Attitudes toward counselling and psychotherapy: A focus on the Arab Muslim population in Dublin

Authors

Maaref-Wilson, Annissa

Issue Date

2008

Degree

BA (Hons) Counselling and Psychotherapy

Publisher

Dublin Business School

Rights holder

Rights

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Abstract

The purpose of this study is to describe and examine the different attitudes of the Arab Muslim community in Dublin toward seeking psychological help. This community is often misunderstood and stereotyped. But because the number of Arab Muslims keeps increasing and cultural and religious diversity is being more and more accommodated in Ireland, the need to understand better the Arab Muslims was undeniable. This project addresses the cultural and religious issues encountered by this population and the challenges a therapist comes across while working with them. Through questionnaires, information was gathered to identify a willingness to seek mental help or not, taking into consideration the level of religiosity. Results showed that there is a negative relationship between both variables: when religiosity is high, the willingness to seek help was low. The implications of this study determined if the principles of mainstream counselling and psychotherapy theories are applicable to the values of this community and to identify a more personalized approach.