Then it happened. A driver behind him surged forward, flashing headlights and shouting from a rolled down window. Something inside John, something he didn’t recognize as fully himself, rose like a flash-flood. He stepped out of the car. Words flew, harsh and hot. A minor shove. A misstep. A fall.

And suddenly someone was hurt. The police came. The reports were written. And John, sitting alone in a small, echoing cell, realized that sometimes a life doesn’t crumble in a long, slow descent—it collapses in thirty seconds of unguarded anger.

It wasn’t planned. It wasn’t wanted. It simply…happened. Like an anaphylactic reaction, sudden, overwhelming, and profoundly destructive.

Medicine offers a remarkable parallel. Some of the body’s most violent reactions appear to erupt without warning, yet they are often the culmination of processes that have been unfolding quietly for years.

Johanna had no reason to fear a peaceful Sunday picnic, until a single bite of a cookie made with a trace of hazelnut awakened an old immune memory buried deep within her body. Within minutes her lips tingled, her skin flushed, and her throat tightened as her immune system, mistaking the harmless nut for a mortal enemy, unleashed a tidal wave of histamine that constricted her airway and dropped her blood pressure. Panic blurred the moment, but a friend quickly injected epinephrine, the medicine racing through her bloodstream like a calming command that opened her airways and steadied her pulse. The episode seemed instantaneous, but in truth the reaction was years in the making. Before that picnic, Johanna’s immune system had already encountered the allergen, misidentified it as dangerous, and stored that mistake in its memory. The cookie did not cause the reaction out of nowhere. It merely awakened a response that had been waiting silently beneath the surface.

In medicine, anaphylaxis is the body’s form of a lightning strike; a rapid, life-threatening allergic reaction. It is a serious, potentially fatal medical emergency that is rapid in onset and requires immediate medical attention regardless of the availability of on-site treatments while not under medical care.

Within minutes, a simple trigger like a peanut, a bee sting, or even a medication can send the immune system into chaos. The body panics. The airways narrow. Blood pressure collapses. The entire system reacts disproportionately to a threat that, under normal circumstances, would be harmless, like Johanna above gasping for breath after eating a cookie, or a hiker stung by a bee feeling her throat close, or a patient given an antibiotic erupting in hives, dizzy, and pale.

When a severe allergic reaction occurs, every second matters. The first and most important treatment is epinephrine, a medication usually injected into the thigh. It acts quickly, interrupting the body’s dangerous overreaction before it becomes fatal. The airways relax, blood pressure rises, and circulation begins to stabilize. Additional doses or intravenous fluids may sometimes be required, but the principle remains the same: the faster the reaction is interrupted, the greater the chance of recovery. Doctors may also administer intravenous fluids to support blood flow, while the patient is laid flat with the legs slightly elevated to help restore circulation to the heart and brain.  

Other medications, such as antihistamines and steroids, may help relieve symptoms, but they are not substitutes for epinephrine. Individuals who have previously experienced anaphylaxis are strongly advised to carry an epinephrine auto-injector (commonly known as an EpiPen) and wear medical identification. Even when symptoms improve after treatment, emergency medical evaluation remains essential, as the reaction can recur unexpectedly.  

Fortunately, anaphylaxis is relatively rare. Although estimates vary, it affects only a small percentage of the population, and with prompt recognition and treatment, survival rates are exceptionally high. It tends to occur more in young people and in women. Nearly everyone who receives timely hospital care recovers.  

What actually causes anaphylaxis?

Before someone ever has an anaphylactic reaction, their immune system must first “learn” to recognize an allergen (such as peanuts, bee venom, or certain medications). During this first exposure, sensitization (immune memory formation) takes place, and the immune system mistakenly identifies the allergen as a threat. Then, it produces IgE antibodies that attach to mast cells and basophils. These IgE-coated cells “wait” for the next exposure.

Anaphylaxis happens during the next exposure (which might be years later). When exposed, the allergen binds to the IgE antibodies and mast cells release massive amounts of histamine and other mediators. This causes anaphylaxis in the form of hives, swelling, low blood pressure, airway tightening, etc.

