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Fatwa CenterFemale psychologist treating male patients
Question
bismillah ar-rahman ar-raheem, as-salamu alaikum wa rahmat Allahy wa barakatuhu, I am writing to express my sincere thanks with your efforts in responding to my questions, jazakum Allah khairan. I appreciate the time you dedicated to writing and answering all of our questions. Unfortunately there is a desperate need for psychological services in Egypt for women and children. We have issues of marital problems and divorce, depression, anxiety, adjustment disorder, sexual problems, child-rearing difficulties, personality problems, Westernization issues, drug abuse... the list goes on. This is a crisis because if the women in our country are not healthy psychologically and religiously, how will they raise future generations for the Ummah? According to my research there are only 3-4 psychologists in the entire country who are qualified psychotherapists, and ALL are Christian or anti-religion. There are a few psychologists who are practicing Muslims, however they are ALL male, and they did not have psychotherapy training. This kind of training is not offered in the Middle East. I am the first student since my psychology program at the American University in Cairo began in 1971 to get accepted at a Clinical Psychology program in the U.S. because it is extremely competitive. I do not intend to treat men in the future, but subhanallah the irony is that to learn these treatments in my 4-year program they want me to treat men! With that saying, although I hate to stay in this country for even one more day, I see that must try to remain and in sha Allah try my best to arrange for my temporary studies here to be free from anything haram, as it has been so far, wa lillahy al-hamd. But if this turns out to be impossible, then qaddar Allah wa ma sha fa`ala, I will leave it to Allah to take care of, after all it is He Who is the True Healer of people. Perhaps the reason He has arranged for me to be here is not the reason I have in my own mind. Allahu a`lam- we plan and we plan, but Allah is the Best of Planners, and I hope to go where He arranges for me to go. There is no way that Allah would put one in a position where they must do something haram in order to serve Him, so in sha Allah He will give me a way to do so, if not through these studies and work, then something else maybe I have never thought of before. Wa Allahu a`lam. Once again, I truly appreciate your time and careful thought in this matter. Although I have received conflicting fatwas on this issue, some things in the deen are clear, and you have provided excellent evidences for many issues I did not think of previously. May Allah bless this ummah and remove from us the sicknesses of mind, emotions, spirit, and body. May He guide us all to the True Path in sha Allah. May He bless the religious scholars who are adhering to the Qur'an and sunna without being influenced by present-day thoughts and carelessness, and may He use them as the mountain pegs in building the Ummah in sha Allah. Jazakum Allah khairan.
Answer
Praise be to Allah, the Lord of the Worlds; and blessings and peace be upon our Prophet Muhammad and upon all his Family and Companions.
After considering your last e-mail we advise you to explain your matter with all details to your supervisor or responsible authorities and bring to their knowledge all the Fatwas you have received till now. Try to convince them that your religion does not allow using methods, which are forbidden in Islamic Sharia. Inform them that insisting on using forbidden methods may force you to give up this specialization. Probably they may excuse you from being alone with a male patient or they may permit you to sit with him in a place, which no longer would be considered seclusion.
The facts mentioned in your question are not considered as legal excuses to be alone with alien men (which is Haram) thus we advise you to adhere Sharia firmly in dealing with men or performing other matters of daily life. We also would like to advise you to fear Allah in all your affairs.Finally, try your best to demonstrate your own Islamic personality, in addition to avoiding temptations of western culture.
May Allah help you and protect you from all evil.
Allah knows best.
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