Marriage and Family Therapists’ Perceptions and Interpretations of Readiness to Work with Muslim Clients: A Qualitative Study

More Muslims seek mental health assistance to address discrimination, anxiety, and relational problems. There are not enough therapists familiar with Muslim religious beliefs and practices. Researchers are asking therapists to be ready for Muslims seeking their assistance. This study explored how marriage and family therapists perceive and interpret their readiness to work with Muslim clients. Seven themes emerged from the interview questions: (1) Not ready to work with Muslim clients, (2) A need for selfeducation about Muslims, (3) Willingness to learn from Muslim clients, (4) Concern about ethics, biases, and offending Muslim clients, (5) Lack of preparation in graduate school, (6) Opportunity to enroll in diversity/multicultural courses, and (7) Inclusion of diversity/multicultural courses requirement. Recommendations for marriage and family therapists and marriage and family therapy programs are provided.