Programme Outline

The Spring Foundation Islamic Psychology and Counselling postgraduate programme is designed for not only for mental health professionals, psychologists, psychotherapists, psychiatrists, and counsellors, but also for Islamic scholars, imams, Muslim clergy, Muslim chaplains, Muslim pastors, any Muslim who would like to apply Islamic-scientific psychology and counselling in da’wah, tarbiah, and charity activities, as far as the professional ethical guidelines allow. No psychology or counselling background required but those with mental health professional background may obtained certain continuing professional development (CPD) points. The programme aims to provide an overview of Islamic-scientific psychology, an Islamic-scientific evaluation of major perspectives in contemporary psychology, and practical issues in applying Islamic-scientific psychology to counselling, psychotherapy, and other areas of applied psychology. At Spring Foundation, we recognise that the professionals who may attend the conversion diploma will have vast array of experiences and awareness on their area of work; the course will provide an authentic methodology to amalgamate the conventional and Islamic practices which is faithful to both the context and the Islamic tradition.

Spring Foundation is offering three levels of expertise in this programme:

  • Licensed Islamic psychosocial supporters – completed 8 modules, 2,000-3,000 essays and video-recorded role-play.
  • Licensed Islamic professional counsellors - completed 8 modules, 2,000-3,000 essays, video-recorded role-play, and 40-hour online supervised practice.
  • Licensed Islamic-scientific professional counsellors - completed 8 modules, 2,000-3,000 essays, video-recorded role-play, and 40-hour online supervised practice, additional 2 Islamic studies modules, plus supervised research project
As the graduates go into their professional work, the Muslim community will recognise those who have gone through this process and achieve various types of licensure as qualified and trustworthy professionals. This will provide the community confidence and assurance that these qualified professionals will help them to demystify the issue of mental health within the society. 

MONTH 1

An Introduction to Islamic-Scientific Psychology

Week 1A
Week 1B

Overview of Islamic Scientific Psychology

Aims/Objectives
To acquaint the student with a high level overview of Islamic-scientific psychology

  • Compare and contrast various approaches to Islamisation of psychology 
  • Compare and contrast various definitions of psychology
  • Evaluate various issues and debates in secular psychology from Islamic-scientific perspective  

Coverage (5hrs for each, plus 1 hr Q&A / discussion)

  • Various approaches to Islamisation of psychology
  • Definitions of Islamic psychology and Islamic-scientific psychology
  • Issues and debates in psychology from Islamic-scientific perspective e.g. nature vs nurture, consciousness vs unconsciousness, observable behaviours vs internal mental processes, free-will vs determinism, and universalism vs uniqueness 

Islamic-scientific methods in psychology

Aims/Objectives
To develop an understanding of the philosophy and methods of research in Islamic-scientific psychology

  • Describe briefly the traditional methodology of usul fiqh, ulum Qur’an and ulum Hadith 
  • Evaluate Western philosophy of research and various psychological research methods from Islamic-scientific perspective 
  • Apply biopsychosocial-spiritual models in explaining human phenomena

Coverage (5hrs for each, plus 1 hr Q&A / discussion)

  • Introduction to usul fiqh, ulum Qur’an, and ulum Hadith and how they can contribute to the development of Islamic-scientific psychology. 
  • Positivism, social constructionism and various psychological research methods from Islamic-perspective e.g. experiment, survey, observational method, case-study, and qualitative methods together with several research issues e.g. probability in statistics, representative sample, and research ethics.
  • Biopsychosocial-spiritual model as guide to Islamic-scientific psychological research. 

MONTH 2

An Introduction to Psychological Perspectives I
(Psychodynamic Perspective, and Behavioural Perspective) with Islamic-scientific Perspective

Week 2A
Week 2B

Psychodynamic Perspective: An Islamic-scientific evaluation

Aims/Objectives
Evaluation of Psychodynamic perspective from Islamic-scientific point of view

  • Describe Islamic-scientific perspective on the influence of unconscious factors to human behaviours
  • Evaluate psychodynamic theories from Freudian psychoanalysis to neo-Freudian theories from Islamic-scientific perspective 
  • Apply psychodynamic models to counselling, psychotherapies and various psychology sub-disciplines form Islamic-scientific perspective.
  • Integrate Islamic-scientific psychodynamic model to the broader biopsychosocial-spiritual model

Coverage (5hrs for each, plus 1 hr Q&A / discussion)

  • Biography of Sigmund Freud and other neo-Freudians e.g. Carl Jung, Alfred Adler, Erik Erikson and Karen Horney
  • Historical context Freudian psychoanalysis and later psychodynamic, with addition from Islamic psychological history. 
  • Basic concepts of Freudian psychoanalysis and later psychodynamic, plus Islamic-scientific perspective
  • Psychodynamic model of health, plus Islamic-scientific perspective
  • Psychodynamic model of abnormality, plus Islamic-scientific perspective
  • Psychodynamic model of counselling and psychotherapy, plus Islamic-scientific perspective
  • Psychodynamic model in other areas of psychology, plus Islamic-scientific perspective 
  • How does Islamic-scientific psychodynamic model fit the broader biopsychosocial-spiritual model.

