Audrey Kodye, Registered Psychologist
MUSLIM THERAPIST BASED IN EDMONTON, AB & AVAILABLE ACROSS AB, NB, NS, NU & QC
Islamic Therapy
Your path to Mental health Recovery AND Spiritual Growth.
You’re feeling exhausted from constantly battling anxiety, depression, and self-doubt. On top of that, you’ve realized that the trauma you’ve experienced has been weighing on your mind more than ever before.
You have been thinking that perhaps therapy could be helpful.
However, your concerns – which are valid and extremely important ones, Masha’Allah – are that you may be viewed negatively as a Muslim or that you may be asked to do things that compromise your faith.
As a Muslim Therapist
who values her deen, I totally get where you’re coming from; my biggest fear is to do anything that goes against Islam, including as part of my work. This is why I decided to embark on the journey of increasing my knowledge about the deen in general as well as Islamic Psychology, and acquire insight that has helped me re-evaluate and modify my practice in accordance with Islamic teachings, Alhamdoulillah.
While I recovered from decades of trauma-related anxiety with the help of TEAM-CBT (learn more about TEAM-CBT here), implementing Islamic Therapy practices has helped me achieve levels of mental well-being and resilience that I never considered to be remotely possible, Subhan’Allah.
I can’t wait to embark on this journey with you, In Sha Allah!
What is Islamic therapy?
Islamic therapy with me merges the wealth of knowledge compiled by Classical Scholars – from the Qu’ran, Ahadiths and Seerah – about Islamic Psychology and other Islamic teachings relevant to mental health with the TEAM-CBT approach.
Islamic teachings derived from the Qu’ran, Ahadiths and Seerah offer the solutions that we want to eventually get to as they will help us to attain both mental well-being and spiritual growth, In Sha Allah.
At the same time, TEAM-CBT provides the framework that organizes the different components that help make the therapy process successful in a way that aligns with Islam, such as creating a safe, non-judgmental space where you can talk about your struggles – so I may understand them thoroughly and be better equipped to help you with them – as well as helping you overcome the blocks that typically show up on one’s therapy journey, in a warm and empathetic manner. This aligns with prophetic tradition as our Prophet SAW used to create safe spaces to help Sahabbas feel comfortable seeking guidance, Masha’Allah.
Moreover, the Muslim women I work with often report that their loved ones often say to them that they should just pray more or read Qu’ran to overcome their mental health challenges. Regular Salat and having a strong connection to the Qu’ran are indeed some of the essential ingredients of mental health recovery from Islamic Therapy perspective, and at the same time, developing these habits may genuinely feel very difficult. We will start with just giving you space to talk about your challenges. I will listen intently and give you support, and when you’re ready, we’ll move on to working on empowering you to overcome them; TEAM-CBT provides us with powerful tools to gain a deep comprehension of what exactly happens in moments when you get stuck in unhelpful patterns such as procrastination, as well as to disrupt these patterns and establish healthier, more helpful ones.
I have also found Masha’Allah that the majority of the Muslim women I work with already havesome Islamic knowledge that can help them attain well-being while strengthening their relationship with Allah SWT. However, that knowledge is at times at a surface level and not fully integrated. TEAM-CBT offers a range of effective techniques that help us achieve that integration, In Sha Allah.
And Allah SWT knows best. May He guide us all.
Source: Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim 2687
Islamic Therapy is available online to women in edmonton, ab & across Alberta, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Nunavut and Quebec
Alhamdoulillah, I have a partnership with Sisters Dialogue. They subsidize 5 sessions – with the possiblity to extend coverage – for every Muslim woman residing in Alberta. Email me at audrey@overanxietypsych.com for more information, In Sha Allah.
FAQS
Frequently asked questions about Islamic Therapy
The timeline can vary based on your unique goals & personal history. Clients who fully engage in the process and complete their therapy homework – which consists of readings, written exercises and practising techniques I will teach you in session – experience relief after about five sessions.
The entire therapy course averages 12 to 24 sessions.
Your investment will be $220 per 50-minute session or $350 per 80-minute session. Longer sessions are available at the same rate.
As services that are offered by a psychologist, my therapy sessions are covered by most insurance policies, although I recommend that you call your insurance provider to check. It may also be beneficial to ask if you have a health spending account that you may also use toward therapy.
My fees may be claimed under tax deductible health care expenses on your income tax return.
If you are eligible for these programs, please note that I also have an agreement to provide services under and direct-bill:
- the NIHB (Non-Insured Health Benefits) program which provides eligible First Nations and Inuit clients with coverage for various benefits, including mental health counselling. Through this program, eligible clients can receive up to 22 hours of counselling a year.
- the Bigstone Health benefits program which provides benefits to members of Bigstone Cree nation. Through this program, clients can receive up to 22 hours of counselling every 12 months.
- federal programs such as the Interim Federal Health program (IFHP) administered under Immigration, Regufees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC); this program provides limited, temporary coverage of health care benefits for specific groups of people who don’t have provincial, territorial, or private health care coverage. I also direct-bill federal programs such as programs for members of the Canadian armed forces (CAF), Royal Canadian Mounted police (RCMP), and Veteran Affairs Canada (VAC).
I also have a partnership with Sisters Dialogue that allows Muslim women residing in Alberta to see me free of charge, for 5 sessions with the possiblity to extend coverage.
If this is something that has been causing you stress, it would be relevant to therapy work. However, I am not a Scholar and if we may be dealing with Islamic rulings, for example, we will seek guidance from reliable sources such as by consulting with an imam In Sha Allah, while maintaining your privacy.
I would love for you to reach out, In Sha Allah. From my perspective, most of us have periods in our lives when our iman is lower and it does not make sense to judge each other on that basis. Admitting that something needs to change is the first step to making positive changes. I look forward to meeting you!
You may email me at audrey@overanxietypsych.com or schedule a free 15-minute consultation here.