1
Counseling Arab Americans:
Diversity, Treatment Goals, & Interventions
MICROTRAINING ASSOCIATES, INC
c/o KINETICVIDEO.COM
E-mail: info@kineticvideo.com
Website: www.kineticvideo.com
© 2008 Sylvia Nassar-McMillan
Julie Hakim-Larson
Leader Guide
Sylvia Nassar-McMillan, Ph.D., LPC, NCC, ACS
North Carolina State University
Julie Hakim-Larson, Ph.D., LP, C. Psych.
University of Windsor
Video Title:
Counseling Arab Americans: Diversity, Treatment Goals, & Interventions
Video Authors:
Sylvia Nassar-McMillan, Ph.D., LPC, NCC, ACS
Julie Hakim-Larson, Ph.D., LP, C. Psych.
Video Description:
In the post 9-11 climate, individuals and families of Arab American descent are both
increasingly profiled and misunderstood. In Counseling Arab Americans, authors present
three modules on Arab American demographics and other diversity, Arab American
culture, and sociopolitical background. Actual therapist interviews then examine common
mental health issues, typical treatment goals, appropriate interventions, and helpful
cultural knowledge. Implications for practice and resource modules complete the
program. This video provides both background information and practical perspectives
essential to success in working with Arab American clients. The modular format lends
itself to variable uses and settings. Leader Guide provided. A companion video,
Counseling Arab Americans II: Clinical Vignettes, provides rich demonstrations of the
content provided in Counseling Arab Americans, and illustrates mental health issues,
treatment goals and interventions, and cultural knowledge.
2
POWERPOINT SLIDES (as presented on video)
Overview of Video:
Part I: Who are Arab Americans?
Demographics & diversity
Culture
Sociopolitical past & present
Part II: Voices from the Field
Therapist interviews
Part III: Implications for Practice
Counseling considerations
Local and national resources
Part I: Who are Arab Americans?
Demographics & Diversity: League of Arab States
Demographics & Diversity: Waves & Communities
Demographics & Diversity: Demographic Variables
Age
Education
Income
Marriage
Religions & traditions
Islamic Holidays
Eid al-Fitr: the end of the holy month of Ramadan
Eid al-Adha: the end of the pilgrimage to Mecca
Arab American Culture
Middle East & Islam
5 Pillars of Islam
Arab Values:
Collectivism (family & community)
Religious faiths & practices
Educational & economic achievement
Civic contributions
5 Pillars of Islam
Shahadah: declaration of faith
Salat: 5 times daily formal worship
Sawm: fasting during the month of Ramadan
Zahah: charitable contributions toward economic justice
Hajj: pilgrimage to Mecca
3
Sociopolitical Background
Historical issues: Islam & the West
Critical incidents: politics & immigration
Current events:
9-11 & civil liberties
Iraq
Palestine
Census Classifications of Arab Americans Over Time
Turkey in Asia
Syrian
Asiatic
Colored
Other
European American
Part II: Voices from the Field [Therapist Interviews]
Question 1: What are the top 4 mental health issues facing Arab Americans since
the tragedy of 9-11?
Question 2: What are the typical treatment goals for your Arab American clients?
Question 3: What methods, techniques, or therapy approaches seem best suited
for counseling Arab American clients?
Question 4: How have you used your knowledge of Arabic culture to help you to
intervene with your clients?
Part III: Implications for Practice
Multicultural Education, Training, Research, Practice, & Organizational Change
1) Cultural awareness
2) Multicultural responsiveness
3) Multiculturalism & diversity in education
4) Culturally sensitive research
5) Culturally sensitive clinical practice
6) Culturally sensitive policy development
Resources
Arab American Institute
American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee
Council on Islamic Education
AMIDEAST
U.S. Commission on Civil Rights
4
[POWERPOINT SLIDES with Additional Notes;
Suggestions for Instructional Strategy—stop DVD after each portion & “quiz”
students on key points as well as personal reactions]
Overview of Video:
Part I: Who are Arab Americans? [begins at :25; runs approx. 24 min.]
Demographics & diversity
Culture
Sociopolitical past & present
Part II: Voices from the Field [begins at 24:24; runs approx. 35 min.]
Therapist interviews
Part III: Implications for Practice [begins at 59: 35; runs approx. 10 min.]
Counseling considerations
Local and national resources
Part I: Who are Arab Americans?
