscribing implications for apply.
Inspecting preconceptions moderately than lived experiences makes findings extra informative about limitations to help-seeking than remedy challenges. This limits the implications for therapist coaching past trust-building and cultural and non secular competence for Muslim purchasers, as a result of members’ restricted remedy expertise meant they may supply little perception into what improves consolation throughout remedy. On this manner, findings could also be extra reflective of broader group attitudes, highlighting a necessity for proactive promotion of remedy/psychological well being providers inside Muslim communities.
Choice bias can also be possible on this research, as older adults had been underrepresented and members had been recruited through social media. This will likely restrict the extent to which findings relate to the broader Muslim group, and their general usefulness in informing spiritual and cultural diversifications to remedy.
Inside this context, members talked about fears of being referred to ‘Stop’ (CONTEST counter-terrorism technique). In consideration of the current literature on the affect of ‘Stop’ among the many British Muslim group, the event of a surveillance tradition and the racialisation of Islam (Bruchhaus & Abbas, 2022; Zempi & Tripli, 2022), it will have had added worth to meaningfully assess this in relation to psychological remedy entry and collaboration with non-Muslim clinicians (Younis et al., 2019).
Individuals’ reported worries of Stop referrals spotlight the function of surveillance stigma in remedy limitations, warranting future analysis on countering it to reinforce entry.
Implications for apply
This research means that enhancing therapist cultural and non secular competence, moderately than matching purchasers and therapists by religion, could also be a possible option to enhance engagement with remedy providers. It additionally highlights that demonstrating spiritual and cultural competence might assist to construct belief, and suggests a necessity to advertise therapy-acceptance and handle damaging preconceptions in direction of remedy inside Muslim communities.
Because the research examined solely preconceptions, future analysis ought to discover whether or not British Muslims with remedy expertise report the identical limitations and facilitators, to see how anticipated challenges manifest in apply.
Findings might make clear what constitutes actually affirmative remedy, guiding therapist coaching to strengthen shopper–therapist relationships, adapt CBT for cultural and non secular sensitivity, and navigate conditions the place medical recommendation could battle with spiritual beliefs.
Analysis might additionally look at community-based methods to enhance remedy acceptance and accessibility—for instance, evaluating the affect of posters, web sites, and leaflets—and discover why some Muslims really feel much less in want of remedy as a result of spiritual or group assets/faith, which can supply insights for non-Muslim people looking for options to formal psychological well being assist.
Extra analysis is required to outline religiously affirming remedy and handle damaging attitudes that will impede help-seeking.
Assertion of pursuits
Ellie Davis – No battle of pursuits.
Edited by
Dr Dafni Katsampa.
Hyperlinks
Main paper
Hassan H, Lack S, Salkovskis PM, Thew GR (2025). British Muslims’ perceptions of remedy with non-Muslim therapists: A qualitative evaluation of survey responses. Psychol Psychother. 2025 Nov 14. doi: 10.1111/papt.70023.
Different references
Ayub, R., & Macaulay, P. J. (2023). Perceptions from the British Pakistani Muslim group in direction of psychological well being. Psychological Well being, Faith and Tradition, 26, 1–16.
Baker, C., & Kirk‐Wade, E. (2024). Psychological well being statistics: prevalence, providers and funding in England.
Braun, V., & Clarke, V. (2006). Utilizing thematic evaluation in psychology. Qualitative Analysis in Psychology, 3(2), 77–101.
Braun, V., & Clarke, V. (2019). Reflecting on reflexive thematic evaluation. Qualitative Analysis in Sport, Train and Well being, 11(4), 589–597.
Bruchhaus, J., & Abbas, T. (2025). The suspect citizen: Institutional Islamophobia, stop, and the British Muslim expertise. The British Journal of Politics and Worldwide Relations, 0(0).
Digital, N. H. S. (2020). Psychological therapies, annual report on using IAPT providers 2019‐20 ‐ NHS Digital.
Hamid, A., & Furnham, A. (2013). Elements affecting perspective in direction of looking for skilled assist for psychological sickness: A UK Arab perspective. Psychological Well being, Faith and Tradition, 16(7), 741–758.
Hassan, H., Lack, S., Salkovskis, P. M., & Thew, G. R. (2024). Acknowledging faith in cognitive behavioural remedy: The impact on alliance, remedy expectations and credibility in a video‐vignette research. British Journal of Scientific Psychology, 63(3), 347–361.
Mayers, C., Leavey, G., Vallianatou, C., & Barker, C. (2007). How purchasers with spiritual or non secular beliefs expertise psychological assist‐looking for and remedy: A qualitative research. Scientific Psychology & Psychotherapy, 14(4), 317–327.
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Publish, B. C., & Wade, N. G. (2009). Faith and spirituality in psychotherapy: A apply‐pleasant evaluation of analysis. Journal of Scientific Psychology, 65(2), 131–146.
Robinson, O. C. (2022). Conducting thematic evaluation on transient texts: The structured tabular method. Qualitative Psychology, 9(2), 194–208.
Zempi, I., & Tripli, A. (2022). Listening to Muslim College students’ Voices on the Stop Obligation in British Universities: A Qualitative Research. Training, Citizenship and Social Justice, 18(2), 230-245.
Younis T, Jadhav S. Preserving Our Mouths Shut: The Concern and Racialized Self-Censorship of British Healthcare Professionals in PREVENT Coaching. Cult Med Psychiatry. 2019 Sep;43(3):404-424. doi: 10.1007/s11013-019-09629-6.
