Psychotherapy in culturally diverse Türkiye: A qualitative study of female Muslim clients' experiences

Turkey is a multicultural society. Successful assessment and treatment of Turkish clients require the knowledge, understanding, and appreciation of their unique cultural backgrounds. However, there is a dearth of research focusing on the experiences of psychotherapy clients of a particular cultural group who share unique values, beliefs, and norms. In a society that places significant importance on the differentiation between the secular and the religious, women who wear headscarves and openly display their religious affiliations form a unique cultural subgroup in Turkey. This study focused on the psychotherapy experiences of nine highly educated religious women. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with each participant in order to explore their lived experiences in psychotherapy, and they were analyzed following the principle of Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis. As a result, five main themes emerged: 1) Standing against Headwinds, 2) Apprehensions, 3) In Search of the Tailwind - the Right Therapist, 4) Elephant in the Room: Shared Values, and 5) Change of Wind: Indigenous Approach to Psychotherapy. The participants shared traumatic experiences associated with being a woman wearing a Muslim headscarf in secular society, including unpleasant encounters with psychotherapists. They expressed strong concerns that therapists would not understand, judge, and misdirect them. Thus, finding the right therapist who shares the same values was a particularly important theme for them. The shared values with their therapists have been highly effective in fostering trust and developing a positive and strong therapeutic relationship. The study's findings offer valuable insights for mental health professionals, particularly when working with religious clients. Keywords: Therapist-clients cultural match, Shared values, Devout Muslim clients, Headscarf, Indigenous psychotherapy