Modern secular psychotherapy, while aimed at alleviating emotional and psychological suffering, is not without its faults. Many secular and religious professionals alike have criticised the field for promoting certain pernicious traits that contribute to the erosion of moral responsibility, spiritual awareness, and communal ties. Among the most concerning traits fostered by contemporary therapeutic models are narcissism, individualism, consumerism, emotivism, egoism, instrumentalism, victimism, irresponsibilism, and atheism.
From an Islamic perspective, these traits are not merely undesirable- they are spiritually destructive. The Qur’an and Sunnah provide clear guidance on the virtues and values that lead to holistic well-being, both in this world and the Hereafter. Therapies that inadvertently encourage self-obsession, blame-shifting, or spiritual apathy not only fail to heal but actively harm the soul. Muslim professionals in the field of counselling must therefore be critically aware of these dangers and strive to avoid them by grounding their practice in authentic Islamic principles.
1. Narcissism: The Cult of the Self
Narcissism is characterised by an excessive preoccupation with one’s own feelings, experiences, and self-esteem, often at the expense of others. While therapy is meant to foster self-awareness, many secular modern approaches inadvertently promote narcissistic tendencies by encouraging individuals to prioritise their own desires, emotions, and self-validation above all else. The relentless focus on self-esteem and self-love, detached from spiritual and moral accountability, can foster arrogance and self-obsession.
In Islam, such self-centeredness is strongly condemned. The Prophet ﷺ warned against arrogance and self-glorification:
“No one who has an atom’s weight of arrogance in his heart will enter Paradise.” (Muslim)
Islam promotes tawadhu (humility) and selflessness, encouraging believers to prioritise the needs and rights of others. True self-worth in Islam is not measured by self-admiration but by taqwa (God-consciousness) and servitude to Allah:
“Indeed, the most noble of you in the sight of Allah is the most righteous of you.” (49:13)
Therapy that encourages self-glorification and excessive self-focus promotes the disease of narcissism, which distances the heart from humility and genuine compassion.
2. Individualism: The Fragmentation of Community
Modern secular therapy often emphasises individualism- the prioritisation of personal needs and desires over communal obligations. While personal boundaries and self-care are important, the overemphasis on autonomy can lead to a diminished sense of social responsibility. Clients are often encouraged to prioritise their “personal happiness” even at the expense of family ties or communal obligations.
Islam teaches that human beings are inherently social creatures, bound by the ties of kinship and collective responsibility. The Qur’an commands believers to uphold family ties:
“And fear Allah, through whom you ask one another, and the wombs. Indeed, Allah is ever, over you, an Observer.” (Nisa 4:1)
The Prophet ﷺ emphasised the importance of bearing one another’s burdens:
“The believers, in their mutual love, mercy, and compassion, are like a single body. When one part of it feels pain, the rest of the body suffers in sleeplessness and fever.” (Muslim)
Therapy that promotes radical individualism fractures this communal bond, fostering self-interest at the expense of social cohesion.
3. Consumerism: The Empty Self
Therapeutic models influenced by consumerist values often treat individuals as consumers of experiences, pleasure, and self-fulfilment. This fosters an insatiable desire for more- more happiness, more validation, more self-enhancement. Clients are encouraged to “fill” their emotional void with activities, relationships, or material indulgences, promoting a hedonistic and materialistic outlook.
From an Islamic perspective, this pursuit of insatiable consumption is spiritually destructive. The Prophet (
ﷺ warned against the love of worldly excess:
“If the son of Adam had two valleys full of wealth, he would desire a third. Nothing will fill the belly of Adam’s son except dust.” (Bukhari)
Islam teaches contentment (qana’ah) and detachment from materialism. Therapy that encourages self-fulfilment through consumption ultimately promotes spiritual impoverishment.
4. Emotivism: Feelings as Moral Authorities
Emotivism refers to the tendency to prioritise feelings over objective moral or spiritual principles. In modern secular therapy, emotions are often elevated to the status of personal truths. Phrases like “live your truth” or “trust your feelings” encourage individuals to make decisions based on transient emotions rather than enduring moral values.
In Islam, while emotions are acknowledged as part of the human experience, they are not regarded as infallible guides. The Qur’an warns against following baseless whims and desires:
“And do not follow desire, lest it lead you astray from the way of Allah.” (38:26)
The Prophet ﷺ also taught that true wisdom lies in self-restraint, not emotional indulgence:
“The strong person is not the one who overcomes people by his strength, but the one who controls himself when he is angry.” (Bukhari)
“Love can blind and make a person deaf” (Abu Dawud)
Therapy that encourages individuals to make decisions purely based on feelings rather than principles promotes impulsivity and weakens moral resolve.
5. Egoism: The Primacy of Self-Interest
Egoism places self-interest above all else. Many therapeutic approaches promote self-prioritisation, encouraging individuals to pursue their personal goals and ambitions, even if it comes at the expense of others. This fosters selfishness and undermines selflessness, a core Islamic virtue.
In Islam, true greatness lies in serving others, not prioritising the self. The Prophet (ﷺ) said:
“The best of people are those who are most beneficial to others.” (Musnad Ahmad)
Islamic counselling must counteract egoism by promoting ithar (altruism) and self-sacrifice for the sake of others, which leads to spiritual elevation.
6. Instrumentalism: Using Others for Gain
Instrumentalism refers to viewing others as mere instruments for personal gain. Some therapeutic models encourage clients to manipulate their relationships for self-benefit, fostering emotional detachment and utilitarianism.
Islam commands sincerity and compassion in dealing with others. The Qur’an repeatedly warns against insincerity and exploitation:
“Woe to those who give less [than due], who, when they take a measure from people, take in full. But if they give by measure or by weight to them, they cause loss.” (83:1-3)
Therapy that promotes utilitarian or instrumental views of relationships encourages spiritual corruption and undermines authentic human connections.
7. Victimism: Abdicating Responsibility
Victimism encourages individuals to externalise blame, seeing themselves as perpetual victims of circumstances or others. While acknowledging genuine trauma is essential, a culture of victimhood fosters resentment and entitlement rather than resilience and accountability.
Islam teaches that while individuals may suffer injustice, they must take responsibility for their own reactions and strive for spiritual growth through trials:
“No calamity befalls except by the permission of Allah. And whoever believes in Allah, He will guide his heart.” (64:11)
Therapy that encourages perpetual victimhood undermines accountability and fosters spiritual stagnation.
8. Irresponsibilism: The Denial of Accountability
Modern secular therapy sometimes promotes irresponsibilism- the idea that individuals are not fully accountable for their actions due to psychological or social factors. While recognising mitigating factors is important, denying personal accountability contradicts Islamic teachings on moral responsibility.
The Qur’an emphasises individual accountability:
“And no bearer of burdens will bear the burden of another.” (6:164)
9. Atheism: The Secular Void
Finally, modern therapy, by its secular nature, overlooks, ignores or marginalises spirituality. By ignoring the soul’s needs, it promotes an inherently atheistic or agnostic view of human nature, reducing the human being to a biological and psychological entity.
Islamic therapy must counter this by prioritising the soul’s needs, reconnecting clients to their Creator, and promoting reliance on Allah as the ultimate source of healing.
Modern therapy, when divorced from spirituality and morality, promotes traits that are antithetical to Islamic values. Muslim therapists must critically engage with these models, rejecting their harmful traits while incorporating Islamic principles of humility, accountability, and spiritual growth. True healing lies not in self-worship but in servitude to Allah, the source of all healing.
