Introduction to Bridging Creativity: Cross-Cultural Work with Muslim & Middle Eastern Communities

Sara Powell

The Centre for Creative Therapeutic Practice is honoured to partner with Sara Powell to bring you this “must do” CPD course for those looking to strengthen their cross cultural competency. As an art therapist, trainer, supervisor and founder of ATIC Psychological Centre in the Middle East Sara deepens this unique training by sharing  her own lived experience of being “a third culture kid” 

As someone committed to fostering cross-cultural understanding, who embodies a cross-cultural existence and identity, I’m thrilled to offer this one-day training designed to provide professionals with a broadening of cultural understanding on beliefs and religious influences when working with Middle Eastern Muslim communities and those who identify as Muslim. This course offers an opportunity to explore the nuances of cultural sensitivity and integration of these insights into therapeutic practices.

The driver for offering this training is the significant barriers that continues to exist in mental health care, one being a lack of cultural competency, to varying degree. Our research has revealed that many therapists experience anxiety when working cross-culturally, especially with clients whose religiosity or spirituality is an integral part of their identity, which may differ from our own worldview.

For example, for many Muslim clients, where culture is often deeply informed by religious principles, therapist anxiety can manifest as discomfort or hesitancy within the therapeutic alliance, resulting in missed opportunities for making connection and even delay the onset of healing.

Clients can sense this unease, which can result in feelings of mistrust or may even lead to reluctance to engage in therapy. Muslim clients, in particular, may feel misunderstood or judged, or stifled especially when the therapy session touch upon their spiritual or cultural values. These dynamics can create significant barriers and prevent clients from fully accessing the benefits of therapy and even leave therapists feeling inadequate due to a lack of knowledge in bridging this gap.  

Throughout this course, we will address these challenges head-on. Together, we will also explore the complexities of acculturation and assimilation, and unpack how Islamic principles inform cultural identity, and learn strategies for fostering empathy and connection within the therapeutic alliance. Participants will also gain practical tools for integrating art as a culturally responsive medium, allowing clients to express themselves in ways that honour their beliefs and traditions.

This training aims to break down the barriers that can make cross-cultural work challenging. By developing greater cultural understanding, competence and sensitivity, therapists can create spaces where clients lead and feel understood, respected, and empowered to heal as a whole. It’s a journey of growth, both for therapists and the communities we serve. 

I look forward to welcoming you 

Read more and book this course here