The Integration of the Heart-Centered Paradigm of Sufi Psychology in Contemporary Psychotherapy Practice

Maktab Tarighat Oveyssi (M.T.O) Sufi Psychology provides a psychological method based on the teachings of the M.T.O Shahmaghsoudi School of Islamic Sufism. Sufi Psychology aims to address physical and spiritual aspects of patients in order to foster a sense of identity that is not limited to a diagnostic status or an emotional state. The present work provides an overview of what Sufi Psychology is and how it builds on current gold-standard psychotherapeutic practices. We also present data from a bottom-up, practice-based observational study in which male and female patients from various cultural and religious backgrounds received Sufi Psychotherapy and provided self-report measures of distress, perceived stress, hope, and resilience. Results from multilevel models fit to examine within- and between-person variance and change over time indicated significant reductions in therapeutic, relationship, psychological, spiritual, and critical distress. Hope and resilience were already high at baseline, and no significant changes in these measures were found. This work serves as a foundational model for future research and writings on Sufi Psychology, as the evidence base is extremely limited, with directives for research models to further demonstrate the efficacy of this treatment approach.