Therapy and Coaching
Therapy, or psychotherapy, is a healing process. Coaching is also a healing process.
So what’s the difference exactly? Well there’s a big overlap.
Therapy is a talking treatment for many different mental health difficulties such as anxiety, depression and low self-esteem. Coaching is more about mindset work and achieving your full potential professionally and spiritually. Coaching is not a replacement for therapy.
As part of your assessment, we will work together to figure out which one is the best approach for you. All of the approaches I use are through the lens or perspective of Islamic therapy, but the tools of that therapy may vary depending on the most beneficial approach for you as an individual.
I have worked with people experiencing wide range of issues such as worry, low mood, high levels of self-criticism and with neurodiverse clients too. I use a variety of different evidence based approaches which are explained in brief below.
Islamic Therapy
A spiritual approach to your well being
Islamic Therapy aims to help you with your mental health or life experiences and so remove the barriers within your heart to connect with Allah subhana wa'tala on a deeper level. Islamic Therapy works at the levels of aql (intellect) and hawwa nafs (animal drives). By having balance between our aql and nafs, as well as our physical bodies, our Qalb (spiritual heart) can open to receive from Allah subhana wa'tala.
The aim of Islamic Therapy isn't to simply "be happy" in this dunya, it's to strive towards Jannah insha'Allah, by changing our perception of situations and our problems.
"Strange is the affair of the believer..."
Cognitive Behaviour Therapy
A thinking and behaviour approach with a present focus
Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT) works with how you experience situations, how this makes you feel and how it impacts your behaviour. When our focus is on negative thoughts within the 'aql it prevents us from effectively reigning in our nafs.
CBT is an evidence based therapy which is proven to help treat many problems, such as anxiety, depression, obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) and more. In CBT we work together collaboratively to challenge thoughts or behaviours that are a barrier to your goals.
Compassion Focused Therapy
An approach developed for high levels of self-criticism and shame
Compassion Focused Therapy (CFT) is an evidenced based psychological approach using neuroscience, attachment theory and compassionate practices. It aims to reduce self-criticism and shame, and increase your self compassion.
There are many experiences we can have that become barriers to our own self-compassion. Those experiences do not define us and we do not have to live as if they do. CFT, from an Islamic perspective, aims to help us reconnect with the Mercy of Allah subhana wa'tala
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy
A behaviour approach to living according to what's important to you
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) is an evidence based behavioural approach that looks at how you can live your life according to your values.
Many of our values are innate (from our fitra) and some are learnt. In ACT we work together to identify those values, bring awareness to our ever day and nurture your well being.