Behavioural Perspective: An Islamic-scientific evaluation

Aims/Objectives
Evaluation of behaviourism from Islamic-scientific point of view

  • Describe Islamic-scientific perspective on the influence of environmental factors to human behaviours
  • Evaluate behaviourism from Islamic-scientific perspective 
  • Apply behaviourism to counselling, psychotherapies and various psychology sub-disciplines from Islamic-scientific perspective.
  • Integrate Islamic-scientific behavioural model to the broader biopsychosocial-spiritual model

Coverage (5hrs for each, plus 1 hr Q&A / discussion)

  • Biography of J.B. Watson and B.F. Skinner and other behaviour therapists e.g. Joseph Wolpe and Hans Eysenck  
  • Historical context of early behaviourism and later behaviourism, with addition from Islamic psychological history. 
  • Basic concepts of behaviourism, plus Islamic-scientific perspective
  • Behavioural model of health, plus Islamic-scientific perspective
  • Behavioural model of abnormality, plus Islamic-scientific perspective
  • Behavioural model of counselling and psychotherapy, plus Islamic-scientific perspective
  • Behavioural model in other areas of psychology, plus Islamic-scientific perspective 
  • 8. How does Islamic-scientific behavioural model fit the broader biopsychosocial-spiritual model.

MONTH 3

An Introduction to Psychological Perspectives II
(Humanistic-Existentialist Perspective, and Cognitive Perspective) with Islamic-scientific Perspective

Week 3A
Week 3B

Humanistic-Existentialist Perspective: Ana Islamic-scientific evaluation

Aims/Objectives
Evaluation of Humanistic-Existentialist perspective from Islamic-scientific point of view

  • Describe Islamic-scientific perspective on the influence of self-factor to human behaviours
  • Evaluate humanistic-existentialist perspective from Islamic-scientific perspective 
  • Apply humanistic-existentialist perspective to counselling, psychotherapies and various psychology sub-disciplines from Islamic-scientific perspective
  • Integrate Islamic-scientific behavioural model to the broader biopsychosocial-spiritual model

Coverage (5hrs for each, plus 1 hr Q&A / discussion)

  • Biography of Carl Rogers and Victor Frankl 
  • Historical context of Humanistic-Existentialist perspective, with addition from Islamic psychological history. 
  • Basic concepts of humanistic-existential perspective, plus Islamic-scientific perspective
  • Humanistic-existentialist model of health, plus Islamic-scientific perspective
  • Humanistic-existentialist model of abnormality, plus Islamic-scientific perspective
  • Humanistic-existentialist model of counselling and psychotherapy, plus Islamic-scientific perspective
  • Humanistic-existentialist model in other areas of psychology, plus Islamic-scientific perspective 
  • How does Islamic-scientific humanistic-existential model fit the broader biopsychosocial-spiritual model

Cognitive Perspective: An Islamic-scientific evaluation

Aims/Objectives
Evaluation of Cognitive perspective from Islamic-scientific point of view

  • Describe Islamic-scientific perspective on the influence of cognitive factor to human behaviours
  • Evaluate cognitive perspective from Islamic-scientific perspective 
  • Apply cognitive perspective to counselling, psychotherapies and various psychology sub-disciplines from Islamic-scientific perspective
  • Integrate Islamic-scientific cognitive model to the broader biopsychosocial-spiritual model

Coverage (5hrs for each, plus 1 hr Q&A / discussion)

  • Biography of Aaron Beck and Albert Ellis
  • Historical context of cognitive-behavioural and cognitive perspectives, with addition from Islamic psychological history. 
  • Basic concepts of cognitive-behavioural and cognitive perspectives, plus Islamic-scientific perspective
  • Cognitive-behavioural and cognitive models of health, plus Islamic-scientific perspective
  • Cognitive-behavioural and cognitive models of abnormality, plus Islamic-scientific perspective
  • Cognitive-behavioural and cognitive models of counselling and psychotherapy, plus Islamic-scientific perspective
  • Cognitive-behavioural and cognitive models in other areas of psychology, plus Islamic-scientific perspective 
  • How does Islamic-scientific cognitive-behavoural and cognitive models fit the broader biopsychosocial-spiritual model.

