1. Psychological therapies in a multicultural multi-faith society Suman Fernando Honorary Professor, Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities London Metropolitan University Former Senior Lecturer in Mental Health, European Centre Study for Migration and Social Care (MASC) University of Kent & Consultant Psychiatrist, Chase Farm Hospital, Enfield Middlesex Website: www.sumanfernando.com

2. Topics to be covered Western tradition in therapy What mental health means The way forward to improve therapies Plurality of services Service-user choice Blending (‘fusion’) of different approaches

3. CULTURE AND ‘MIND’ WESTERN TRADITION EASTERN TRADITION ‘MIND’ & ‘BODY’ Distinct entitiesIndivisible whole ANALYSIS ReductionistHolistic TOOLS FOR STUDY ObjectiveSubjective SPIRITUALITY Ref: Fernando, S. (2008) ‘Meanings and realities’ in S. Fernando & F. Keating (eds.) Mental Health in a multi-ethnic Society, Brunner- Routledge, London Add-onIntegral

4. CULTURE OF WESTERN PSYCHOLOGY & PSYCHIATRY Mind-body dichotomy ‘Natural’ (understandable) causes of illness / distress Mechanistic view of life: cause and effect Materialistic concept of mind (more-or-less) Segmental approach to ‘mind’ Spirituality as a ‘thing’ apart from person

5. IDEALS OF MENTAL HEALTH IDEALS OF MENTAL HEALTH Fernando, S. (2009) ‘Meanings and realities’ in S. Fernando & F. Keating (eds.) Mental Health in a multi-ethnic Society, Brunner-Routledge, London p. 22 Eastern traditions Integration and Harmony between persons between families within societies In relation to spiritual values Social integration Balanced functioning Protection and caring Western traditions Self-sufficiency Personal autonomy Efficiency Self esteem 5

6. ‘CULTURE’ IN THE CONTEXT OF ‘MENTAL HEALTH’ NOT A CLOSED SYSTEM THAT CAN BE DEFINED CLEARLY NOT JUST TRADITIONAL VALUES, BELIEFS AND PRACTICES Living, dynamic and changing system of values and worldviews that people live by, create and re-create A system in which people define their identities and negotiate their lives Systems of knowledge & practice that provide individuals with conceptual tools for self-understanding and rhetorical possibilities for self- preservation and social positioning References Kirmayer, L. (2006) ‘Culture and Psychotherapy in a Creolizing World’, Transcultural Psychiatry, 43(2), 163-168 See Fernando, S. (2010) Mental Health, Race and Culture third edition Palgrave- Macmillan, Basingstoke pp. 9-13. 6

7. Mental illness in Islamic Medicine 10 – 13 th Centuries: Concept of ‘mental illness’ Blending of humoral & biological concepts (via Bedouin folk medicine, Islamic teaching and Hippocratic-Galenic concepts) ‘union of science and religion’ (Graham, 1967) Maristans (=mental hospitals) in Bagdad, Cairo, Aleppo, Granada, etc. References Dols, 1987, 1992; Ellenberger, 1972; Fernando, 2007; Graham, 1967 See Fernando, S. (2010) Mental Health Race and Culture, third edition, Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan p. 48-51. See http://sumanfernando@btinternet.com Articles from Openmind)http://sumanfernando@btinternet.com 7

8. Psychological therapies: Tentative conclusions Dissatisfaction with traditional therapies Demand for ‘holistic’ approaches Demand for ‘spirituality’ --------- Context of individualisation of therapy ---------- Fusion of religious and medical approaches? Plurality of systems with user-choice?