Conceptual and Pragmatic Considerations in the Use of Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy with Muslim Clients

Islam is one of the leading religions of the world. Its adherents, who number approximately one billion, are present in all parts of the world and can be found in all ethnic and racial categories. Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) is one of the most prominent and empirically-supported of all psychological treatments. In light of such facts, a discussion of the relationship between the philosophical underpinnings of CBT and the Islamic worldview is in order. In this paper, some of the philosophical and theoretical tenets of both Islam and CBT are first discussed. Secondly, and as to heighten clinical awareness, several points of concordance and dissonance between these systems are discussed and highlighted through an illustrative case study. Finally, the authors conclude by offering a number of suggestions for future research.