Anaphylaxis symptoms usually occur within minutes of exposure to an allergen. Sometimes, however, anaphylaxis can occur a half-hour or longer after exposure. In rare cases, anaphylaxis may be delayed for hours. Signs and symptoms include:

• Skin reactions, including hives and itching and flushed or pale skin

• Low blood pressure (hypotension)

• Constriction of the airways and a swollen tongue or throat, which can cause wheezing and trouble breathing

• A weak and rapid pulse

• Nausea, vomiting or diarrhea

• Dizziness or fainting

Genetics can predispose someone to allergies (e.g., family history of atopy), but anaphylaxis itself is not genetically predetermined. It still requires exposure, sensitization and IgE antibody production.

Lessons from anaphylaxis

Just as the immune system can overreact to a small trigger, the heart can overreact to a small frustration. Anger can arrive suddenly without invitation, without calculation. A word misunderstood, a gesture interpreted as disrespect or a horn honked impatiently.

And instantly, the soul releases its own internal “mediators” such as adrenaline, cortisol, and tunnel vision. Then, judgment collapses, empathy becomes constricted, and perspective disappears.

What anaphylaxis is to the body, anger is to the spirit. Both are reactions far greater than the triggers that provoke them. Anger may appear to erupt in an instant, but like anaphylaxis, it is built slowly. Years of unprocessed stress, patterns of reaction learned in childhood, ego sensitivities left unexamined, and emotional habits repeated until they become automatic all lie beneath the surface. A single insult may ignite the explosion, but the invisible fuel has been accumulating quietly for years. Just as immune memory primes the body for anaphylaxis, emotional memory primes the mind for anger.

Even prophets teach us that anger is human, but mastery of anger is divine guidance.

Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) understood the physiology of emotion long before modern neuroscience. He taught: “When one of you becomes angry while standing, let him sit. If the anger does not leave him, let him lie down” (Sunan Abu Dawud 4782). And in another teaching, he advised ablution (wudu), saying anger is “from fire” and water extinguishes it. These are not merely symbolic instructions—they are antidotes. Sitting eases the body’s tension, lying down disarms the fight-or-flight response, and washing with water cools the face, slows the heartbeat, and interrupts the physiological surge of anger before it gains control.   

These are emotional epinephrine, quick, simple, and deeply effective. They not only calm the immediate reaction, but they also slowly re-educate the emotional-memory system, changing the default response. Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) was teaching the spiritual equivalent of resetting immune memory, reducing oversensitivity and interrupting automatic reactions.

In the Battle of Uhud, when the archers disobeyed the Prophet’s explicit command and abandoned their posts, the consequences were severe. The Muslim army suffered painful losses. Yet the Prophet (peace be upon him) did not publicly shame those responsible, did not single them out by name, and did not allow anger to fracture the unity of the community. Even his Companions refrained from identifying them.

His calmness repaired what disobedience had damaged. His mercy became more memorable than the mistake itself. His positive approach was confirmed in the Qur’an: “So by mercy from God, [O Muhammad], you were lenient with them. And if you had been rude [in speech] and harsh in heart, they would have disbanded from about you. So, pardon them and ask forgiveness for them and consult them in the matter. And when you have decided, then rely upon God. Indeed, God loves those who rely [upon Him]” (Al Imran 3:159).

Jesus (peace be upon him) reminds us that spiritual maturity is not the absence of passion but the discipline of response: “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called children of God.”—Matthew 5:9.

James is quoted in the New Testament as follows: “Be slow to anger, for human anger does not produce the righteousness of God.”—James 1:19–20.

Moses (peace be upon him) struggled with a fiery temperament. When he struck the Egyptian man, he regretted it deeply (Qur’an 28:15–16). When he saw his people worshipping the calf, he reacted strongly—but afterward prayed for them (Qur’an 7:150).

Fethullah Gülen reminds us to shape our hearts into sanctuaries, each with a humble chair reserved for every soul God sends our way. He uses the metaphor of the heart as a sanctuary to call for emotional restraint and moral readiness in the face of others. By reserving a “humble chair” for every person we encounter, Gülen emphasizes unconditional hospitality rather than judgment or dominance. This image challenges the reflexive nature of anger, encouraging a pause between stimulus and response. In this way, it suggests that compassion can regulate emotional reactions much like balance in the immune system prevents anaphylactic overreaction.