Demographics & Diversity: League of Arab States
[●for a map of the League, see www.worldatlas.com;
●Arab Middle East is more accurate than Middle East which
encompasses other non Arab and League Countries such as
Turkey and Israel;
● “Arab” and “Muslim” are not synonymous terms]
Demographics & Diversity: Immigration Waves & Communities
[●4 waves of immigration, 1. turn of century, uneducated
Christian laborers—embraced new traditions; 2. & 3., post
WWII & mid-60’s, primarily educated Muslims—
professionally “assimilated” but maintained personal &
social traditions; 4. recent refugee groups from Lebanon &
Iraq, less likely to “assimilate”
●Largest groups from Lebanon, Syria, then Egypt,
Palestine, Morocco, & Iraq
●Largest communities/enclaves in California, Florida,
Michigan, New Jersey, New York, Illinois, Massachusetts,
Ohio, Pennsylvania, Texas]
Demographics & Diversity: Demographic variables
Age [● younger & more foreign born than other ethnic groups]
Education [● somewhat higher levels than national averages]
Income [● somewhat higher levels than national averages]
Marriage [● lower divorce rates than national averages]
5
Religions & traditions
[● for more information and to view pie chart, see Arab American
Institute, http://www.aaiusa.org/arab-americans/22/demographics;
● vast majority of Arab Americans are Christian, then Muslim,
then Orthodox; Christian Arabs celebrate both typical U.S. and
cultural traditions
● Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha are most important Muslim holidays
Islamic Holidays
Eid al-Fitr: the end of the holy month of Ramadan
Eid al-Adha: the end of the pilgrimage to Mecca
Arab American Culture
Middle East & Islam
[● “Muslim” and “Arab” not interchangeable;
●Islam influenced early Arab society;
5 Pillars of Islam
[● faith, daily worship, fasting, economic justice, pilgrimage to
Mecca]
Arab Values:
Collectivism (family & community)
Religious faiths & practices
Educational & economic achievement
Civic contributions
5 Pillars of Islam
Shahadah: declaration of faith
Salat: 5 times daily formal worship
Sawm: fasting during the month of Ramadan
Zahah: charitable contributions toward economic justice
Hajj: pilgrimage to Mecca
Sociopolitical Background
Historical issues: Islam & the West
Critical incidents: politics & immigration
Current events:
9-11 & civil liberties
Iraq
Palestine
Census Classifications of Arab Americans Over Time
Turkey in Asia
Other
Syrian
European American/White
Asiatic
Colored
6
Part II: Voices from the Field [Therapist Interviews]
[Therapists: Sandra Amen-Bryan, M.A., LLP; Ray Kamoo, Ph.D., LP]
Question 1: What are the top 4 mental health issues facing Arab Americans since
the tragedy of 9-11?
[●shortly after 9-11, fear, prejudice & discrimination were heightened;
● other main issues, especially for newer immigrants—cultural
assimilation, dating, bicultural parenting, cultural clashes, and cultural
identity
● for later generation clients, more typical non-ethnic issues such as
depression, divorce, etc.]
Therapist: Sandra Amen-Bryan, M.A.
Question 2: What are the typical treatment goals for your Arab American clients?
[● understanding clients’ perceptions of “fitting” in to larger culture &
discerning
their commitment to their cultural heritage, assessing how that impacts
issues;
● ongoing assessment of their issues & generating practical solutions]
Therapist: Sandra Amen-Bryan, M. A., LLP
Question 3: What methods, techniques, or therapy approaches seem best suited
for counseling Arab American clients?
[● supportive psychotherapy & validation
● psychodynamic approaches typically less effective with many Arab
Americans
● constant mindfulness of mental health “stigmas”]
Therapist: Sandra Amen-Bryan, M.A., LLP
Question 4: How have you used your knowledge of Arabic culture to help you to
intervene with your clients?
[● example of a situation in which a person struggled with her ethnic
identity—cultural conflicts—and personal understanding of relevant
cultural issues & struggles proved helpful in validating the client’s issues
7
Part III: Implications for Practice
Counseling Considerations
Impacts of Oppression: Risk & Resilience
[● Risks: status in U.S., Discrimination trauma, fear;
● Resiliency: social support, identity development
Multicultural Education, Training, Research, Practice, & Organizational Change
[American Psychologist, 2003]
1) Cultural awareness
2) Multicultural responsiveness
3) Multiculturalism & diversity in education
4) Culturally sensitive research
5) Culturally sensitive clinical practice
6) Culturally sensitive policy development
Resources
Arab American Institute
American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee
Council on Islamic Education
AMIDEAST
U.S. Commission on Civil Rights
8
[Much of the information from this video was based on the following sources:
Nassar-McMillan, S. C. (in press). Counseling Arab Americans. Houghton
Mifflin/Lahaska Press.
Nassar-McMillan, S. C. (in press). Applying the multicultural guidelines to Arab
American populations. In D. W. Sue & M. G. Constantine (Eds.) Multicultural
Competencies for Working with People of Color: Clinical Practice Implications.
Teachers College Press.
For Additional Relevant Resources, please also see:
Hakim-Larson, J. & Nassar-McMillan, S. (in press). Middle Eastern Americans.
In G. McAuliffe (Ed.), Culturally Alert Counseling. Thousand Oaks: Sage.
Jamil, H., Nassar-McMillan, S. C., & Lambert, R. G. (2007). Immigration and
Attendant Psychological Sequalae: A Comparison of Three Waves of Iraqi Immigrants.
Journal of Orthopsychiatry.
Nassar-McMillan, S. C. (2003). Counseling Arab Americans. In N. A. Vacc, S.
B. DeVaney, & J. M. Brendel (Eds.). Counseling Multicultural and Diverse Populations
(4th ed., pp. 117-139) Brunner-Routledge: New York.
Nassar-McMillan, S. C. (2003). Counseling Arab Americans: Counselors’ Call
for Advocacy and Social Justice. Denver: Love Publishing.