Family Therapy with Muslims is the first guide for mental health professionals who work with Muslims in the family therapy setting. The book opens with a section defining the similarities across Muslim cultures, the effects of postcolonialism on Muslims, and typical Muslim family dynamics. The author then devotes a chapter to different models of family therapy and how they can specifically be applied to working with Muslim families. Case studies throughout the book involve families of many different backgrounds living in the West—including both immigrant and second generation families—that will give professionals concrete tools to work with clients of their own.
Acknowledgments A Few Words about Me Introduction Part I: Muslim Spiritual, Social, Family, and Political History 1. Muslim Belief Defined 2. Muslim Countries Defined 3. The Impact of Colonialism Defined 4. Gender and Power Defined Part II: Family Therapy Theories 5. Family Therapy Assessment Defined 6. Structural Family Therapy Defined 7. Bowenian Family Therapy Defined 8. Experiential Family Therapy Defined 9. Narrative Family Therapy Defined 10. Contextual Family Therapy Defined 11. Feminist Family Therapy Defined 10. Postmodern Family Therapy Defined Conclusion
Biography
Manijeh Daneshpour, PhD, LMFT, is a professor in the department of couple and family therapy at Alliant International University in Irvine, California, and a licensed marriage and family therapist with 20 years of academic and clinical experience. Dr. Daneshpour’s main areas of research, publications, and presentations have been centered on issues of multiculturalism, social justice, third wave feminism, premarital and marital relationships, and Muslim family dynamics. She has studied Muslim families not as a religious group, but as individuals, members of family units, and a distinct group within their own societal context.
"Rarely are professional books page-turners, but I could not put this down. Manijeh Daneshpour provides new information for students as well as veteran family therapists. With nuance, she focuses on differences without absolutes, helping us to build trust with families with more collectivist (less individualistic) cultural values. Indeed as an ambassador between Western and Eastern therapy mindsets, she helps us stay relevant amidst community change."—Pauline Boss, PhD, professor emeritus, University of Minnesota; author, Ambiguous loss (1999) and Loss, Trauma and Resilience: Therapeutic Work with Ambiguous Loss (2011)
"This book is rich with information about how to provide family counseling services to Muslim clients using contemporary family counseling theories. The author’s gentle and persuasive arguments in discussing cultural context will help clinicians reflect on their own self as well as serving as recommendations to conduct family therapy. Case examples and issues unique to Muslim family clients are used to illustrate how each family counseling theory/technique is being carried out."—Zaidy MohdZain, PhD, dean and professor, Southern Arkansas University
"The author provides clinicians with practical methods of applying various family therapy models to Muslim families in a culturally sensitive manner, encouraging compassion and understanding to ensure treatment efficacy... this book may serve to guide clinicians in working sensitively with Muslim families and achieving desired outcomes. Overall, Family Therapy with Muslims is a balanced and useful guide for mental health professionals who work with Muslim individuals and families." — Sulaima Samman, Educational and Developmental Psychologist
