Product Description
The long shadow of September 11 has awakened a widespread desire to understand more about Arab and Islamic cultures. As an Arab who learned Western psychology, Marwan Dwairy has first-hand experience with the dilemmas involved in adapting Western psychotherapy to the needs of Arab and Muslim clients. Drawing from his 25 years of clinical and educational experience, this original volume will help to deepen knowledge and avoid stereotyping among counselors, therapists, social workers, and other mental health professionals.
Book features:
* A presentation of Arab and Muslim history, peoples, and cultures, including the education and socialization of their children.
* Systematic revision of the approaches involved in child development, personality, psychodiagnosis, psychopathology, and psychotherapy, with direction for when and how to apply each intervention approach.
* Innovative techniques and models of diagnosis and intervention specifically designed for Arab and Muslim clients, such as using the physical environment as a diagnostic and therapeutic tool and using metaphoric and indirect intervention methods.
* Two chapters contributed by Khawla Abu-Baker, the first Ph.D. family therapist among Palestinians in Israel, that address Arab families in the United States and family therapy with Arab and Muslim women.
Counseling And Psychotherapy With Arabs And Muslims: A Culturally Sensitive Approach
Although the foreword opined: “Deals directly with the consequences of simplistic stereotyping of Arabic and Muslim people following the 9/11 events and the threat of terrorism” — this book does not address the issue as to why a group of Saudi Muslims hijacked several airplanes and flew them into various U.S. buildings. Dwairy is an Arab who grew up in Nazareth, Israel, and, based on his website info, has several psychology degrees, and counsels Jewish, Christian and Arab/Muslim clients. This is a very interesting and informative book, the author cites many psychological studies pertaining to psychological `problems’ of Arab Muslims. In his analysis he cites several “feel good” phrases from the Quran for his Muslim patients, but he avoids the “Darth Vader” aspects of the Koran. The author makes no attempt in trying to explain the mentality of Islamic suicide bombers. Unfortunately, the author doesn’t try to explain the Arab/ Muslim `mentality’ as to what makes them `tick.’ For this one needs to read “Culture Clash” by Mark Gabriel, “The Politically Incorrect Guide to Islam” by Robert Spencer, or “Woman in the Muslim Unconscious” by Fatna Sabbah. The author noted only a handful of the `stress’ problems of his Arab clients; it would have been very helpful had the author presented many more case studies as to why many Arabs have an inferiority complex in relation to the Western world.
Rating: 5 / 5