Just as the immune system can be trained away from overreaction, the soul can be trained away from explosive anger. Both require memory to be re-written, habits to be relearned, and the inner terrain to be cultivated patiently.

To prevent anaphylaxis, we avoid triggers, strengthen resilience, and carry epinephrine. Similarly, we can prevent destructive anger, if we can cultivate the following in our spiritual journey:

With mindfulness, we can notice irritation before it grows. With self-awareness, we can know the history behind reactions. Practicing patience through remembrance (dhikr), meditation, and stillness can strengthen our resilience. Reducing chronic stressors can help us build healthy boundaries. Having generous, merciful assumptions about others reduces anger.

There is a Turkish proverb that “Sharp vinegar harms its own container.” Anger is vinegar. Before it burns others, it corrodes the heart that holds it.

Anaphylaxis teaches us how the body collapses when overwhelmed. Anger teaches us how relationships, reputations, and inner peace can collapse in a fleeting moment of emotional shock.

Let us learn to love people, to be gentle with their faults, and to show mercy, not because they are perfect, but because mercy is the epinephrine of the soul.

References

1. https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/anaphylaxis/symptoms-causes/syc-20351468.

2. Shaker MC, et al. Anaphylaxis — A 2020 practice parameter update, systematic review, and Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) analysis. Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology. 2020; doi:10.1016/j.jaci.2020.01.017.

3. Cardona V, Ansotegui IJ, Ebisawa M, El-Gamal Y, Fernandez Rivas M, Fineman S, Geller M, Gonzalez-Estrada A, Greenberger PA, Sanchez Borges M, Senna G, Sheikh A, Tanno LK, Thong BY, Turner PJ, Worm M. World allergy organization anaphylaxis guidance 2020. World Allergy Organ J. 2020 Oct 30;13(10):100472. doi: 10.1016/j.waojou.2020.100472. PMID: 33204386; PMCID: PMC7607509.

4. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anaphylaxis

However, I, of course, went for the shortcut. Like so many new discoveries, mine too was made through an AI-powered app. I learnt about it one afternoon in my own backyard with my friend, an enthusiastic birdwatcher. She raised her phone, like a divining rod, in the air. “Listen,” she said. The air was alive with a dozen different whistles and chirps that I had heard all my life but had never really listened to. She gave her phone’s screen a tap, and like a magician revealing a card trick, a neat list of my audible world appeared: American Robin. Northern Cardinal. Song Sparrow. House Finch.

It felt like magic. All my life, this world had been lovely yet unintelligible for me, but now this small app had given me a libretto and a volume knob of this concert. I downloaded it right away. Over the course of the following few weeks, I was a human possessed. Nearly every moment of mine was spent sitting by my window and every stroll in the park turned into a digital translation exercise. I needed nothing else now. My interpreter was the app, always present, translating the birds’ cryptic language into the straightforward, gratifying finality of a proper noun.  

Oh! That’s a Tufted Titmouse, and that one is a Blue Jay. Suddenly, without any hard efforts, I experienced a superior and effortless expertise, a sense of mastery in my field. But soon, an odd thing began to happen.

Not that I don’t accept this tool’s genius. In fact, it can actually be the spark that ignites a lifelong passion for a youngster just getting started. Its visual sonograms could provide access to a world that might otherwise be inaccessible to a person with a hearing impairment. This is a marvel bridge of accessibility to the amateurs. But somewhere along the way, I noticed I was crossing that bridge so often I stopped looking at the river at all.  

The more I used it, the less I actually heard. I didn’t realize when I had stopped even attempting to retain the melody in my own mind to try to distinguish it, just because I was so preoccupied with recording the sound for the algorithm to give me quick answers. I came to the realization that I was actually paying a heavy fee to cross this bridge. This realization hit me when I visited my father. His straightforward comment that the wren sang with a certain character, a distinct personality, exposed the gap between our two methods of knowing as I could only check on my phone to confirm his knowledge.  

Mine was a transaction, a query to a server, question in-answer out, without any personal depth; but his was a connection. He understood the “how,” when I only knew the “what.” And at that precise moment, I felt like a tourist in my own home, a place, of which I had the perfect map, but knew nothing about.  