MONTH 4

An Introduction Psychological Perspectives III
(Biological Perspective) and Islamic-Scientific Basic Psychology

Week 4A
Week 4B

Biological Perspective: An Islamic-scientific evaluation

Aims/Objectives
Evaluation of Psychodynamic perspective from Islamic-scientific point of view

  • Describe Islamic-scientific perspective on the influence of biological factor to human behaviours
  • Evaluate biological perspective from Islamic-scientific perspective 
  • Apply biological perspective to counselling, psychotherapies and various psychology sub-disciplines from Islamic-scientific perspective
  • Integrate Islamic-scientific biological model to the broader biopsychosocial-spiritual model

Coverage (5hrs for each, plus 1 hr Q&A / discussion)

  • The biological bases of behaviours (genetic, neuronal and hormonal activities)
  • Historical context of psychosurgery, drug therapy, and electro-convulsive therapy, with addition from Islamic psychological history. 
  • Basic concepts of biological perspective, plus Islamic-scientific perspective
  • Biological model of health, plus Islamic-scientific perspective
  • Biological model of abnormality, plus Islamic-scientific perspective
  • Biological model of counselling and psychotherapy, plus Islamic-scientific perspective
  • Biological model in other areas of psychology, plus Islamic-scientific perspective 
  • How does Islamic-scientific cognitive-behavioural and cognitive models fit the broader biopsychosocial-spiritual model.

Applications of biopsychosocial-spiritual perspective to basic psychology disciplines 

Aims/Objectives
Exposure to various basic psychology disciplines from Islamic-scientific perspective

  • Describe the Islamic philosophy of learning cognition, development, motivation, emotion, and society. 
  • Evaluate psychology of learning, cognitive psychology, developmental psychology, motivation and emotion, and social psychology from Islamic-scientific perspective
  • Apply biopsychosocial-spiritual model to psychology of learning, cognitive psychology, developmental psychology, motivation and emotion, and social psychology

Coverage (5hrs for each, plus 1 hr Q&A / discussion)

  • Psychology of learning: Islamic-scientific perspective
  • Cognitive psychology: Islamic-scientific perspective
  • Developmental psychology: Islamic-scientific perspective
  • Motivation and emotion: Islamic-scientific perspective
  • Social psychology: Islamic-scientific perspective

MONTH 5

An Introduction to Islamic-scientific Applied Psychology

Week 5A
Week 5B

Applications of biopsychosocial-spiritual perspective to applied psychology disciplines I 

Aims/Objectives
Exposure to various basic psychology disciplines from Islamic-scientific perspective

  • Describe the Islamic philosophy of education, health and work.    
  • Evaluate educational psychology, health psychology and work/organizational psychology from Islamic-scientific perspective
  • Apply biopsychosocial-spiritual model to educational psychology, health psychology and work/organizational psychology

Coverage (5hrs for each, plus 1 hr Q&A / discussion)

  • Educational Psychology : Islamic-scientific perspective
  • Health Psychology: Islamic-scientific perspective
  • Work/Organizational Psychology: Islamic-scientific perspective

Applications of biopsychosocial-spiritual perspective to basic psychology disciplines II

Aims/Objectives
Exposure to various basic psychology disciplines from Islamic-scientific perspective

  • Describe the Islamic philosophy of crime, sport and environment.    
  • Evaluate forensic psychology, sport psychology and environmental psychology from Islamic-scientific perspective
  • Apply biopsychosocial-spiritual model to forensic psychology, sport psychology and environmental psychology 

Coverage (5hrs for each, plus 1 hr Q&A / discussion)

  • Educational Psychology : Islamic-scientific perspective
  • Health Psychology: Islamic-scientific perspective
  • Work/Organizational Psychology: Islamic-scientific perspective

MONTH 6

An Introduction to Two Islamically-Integrated Models of Counselling and Psychotherapy

Week 6A
Week 6B

Applications of biopsychosocial-spiritual perspective/ The Human Psychological Mainframe - Holistic Islamic Psychology & Counselling. Understanding the human dimensions Part 1 

Aims/Objectives
Exposure to a Islamically informed form of therapy from Islamic-scientific perspective

  • Evaluate various perspectives on psychological problems 
  • Analysis the development of human psychology throughout the life-span and various factors that affecting it
  • Apply Islamic-scientific psychology to improve the behaviours and morals of human being

Coverage (5hrs for each, plus 1 hr Q&A / discussion)

  • Understanding Muslim presentations of psychological problems
  • Understanding the history of the development of psychology  
  • Understand the concept of illness/disease/disorder from the Islamic and psychological perspective 
  • Understanding the world of Islamic Psychology with an appraisal of contemporary understanding of it 
  • Exploring the human developmentally, from pre-birth to old age, with analysis of their influences 
  • Describe the different stages of human development, as well as age-related changes and problems. 

