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The Graduate Certificate in Islamic Psychology and Psychotherapy (GCIPP) uniquely offers an integrated perspective within an Islamic framework for the modern professional practice of psychology. The certificate program fills a gap in the training of current mental health professionals by exposing and teaching trainees how to incorporate Islamic traditions into their professional practice. The program draws upon the existing mental health experiences of such professionals and provides a tailored course sequence designed to fill in the gaps in their training.
This certificate aims to address the pressing need for spiritually competent mental health practitioners who can skillfully work with the religious nuances of Muslim communities. The program's holistic approach will produce a generation of scholars and practitioners to enrich the nascent field of Islamic psychology both locally and globally.
Language
English
Program Duration
1 Year
Certification
Certificates
The GCIPP aims to empower practitioners with the knowledge and skills to integrate Islamic spiritual concepts into their clinical practice. Students will benefit from the rich Islamic academic atmosphere of the college to enhance their clinical experiences and scholarship.
An 18-credit degree program, taught over one year in English, that includes:
| Code | Credits | Course Title | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| PSY 600 | 3 | Introduction to Psychology in the Islamic Tradition | This course provides a survey of the Islamic intellectual heritage as it pertains to the subject matter of psychology. The focus of the course is to provide familiarity with the classical Islamic scholarly literature, drawing directly from its primary sources and allowing students to have a direct exposure to the style of writings found across different Islamic scholarly disciplines. The primary sources discussed in this course are largely drawn from the following classical fields: Tibb, Falsafa, Tasawwuf, Kalam, and Fiqh. The style of the course combines both lectures and readings directly from the original text with the instructor’s commentary engaging in discussions around the convergence and divergence between these texts and Islamic traditions. |
| PSY 604 | 3 | Introduction to Psychotherapy and Counseling Theories | This course begins with a survey of various counseling theories in order to provide a diverse range of tools for professional practice for mental health professionals. Counseling practices related to specific theoretical orientations are presented and critically evaluated. After a review of the mainstream counseling theories and practices, the course explores Islamically integrative orientations to psychotherapy, including foundational tenets and principles of Islamically integrative models, with a discussion of Islamic epistemology and the presentation of an Islamic ontological framework of the human psyche. The course provides students with concrete skills for conceptualizing and treating psychological disorders using this Islamically integrative model. |
| PSY 607 | 3 | Ethical, Professional, and Legal Issues in Psychology | This course provides a survey of the practice of psychology and counseling from an ethical and legal perspective. It reviews a range of domains, including the ethical guidelines for professional practice, mental health laws, ethical case studies, and professional best practices. Students are oriented to Islamic ethical and professional conduct guidelines for mental health practitioners. Ethical dilemmas at the interface between Islamic values and international professional codes of ethics are also explored, with a focus on reconciliatory strategies. |
| PSY 702 | 3 | Advanced Techniques and Interventions | This course builds upon the PSY 604 Introduction to Psychotherapy and Counseling Theories to provide an advanced orientation to psychotherapy. The core principles of Islamically integrated psychotherapy are revisited with greater layers of application across a variety of therapeutic contexts and pathologies. The course focuses on advancing integrative skills and techniques to develop capabilities for treating psychological disorders using this model. More advanced interventions are highlighted that are designed to specifically target the elements of the Islamic ontological framework of the human psyche. This course includes a hands-on component that integrates role plays, live demonstrations of technique, and videos to optimize the learning experience for students. |
| Code | Credits | Course Title | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| PSY 605 | 3 | Cross-Cultural Psychotherapy | This course examines patient diversity with respect to ethnographic, demographic, and status variables, and challenges culturally biased stereotypes that may adversely influence the provision of mental health services. The course explores models and approaches of multicultural psychotherapy; cultural and religious identity development; the role of culture in the expressions of psychopathology, health, and well-being; and the delivery of mental health services to diverse populations within Muslim populations and other cultures. Additionally, the course teaches skills of cultural attunement and adaptation of interventions and emphasizes the consideration of cultural factors during diagnosis and assessment. |
| PSY 606 | 3 | Group Therapy | This course examines the basic principles of group dynamics and the applications of those principles to group therapy from different theoretical perspectives. It considers how groups are formed and sustained, how change occurs in groups, and how the group leader facilitates that change. The course examines the phases of group development from inception to termination and the various factors involved at each stage of development. A substantial component of the course is experiential, where students participate in a group process experience, during which each student is a group member. |
| PSY 608 | 3 | Career and School Counseling | This course introduces students to career and school counseling theories, assessment tools and techniques, and application of theories to working with individuals within the context of different educational and vocational settings. The knowledge and application of career development theories and vocational counseling are covered. A review of modern decision-making models, career planning, career education, and sources of educational and occupational information are covered in depth. Additionally, the course examines mental health needs for students in early childhood, elementary, middle, and high school settings, including etiology, symptomology, treatment approaches, and crisis intervention strategies. |
| PSY 609 | 3 | Substance Abuse and Addictions | This course is designed to provide a supportive, structured learning environment for acquiring substance use and addictive behavior counseling skills. The course provides students with an understanding of the physiological and psychological effects of drugs and the significance of treatment planning in diverse settings. It helps students use the knowledge of individual, group, and family counseling strategies as they are applied to behavior change and relapse prevention. Students learn about the diagnostic criteria of substance use and addictive behaviors, models of etiology, and approaches to treatment. |
| PSY 700 | 3 | Marital and Family Therapy | This course surveys the development and principal conceptualizations of marital and family therapy. Goals include an introductory examination and comparison of various theories currently employed in the field. Subject areas that are covered include the various schools of family therapy, along with current trends and issues in marriage and family therapy with a focus on the Muslim family. Islamic family and marital therapy models are also explored with a focus on reinforcing Islamic family values and the incorporation of Islamically integrated strategies and interventions for strengthening marriages and the family unit. |
Applicants seeking admission to the Graduate Certificate in Islamic Psychology and Psychotherapy (GCIPP) should have a master’s degree in a mental health profession (such as clinical social work, counseling psychology, counselor education, clinical psychology, clinical pastoral care, or similar) from a recognized institution. Applicants must have completed at least 200 clinical practice hours at the graduate level of clinical practice.
To know more about the admission requirements, kindly visit the following link.
Tuition Fees
| Program | Graduate Certificate in Islamic Psychology and Psychotherapy (GCIPP) |
|---|---|
| Total Program Tuition Fees | QAR 36,000 |
| Tuition Fees per Credit Hour | QAR 2,000 |
| Total Program Credit Hours | 18 |
| Program Duration | 1 year |