{"id":13643,"date":"2026-01-19T11:14:07","date_gmt":"2026-01-19T11:14:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/faithbeliefforum.org\/?p=13643"},"modified":"2026-01-19T11:34:25","modified_gmt":"2026-01-19T11:34:25","slug":"from-imam-to-therapist-my-journey-into-counselling-and-therapy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/faithbeliefforum.org\/from-imam-to-therapist-my-journey-into-counselling-and-therapy\/","title":{"rendered":"From Imam to Therapist: My Journey into Counselling and Therapy"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Shaykh Hassan Rabbani MPACB<\/a><\/strong> is a Muslim scholar, chaplain and counsellor based in Glasgow, Scotland. He founded and runs Healers Muslims Counselling<\/a>. Shaykh Hassan often writes about his travels<\/a> and, in this guest article, shares about his journey of integrating his traditional Islamic studies with the social and psychological needs of the Muslim community in the UK. <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

His work highlights the essential place of faith in people’s personal lives and for their wellbeing. Shaykh Hassan makes the case that being conversant in the languages of faith, belief, culture and empathy is essential to help people with their struggles and supporting their mental wellbeing. #BlueMonday<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Book shopping in Cairo during my student days was therapeutic<\/span><\/em><\/em>.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Why I Became a Counsellor<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

People often ask me why I became a counsellor or therapist. Honestly, I\u2019m not entirely sure, I feel I was gently pushed in this direction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

My undergraduate studies were in Arabic and Islamic Studies at Al-Azhar University in Cairo (Egypt), one of the oldest centres of Islamic learning in the world. It was a four-year programme that immersed us deeply in the Islamic scholarly tradition. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Living in Cairo meant this wasn\u2019t just something we studied; it was something we lived. Mosques were alive with advanced study circles, teachers explaining classical texts, and a strong sense of continuity with our heritage. Walking through the streets around Al-Azhar often felt like walking through history. I felt this greatly shaped my identity; my habits of reading books, intellectual curiosity, and the sense that I need to continually develop were very much shaped there.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When I returned to the UK, the transition was disorientating. I often asked myself:\u00a0what do I do with all this knowledge now?<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

No one was going to ask me about chains of narrators in hadith or complex concepts in Usul al-Fiqh (Principles of Islamic Jurisprudence). The community I came back to was facing very different struggles: emotional, relational, and psychological.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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I received a difficult call whilst doing Shaykh on the Helpline for AMINA Muslim Women’s Resource Centre<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

From Study to Service<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

I went on to complete three years of postgraduate study: an MA in Islamic Studies at the University of Aberdeen with a thesis on temporary marriage in Sunni and Shi\u2018i traditions, a Master\u2019s in Philosophy at the University of Glasgow with a thesis on the Euthyphro dilemma in moral philosophy, and a Diploma in Contextual Islamic Studies and Leadership at Cambridge Muslim College<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Of these, the Cambridge diploma was perhaps the most relevant and enjoyable. It was practical, community focused, and bridged traditional learning with real life leadership.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Alongside my studies, I did a range of work. I was a panelist on BBC radio talk shows, took part in interfaith events, taught Islamic Studies to adults, and was involved in a Glasgow project called \u201cShaykh on the Helpline.\u201d Once a month, women of faith would call to share problems and seek advice. I had no formal counselling training then, but I listened and responded as best I could.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One call has always stayed with me. A sister disclosed horrific sexual abuse and explained that her abuser had married her sister. \u201cWill I get justice in the hereafter?\u201d she asked. I sensed she already knew the answer. What she needed was a space to process what had happened. That call left a lasting impression.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I felt it was way out of my depth. My scholarly training did not equip me to deal with trauma or to hold a safe space in which a person could be listened to with deep empathy. I realised then that I needed further training.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Fingal\u2019s Cave (Isle of Staffa, Scotland) My COSCA journey coincided with me beginning to explore Scotland<\/em>.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The Turn Toward Counselling<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

By 2016, back in Glasgow, I was asking myself what to do next. Counselling had never been the plan, but my work made me realise I needed to upskill. As a scholar, I also attend and conducted many weddings, and over the years, couples would approach me with relational issues long before they ever considered formal therapy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At one wedding I sat next to a CBT therapist. We spoke for two hours. I was fascinated by the overlap with Islamic spirituality. He even linked ideas back to our tradition. I went home inspired and applied for the COSCA Counselling Skills Certificate, my first formal step into counselling.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The course ran once a week for a year and was a real eye opener. The class was diverse, medics, social workers, lecturers, all wanting to improve listening and empathy. I was the only Muslim.<\/strong> I especially loved the triad work, counsellor, client, observer, which was practical and reflective.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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After COSCA, a bigger decision followed:\u00a0what kind of therapist\u00a0<\/span><\/strong>do I want to become?<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

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Meeting students after leading Jumu\u2018ah Salah (Friday Prayer) at Heriot Watt University at Oriam.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Why Relationship Counselling Made Sense<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Around that time I had also become a Muslim Chaplain at Heriot Watt University, professionally based in the Wellbeing Centre. Being surrounded by counsellors and attending wellbeing meetings gave me a window into how the profession actually works and entails.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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When I looked at training routes, CBT, person centred, Gestalt, I felt overwhelmed. But one pathway immediately made sense, a Diploma in Relationship Counselling.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It felt like the right bridge between my background and the reality I was seeing in the community. For years, as an Imam in Glasgow and Edinburgh, I had often been an informal mediator for couples. This training would allow me to do that work professionally, with structure, theory, and accountability, not just good intentions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Through Relationships Scotland, I had the opportunity to work with both individuals and couples, and I still work with the organisation. to this day.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Diploma in Relationship Counselling (Relationships Scotland)<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

This was a two and a half year programme with Relationships Scotland, the country\u2019s largest provider of counselling and mediation, accredited by Edinburgh Napier University. It was practical, rooted in real family life, and consistently linked theory to what actually happens in the therapy room.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Each module included essays and reflective pieces. For the final module, I wrote a case study applying theory to practice and the use of supervision. I also presented on menopause and its impact on couples (don\u2019t ask how I got that topic! \ud83d\ude02).<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Practice Requirements & Support<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

This wasn\u2019t just academic. It was deeply practical, with strong support structures:<\/p>\n\n\n\n