What are the intersections of faith, culture and counselling? Myira Khan and Mick Cooper—with Nicola Blunden as Chair—explore our personal identities as a Muslim woman and Jewish man, and how this intersects with our professional training and identities. Through open dialogue, we discuss how global events shape our clinical practice and the unique perspectives we bring to the therapeutic space and training by our faith and cultural identities. We also talk about the prejudices and microaggressions we have faced in the counselling and professional world beyond.
How does identity impact on professional life? Myira and Mick reveal the weight of representation and the complexities of navigating professional spaces with unique cultural and faith perspectives. We share personal accounts of the delicate balance between being voices for our communities and individual expression. We confront the invisible struggles and stereotypes faced in interfaith spaces, and emphasize the importance of privilege awareness and proactive steps to dismantle harmful biases.
In this thought-provoking episode, we culminate with rich discussions about the personal significance of religious attire, such as Myira’s choice to wear the hijab, and the judgments faced by individuals. Our exchange underlines the importance of compassion and open communication in training and counselling services. Join us to understand the emotional and mental challenges practitioners face to celebrate the value of community and support among peers across different faiths and cultures, and the profound impact on existence and belonging.
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Myira is a multi-award-winning Accredited Counsellor, Supervisor, Coach and Counselling Tutor, and the Founder of the Muslim Counsellor and Psychotherapist Network (MCAPN).
Myira works in private practice, under her organisations ‘Myira Khan Counselling’ and ‘Grow to Glow’ and has over 12 years of clinical experience. Myira also delivers workshops and events internationally and is a regular speaker and facilitator at national conferences. As the Founder of the Muslim Counsellor and Psychotherapist Network (MCAPN), Myira runs the network for Muslim counsellors, therapists and psychologists, offering support, CPD opportunities and raising the visibility of Muslim practitioners. A visibly Muslim ethnically-minoritized practitioner, Myira represents a diversity within the therapeutic and coaching professions, promoting counselling and coaching to ethnically-minoritized, Muslim and under-represented marginalised communities and clients.
For a full list of publications and media contributions, conference and event appearances, and social media and podcast appearances, please see Myira’s website: Publications and Media: www.myirakhancounselling.co.uk/publications-and-media Conference and Event Appearances: www.myirakhancounselling.co.uk/conference-event-appearances Social Media and Podcasts: www.myirakhancounselling.co.uk/social-media-podcast-appearances For a full list of awards, please see: www.myirakhancounselling.co.uk/about-myira-khan-counselling
Person-Centred Pluralistic Therapist, Supervisor and Trainer – will be presenting a 90-minute Practice in Research Workshop titled: “Working Pluralistically with Parts of Self – A Collaborative Space.”
The Therapy and Social Change (TaSC) Network is a broad affiliation of people interested in exploring the interface between therapeutic ideas and practices and social justice perspectives and actions. We are interested both in the ways that counselling and psychotherapy can be practiced with social justice concerns in mind (for instance, tackling unconscious biases in the consulting room), and also in the ways that therapeutic principles and practices can be extended out to the wider social realm (for instance, developing social and emotional literacy in schools).
