Schema Therapy in the Arab World – Any Modification Needed?

Schema Therapy is a modern, rapidly spreading, integrative psychotherapy. The International Society of Schema Therapy (ISST) lists members from 72 countries from all cultures. One of its most powerful tools is correcting and “reparenting” negative schemas, that are rooted in bad childhood experiences.

Undoubtedly Schema Therapy has a transcultural unifying power. On the other hand, as we could recently realize at the Football World Championship, there are profound gaps between Arab and Western values, lifestyles and identities. Sensitive topics, cultural traditions, city-rural divergences, different family and gender models even in a changing world may influence the therapist-client interactions much more than the Western Schema Therapy trainer might be aware of.

A recent ISST work group claimed that the principles and mode definitions of Schema Therapy would/should be transculturally and globally applicable to any population.

In this workshop we will question and discuss whether this is really the case:

Christoph Fuhrhans, working as Schema Therapy trainer in Arab countries; Ahmed Hanafy, first certified Egyptian Schema Therapist, and Rola Qawasmi & Sherein Abdeen, who work with Schema Therapy in Palestine, will present a set of repetitive critical points and underline them with case vignettes from their daily work:

Dealing with problematic parenting figures in emotional activating techniques (Input: S. Abdeen, C. Fuhrhans)
Dealing with clients that are staying in abusive families – a case of “breaking free” (Input: R. Quawasmi)
Religious views and parental bonding, incl. grief and loss (Input: A. Hanafy)
What is a “Healthy Adult” mode, and how gender-related is it? (Input: A. Hanafy, C. Fuhrhans)

After a short input to each point we will discuss with the audience the possibilities, limitations, challenges and opportunities of Schema Therapy in the Arab world.

Presentation Type

Workshop

Language of Presentation

About Speaker

Christoph Fuhrhans,Ahmed Hanafy,Sherein Abdeen,Rola Qawasmi

Christoph Fuhrhans, Switzerland/Germany studied medicine, philosophy, art history and comparative literature in Kiel, Vienna and Berlin. As a psychiatrist and psychotherapist he works since 2008 as Schema Therapist, Schema Therapy trainer and supervisor and is the founder and leader of the “Schema Therapy Institute East Switzerland”. Leader of the Schema Therapy certification training programs in Palestine (since 2018) and in Egypt (since 2020). His major regions of interest are the cultural backgrounds of psychotherapy, current developments of psychotherapy and Schema Therapy in Arab countries. He lives in Winterthur/Switzerland. Ahmed Hanafy, Egypt Ph.D. and Master in Clinical Psychology, Cairo University, founder of Egyptian Institute of Cognitive Therapies, and leader of Egyptian Institute of Schema Therapy, certified advanced Schema Therapist, supervisor (ISST), and trainer of CBT, senior clinical psychologist at Maudsley Clinic Abu Dhabi. Sherein Abdeen, Palestine Psychotherapist with Master’s Degree in Community Mental Health from Alquds University, worked as a trainer in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, school mental health programs, and Positive Parenting programs. Has been teacher of M.D. students at Alquds university, accomplished three programs from Berlin University with the cooperation of TRC, and PCC , in psychodrama, Supervision and group therapy. Attended a three years program of gender identity and recently accomplished a three years program in Hadassa for child and adolescents psychotherapy and currently attends the continuous postgraduate Schema Therapy program of ISTOS Switzerland at Alquds University. Rola Quawasmi, Palestine Psychologist and Psychotherapist in MA training of Community Mental Health at Alquds University, worked many years as a social worker at school, transcultural experience from Granada Summer Academy (J. Burmeister), currently attends the continuous postgraduate Schema Therapy program of ISTOS Switzerland at Alquds University, lives and works in Ramallah/West Bank.

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