An Islamic Modification of the Person-Centered Counseling

342 Pages·2012·2.31 MB·English

by  Alwaleed Alkhaja

An Islamic Modification of the Person-Centered
Counseling Approach

Aisha Salman Al-Thani
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An Islamic Modification of the Person-Centered
Counseling Approach
by Aisha Salman Al-Thani

Published by QScience.com
Tornado Tower, PO Box 5825, Doha, Qatar

Copyright © 2012 Aisha Salman Al-Thani
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First published: November 2012

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Person-Centred Counselling in the State of Qatar
324 p 10x8 cm
ISBN: 978-99921-95-31-4

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An Islamic Modification of the Person-Centered
Counseling Approach

Aisha Salman Al-Thani

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Dedication

I dedicate this thesis to my family, from whom I have been
separated for a long time. Without their enduring support and love
I would have struggled to finish this book.
To the souls of my parents
Who made me believe and taught me that true love and hard work
last a life time and beyond, and whom I wish could be here today.
To my brother, Sheikh Meeshal
My heart beat.
The person I treasure most, who supports me every step of the way
and who has never stopped giving of himself to me, from when I
was working on my MA in Counseling, through my PhD, until I
finished this book.
To my sister, Sheikha Fatma
Who helped me to reach my dream with her love, friendship and
endless support.
To all my brothers and sisters,
Who have supported and believed in me, may Allah bless them all.

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Preface

It is important to mention my own academic and professional
experience, which gave me the impetus to increase public
awareness of counseling in general and the Person-Centered
Approach (PCA) in particular. I obtained my Diploma in Counseling
and Psychology in 1994-1995 from Qatar University (QU) and the
Advanced Certificate in Counseling Skills, MA and PhD in
Counseling Studies from the University of Durham in the UK in
2002 and 2010, respectively. I believe that studying abroad has
helped me gain a better understanding of the importance of
counseling as a tool for helping and supporting people
experiencing life difficulties. I also learned to work as a person-
centered counselor. Because of my background as a Muslim, I
became interested in applying both person-centered and Islamic
principles in counseling.
In my work it became clear that a different approach was required
to help some of the clients, who wanted to be listened to and
understood rather than advised or guided directly. I was always
keen to apply the core conditions of PCA in my work as well as
focus on building a healthy relationship with my clients. It was not
easy to work non-directively in Qatar; however, my strong belief in
the potential of this method helped me encourage clients to take
part and learn to be more independent as opposed to depending on
the counselor. When working with each client I often asked myself
whether I would be able to apply a non-directive method in a
society such as that of Qatar, where religion and culture play an
important role in the individual’s life. I believe that this study has
answered all of my doubts and fears about applying the PCA in
Qatar. The study of person-centered therapy has also met my
personal needs: for example it has helped me be more aware of
myself and listen to and accept myself as I am. I feel that
counseling clients deserve the same opportunity that I have had. I
considered this study a journey that aided in developing myself as a
Muslim person-centered counselor, a researcher and as an
individual.
Dr. Aisha Al-Thani March 2011
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