After reflecting for a long time, I deleted the app that night. The next morning, the birds outside my window were back to singing lovely but indecipherable sounds. Of course, as expected. Afterall, I had given up using my AI interpreter and now had to take on the difficult task of learning the bird language on my own. So I purchased a dusty field guide, the type with faded illustrations and poetic descriptions: the sparrow’s song is a “sweet, thin series of notes,” and the robin’s is a “liquid, caroling whistle.” It was a beautiful experience to try to understand them.  

I recall sitting on a park bench one afternoon, trying to tell the difference between a House Finch and a Song Sparrow. According to the guide, the finch’s song was more jumbled and varied but the sparrow’s had more structure. I closed my eyes and tried to listen. From a maple tree, a bird sang. It sounded, well, like a bird. It was a rambling, high-pitched song. Jumbled, yes. Must be a finch. I opened my eyes and looked around the branches, but the singer was hidden. Then another song came from a low hedge. It was more distinct, with a trill after a few clear notes. I decided, after much consideration, that it was a structured piece. Sparrow definitely. With my field guide in my hand and my heart racing from the excitement of my success, I edged closer. A striped breast and a flash of brown feathers came into my view, a Song Sparrow. My heart did a little flip. Then, however, a jumbled, meandering song emerged from the same hedge. Another sparrow song burst forth. To think my racing heart was on the edge of victory, only to watch a Song Sparrow deliver both kinds of songs in the span of minutes.

My confidence vanished. And I felt utterly defeated. To think a creature the size of my thumb had completely humbled me, the giant. I realized there was no tidy checklist in the actual world.

Weeks passed like that. Humbling, and frustrating. I had to admit how little I actually perceived. I had to acknowledge my own sensory dullness and ignorance. I remembered I certainly was not like this in my childhood. So I decided against giving up and at least learned to sit still without reaching for a quick urge to name and win.

Then on a cool late spring morning, it happened. A clear, three-part whistle that sounded like it was singing, “Oh, sweet Canada, Canada, Canada,” pierced the air as I was strolling close to a small creek. And without hesitation or reaching for an external gadget, a name automatically came to me out of my own memory. It was the result of my own mind’s labor, which was slow, patient, and frustrating rather than an instantly gratifying algorithm. White-throated Sparrow. Indeed.

My happiness was limitless then. It was a profound sense of connection that seemed to be whispered to me alone. It was real knowledge as it belonged to me, not because it was more accurate than the app’s – as a matter of fact, statistically, it was probably less accurate – but because it was earned with patience rather than downloaded. It was a thread, woven from sunlight, birdsong, and my own clumsy attention, that linked me directly to that tiny, genuinely vibrant life in the trees. But now, we are living in the era of fake nightingales. The counterfeit, however, is more than just a fake bird; it is also that fake song that claims to be able to explain the meaning of every other actual song of those vibrant, and “full of life” creatures.

AI has become the ultimate, tempting solution because it can recognize not only the sounds in our backyards but also the trends in our lives, our goals, and our futures. It provides an alluring diversion from our clumsy, ineffective, and frequently discouraging process of learning, creating, and establishing connections with the process for ourselves.

But my clumsy attempt to comprehend the birds taught me that the struggle is what actually matters. The texture of seeking the truth, the understanding that comes with time is just as valuable as the solution. The “real” is a quality of the attention and time we give an object, not of the object itself. A real friendship is a history of shared vulnerability and often imperfect presence rather than a string of flawlessly manicured updates and flawless replies. And, for me, true knowledge is not a fact that has been displayed on a screen but rather an insight that has been ingrained in us via our experiences, our failures, or the victory of finally hearing the song for ourselves.

Hence, though AI can be a helpful map for us, we must not allow it to persuade us that just reading a map is equivalent to actually exploring that area. That unmediated space, the patient labor of listening, looking, trying, failing, and then trying again, until we can finally separate the music from the noise, will always contain the most genuine moments of our lives which no AI can ever replicate because that is something utterly human, utterly real.  

