Integrating Acceptance and Commitment Therapy with Islāmic Psychotherapy for Managing Chronic Pain

This book proposes a psychotherapeutic intervention integrating Islāmic Psychology with Acceptance Commitment Therapy (ACT) for Muslims with chronic pain conditions.The first part of the book provides an overview of the challenges of living with chronic pain and illness and explores the cultural expressions of pain and disease and a literature review on culturally adapted psychotherapies. An overview of the main components of ACT and their congruence with Islāmic tenets, including spirituality and contemplation, is provided to propose an Islāmic based ACT approach that aims not to reduce or eliminate pain but rather to help the client build a repertoire of behaviours that lead them towards value-based directions. The second part of the book outlines a session-by-session cultural adaptation of the six core processes of ACT interwoven with Islāmic teachings from the Quran and Sunnah. The book is supplemented with downloadable resources such as worksheets and handouts that professionals can use in practice.This book is intended as a pain management guide for therapists familiar with ACT and Islām. It will provide therapists with the tools to deliver a faith-adapted, evidence-based treatment for clients who follow the Islāmic faith.

Dr Razia Bhatti-Ali is a Consultant Clinical Psychologist in the United Kingdom. She has been employed in a pain management role for over six years providing clinical interventions, supervision, and support for a psychology team. In collaboration with her Urdu-speaking colleagues, she successfully developed an ACT-based Urdu Pain Management Programme for Muslim service users and created a digital Urdu version to increase access to the intervention. The outcome data from this initiative were presented at the British Pain Society conference in 2019 and the International Association of Islamic Psychology conference in conjunction with Riphah University, Lahore. The work has also been published as a book chapter and in two peer-reviewed journals.