A day thinking about what could happen, should happen, or what might have been is a day missed. #mindfulmoments
@Headspace

Think of the present hour; your power of patient endurance is enough for this hour. Mobilize all your strength for [it], and think of divine mercy, reward in the hereafter, and how your brief and transient life is being transformed into a long and eternal form.
Said Nursi

Is it not surprising how a 2020 @Headpsace tweet on carpe diem and a 20^th century Islamic scholar’s quote correspondingly focus on the present? Furthermore, both Headspace and Said Nursi stress the importance of moment-to-moment mindful attention, a part of mindfulness-based mental health intervention which is highly effective for anxiety. As a Muslim counselor in training, I have noticed correlations between certain Islamic practices and values advised in the the Quran and the Prophetic tradition, the Western Psychological Theory of Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT), and Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) inspired by Chinese spiritual practices. These correlations suggest that utilizing spiritually integrative approaches in therapy can provide fruitful therapeutic results with Muslim clients.

Though research on Islamic Psychotherapy and incorporating Islamic principles into Western Psychotherapy to better counsel Muslim clients has grown over the past years, there is very little focus on counseling Muslim adolescents. Expanding the counseling literature to include interventions that focus specifically on Muslim adolescents’ mental health can help counselors increase their awareness, knowledge, and competence to better support this population. This article explores the existing literature on Muslim adolescents and mental health counseling and highlights the use of psychoeducation when using innovative and integrative therapeutic practices to help Muslim youth cope with mental health issues.

A High-Risk Group for Mental Health Issues: Muslim-American Adolescents

According to the Pew Research Center (2020), the 3.45 million Muslims living in the United States make up about 1.1% of the population. Almost half of Muslims (48%) have experienced discrimination during the past year; this number used to be 43% in 2011, and 40% in 2007 (“U.S. Muslims Concerned”). Following the 2016 Presidential Election, Council on American-Islamic Relations reported hate crimes in the U.S. rising 91% in the first half of 2017 compared to 2016 (APA, 2020). FBI’s (2020) “2019 Hate Crime Statistics Report” indicates that 13.2% of hate crime victims were of anti-Islamic (Muslim) bias. As these statistics demonstrate, factors such as discrimination, bullying, profiling, Islamophobia, and hostility that Muslims face put them at risk for mental health problems. Muslims in the United States most commonly face depression and anxiety along with other psychological troubles (Herzig, 2016, p. 14).

One-third of Muslim-Americans in the U.S. are under the age of 30, making them the youngest faith group in the country (APA, 2020). Research alarmingly shows that challenges in integration, vulnerability to Islamophobia, and religious discrimination put Muslim youth at an even higher risk for mental distress (Samari, 2016, p. 1922). 42% of Muslim students in K-12 schools are victims of faith-based bullying and “the younger the age of exposure to harassment, the greater the likelihood of developing depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic distress” (APA, 2020). Acculturative stress leads to cases of withdrawal, anxiety, and depression among Muslim adolescents, affecting girls more specifically (Goforth et al., 2016, p. 205). A group of young adult American-born Muslims were asked about whether they perceived presence of anxiety in peers, to which 64% replied yes. However, only 20% had knowledge of their peers seeking treatment, most probably due to stigma around receiving mental health care (Herzig, 2016, p. 33). Nevertheless, researchers have found that though stigma negatively impacts active coping in Muslim-American youth, religious coping is positively correlated with active coping strategies. As such, they argue that effectively working with Muslim-Americans require counselors to maintain “religion as a central consideration in the counseling process to promote recovery” (p. 34). Despite such a clear picture of an adolescent group at risk for mental health issues and guidelines on how professionals can help them, very little research has been conducted on bringing religion and spirituality into counseling when working with Muslim-American youth.

CBT and Mindfulness from an Islamic Perspective

Cognitive Behavior Therapy is one of the most clinically proven and effective therapeutic models in treating different psychological conditions, most specifically stress and anxiety. Belonging to the third wave of CBT, mindfulness-based therapy is also a promising intervention for treating anxiety and mood problems in clinical populations (Hoffman et al., 2010). Research on using CBT with adolescents is not scarce, compared to the very few works published specifically on how MBCT can be used with the same population Shorey et al. (2015), conducted a study on the relation between moment-to-moment mindful attention and anxiety among young adults in substance use treatment. Moment-to-moment attention, one facet of mindfulness, is defined as “sustaining attention to what occurs in the present moment of daily life (p. 374). They found that moment-to-moment mindful attention was affected by panic and generalized anxiety (p. 376). As a result, the authors suggest moment-to-moment mindfulness practices with clients who cope with such problems.

One area of knowledge missing from Western Psychotherapy curriculum and practice is the Islamic tradition of Cognitive Restructuring (Islamic cognitive behavior therapy) which predates Albert Ellis (1962) and Aaron Beck (1976). Abu Zayd Ahmed ibn Sahl Balkhi (al Balkhi) was a ninth century psychologist, who was the first to suggest cognitive approaches for anxiety and mood disorders, focusing on “how to eliminate emotional disorders by simply concentrating on changing one’s inner thinking and irrational beliefs” and using therapeutic techniques such as relaxation, desensitization, rational cognitive therapy, and psycho-spiritual religious cognitive approach (Rassool, 2016, p. 143). In addition to the rich Islamic tradition of mental health wellness practices, daily mindfulness rituals and mindfulness values Muslims are familiar with, such as gratitude (shukr) and acceptance (tawakkul), can all be sources of healing for Muslim clients who are seeking therapy. As counselors, it is up to us as culturally competent professionals to increase our knowledge on how we can facilitate such healing.

Importance of Integrating Islamic Values and Practices to the Therapeutic Process

Though there have been works published on Islamically focused CBT, minimal research exists on specific integration models of Islamic based mindfulness practices into the counseling process. Dr. Abdallah Rothman, Executive Director of the International Association of Islamic Psychology and an LPC working at the intersection of Islamic spirituality and mental health practice, detailed how Islamic worldview can be practically and effectively integrated into psychotherapy. He (2018) noted, “I do not consider what I do as an integration of Islam into psychotherapy as much as I consider my practice of psychotherapy as a translation of concepts relating to the soul and to the healing from the Islamic tradition into the language of psychology within a therapeutic process” (p. 30). Though Rothman practices Islamic psychology himself, his techniques can be used with Muslim clients even if the counselor belongs to a different theoretical orientation. The interventions he describes include centering meditation exercises that focus on heart, tawbah and istighfar (asking for forgiveness and purification of heart from God), dhikr (remembrance) and prayers as relaxation homework assignments, and muraqaba/tafakkur (Islamic “meditation” where the focus is connecting with God).

Dr. Fyeqa Sheik (2018) authored the only article focusing specifically on utilizing an integrative psychotherapy approach when working with Muslim adolescents and children. Contrary to Rothman, Sheik’s therapeutic approach is “an integrative one in which the conceptualization and treatment are based on a Western psychotherapy approach with Islamic principles integrated into the treatment” (p. 223). Though Sheikh lists some points of conflict between CBT and Muslim’s religious worldview, she argues that CBT can be modified to be congruent within an Islamic framework (p. 215). Since religiously integrated CBT has already proven to be an effective tool for clients with anxiety (Vahidid-Motlagh & Kajbaf, 2011), creating Islamically based CBT interventions for Muslim clients can be highly effective. Some techniques Sheikh provides include modifying traditional CBT statements in an Islamic perspective, performing dua (supplication) to improve well-being, and salah (prayer) which helps focus one’s attention solely on the actions of salah rather than other wordy matters, similar to mindfulness techniques that help individuals be more conscious in the present moment (Sheikh, 2018, p. 216-219).

Considerations and Conclusion: Psychoeducation and Further Research

Other than what Drs. Rothman and Sheikh’s provide, the counseling literature lacks any other research on how therapists can use innovative and integrative interventions to help the Muslim youth in their wellness journey. More research is essential on the effectiveness of different techniques that can be modified and adapted when working specifically with Muslim adolescents and whether Islamically integrated psychotherapy proves to be fruitful with them. What can be key to aiding young Muslim clients’ wellness is to use psychoeducation within therapy sessions to highlight how many of the daily Islamic practices that they are already used to are, in essence, mindfulness-based practices that can help them cope with stress, anxiety, and other mental health issues. Personally, I plan to conduct quantitative and qualitive research studies on Muslim adolescent awareness about Islamic mindfulness practices and coping with anxiety. What must be kept in mind for these studies and interventions is the diversity of the Muslim population and individuality of clients’ levels of religious practice spirituality, even if they belong to the same religion.

In the recent years, Islamic scholars and Muslim mental health counselors have increasingly been calling attention to the healing qualities of mindfulness within an Islamic tradition. The first Islamic guided meditation application, Sabr (patience) came out in August 2020. It includes guided meditation sessions through an Islamic lens by Muslim therapists and professionals, spiritually uplifting courses, prayers, Quran recitations, and courses on many topics including gratitude, patience, purification of the heart, having hope, reducing anxiety, mindfulness, forgiveness, and more. Sabr has more than eleven thousand followers on social media, highlighting the popularity of Islamically focused wellness practices. Yaqeen Institute (2017) has published an in-depth infographic and article, “How to Be a Mindful Muslim: An Exercise in Islamic Meditation.” To better help Muslim adolescents cope with different mental health issues through therapy, counselors need to first increase their cultural knowledge and competence about Islamic practices that can be incorporated into therapy sessions, and then use psychoeducation to increase client awareness on how their religion, which can be a source of distress in the United States due to discrimination and racism, can also be their source of healing.

References

• American Psychological Association. (2020). Stress & trauma toolkit for treating Muslims in a changing political and social environment. psychiatry.org. https://www.psychiatry.org/psychiatrists/cultural-competency/education/stress-and-trauma/muslims.
• Federal Bureau of Investigation. (Fall 2020). Uniform Crime Report Hate Crime Statistics, 2019. U.S. Department of Justice, Federal Bureau of Investigation. https://ucr.fbi.gov/hate-crime/2019/topic-pages/victims.pdf
• Goforth, A. N., Pham, A. V., Chun, H., Castro-Olivo, S. M., & Yosai, E. R. (2016). Association of Acculturative Stress, Islamic Practices, and Internalizing Symptoms among Arab American Adolescents. School Psychology Quarterly, 31(2), 198–212.
• Herzig, B. (2016). (rep.). Young adult American-born Muslims and mental health: an exploration of attitudes, Challenges, and Needs (pp. 1–52). Keene, NH: Institute for Social Policy and Understanding.
• Hofmann, S. G., Sawyer, A. T., Witt, A. A., & Oh, D. (2010). The effect of mindfulness-based therapy on anxiety and depression: A Meta-Analytic Review. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 78(2), 169–183.
• Pew Research Center. (2020, May 30). S. Muslims concerned about their place in society, but continue to believe in the American dream. Pew Research Center’s Religion & Public Life Project. https://www.pewforum.org/2017/07/26/findings-from-pew-research-centers-2017-survey-of-us-muslims/.
• Rassool, G. H. (2016). Islamic counselling: an introduction to theory and practice. Routledge.
• Rothman, A. (2018). An Islamic theoretical orientation to psychotherapy. In C. Y. Al-Karam (Ed.), Islamically integrated psychotherapy: Uniting faith and professional practice. (pp. 25–56). Templeton Press.
• Samari, G. (2016). Islamophobia and Public Health in the United States. American Journal of Public Health, 106(11), 1920–1925. https://doi-org.ezproxy.montclair.edu/10.2105/AJPH.2016.303374
• Sheikh, F. (2018). Marrying Islamic principles with Western psychotherapy for children and adolescents: Successes and challenges. In C. Y. Al-Karam (Ed.), Islamically integrated psychotherapy: Uniting faith and professional practice. (pp. 208–228). Templeton Press.
• Shorey, R. C., Anderson, S., Lookatch, S., Moore, T. M., & Stuart, G. L. (2015). The relation between moment-to-moment mindful attention and anxiety among young adults in substance use treatment. Substance Abuse, 36(3), 374–379. https://doi-org.ezproxy.montclair.edu/10.1080/08897077.2014.935841
• Vahidid-Motlagh, L., & Kajbaf, M. B. (2011). The effectiveness of cognitive behavioral and religious cognitive therapy on anxiety in students. Journal of Behavioral Sciences, 5(3), 195-201.