The Human Psychological Mainframe - Holistic Islamic Psychology & Counselling. Understanding the human dimensions Part 2

Aims/Objectives
Exposure to the human being from the Qur’anic text

  • Survey the various dimensions of the human being in the Qur’an
  • Analysis the verses in psychological terms 
  • Apply Islamic-scientific psychotherapy to improve Muslims’ marriage and family life. 

Coverage (5hrs for each, plus 1 hr Q&A / discussion)

  • Understanding the metaphysics of the soul in relation to the nature of God 
  • Exploring the human developmentally, from pre-birth to old age, with analysis of their influences 
  • Describe the different stages of human development, as well as age-related changes and problems, 
  • Identify the major factors that influence physical, cognitive, social and personality development,  

MONTH 7

An Introduction to Classical Islamic Psychology

Week 7A
Week 7B

Application of Islamic principles on a therapy model 

Aims/Objectives
Analyse the Islamic human psychological mainframe within the conventional therapy model

  • Understand the principles of application to a contemporary model 
  • Evaluate the model with Islamic worldview and principles 
  • Analyse the model within the framework of the Islamic human psychological mainframe 

Coverage (5hrs for each, plus 1 hr Q&A / discussion)

  • Understanding the history and philosophy of the chosen contemporary model 
  • Appraise the model from an Islamic perspective 
  • Explain and demonstrate the model from an practical Islamic evaluation 

Early Muslim scholars' contributions to psychology

Aims/Objectives
Exposure to selected early Muslim scholars’ contribution to psychology. 

  • Describe early Muslim scholars’ contribution to psychology 
  • Integrate early Muslim scholars’ contribution with contemporary scientific psychology 

Coverage (5hrs for each, plus 1 hr Q&A / discussion)

  • Al-Kindi 
  • Ibn Bajjah 
  • Al-Farabi 
  • Ibn Tufayl 
  • Abu Bakr Al-Razi 
  • Ibn Rushd 
  • Ibn Miskawayh
  • Fakhr al-Din al-Razi 
  • Ikhwan al-Safa 
  • Ibn Taimiyyah 
  • Ibn Sina 
  • Ibn Qayyim
  • Ibn Hazm
  • Al-Balkhi
  • Al-Ghazali 

MONTH 8

An Introduction to Islamic Methodology for Psychologists and Counsellors

Week 8A
Week 8B

Islamic Methodology for Counsellors and Psychologists 

Aims/Objectives
Exposure to the disciplines of Usul Fiqh, Ulum Qur’an and Ulum Hadith

  • Apply principles in usul fiqh and qawa’id fiqhiyyah (Islamic legal maxims) in building Islamic-scientific theories and practices in counselling and psychology. 
  • Apply principles in Ulum Qur’an in building Islamic-scientific theories and practices in counselling and psychology. 
  • Apply principles in Ulum Hadith in building Islamic-scientific theories and practices in counselling and psychology. 

Coverage (5hrs for each, plus 1 hr Q&A / discussion)

  • Usul Fiqh: Qur’an, Sunnah, Ijma’, Qiyas
  • Usul Fiqh: Rules of Interpretations 
  • Usul Fiqh: Syar’ man qablana, Qawl Sahabi, Istihsan, Masalih al-Mursalah, `Urf, Istishab, Sadd al-Zara’i`, 
  • Usul Fiqh: Ta`arud al-Adillah, Ijtihad 
  • Usul Fiqh: Selected qawa’id al-fiqhiyah
  • Ulum Qur’an: Wahy, Nuzul Qur’an, Jam’ al-Qur’an,  
  • Ulum Qur’an: Asbab al-Nuzul, Makki vs Madani, Tafsir and Ta’wil
  • Ulum Qur’an: Nasikh vs Mansukh, Muhkam vs Mutasyabih, Am vs Khas, Mutlaq vs Muqayyad, Mantuq vs Mafhum  
  • Ulum Hadith: Various terminologies of ahadith 
  • Ulum Hadith: Transmission of hadith
  • Ulum Hadith: Various classificaions of hadith
  • Ulum Hadith: Hadith narrators

Selected Qur’anic verses and Ahadith for Counsellors and Psychologists

Aims/Objectives
Exposure to selected Qur’anic verses and Ahadith al-Nabawiyah related to counselling and psychology

  • Integrate several tafsir of Qur’anic verses with scientific research to build Islamic-scientific theories and practices in counselling and psychology
  • Integrate several syarah of ahadith al-nabawiyah with scientific research to build Islamic-scientific theories and practices in counselling and psychology

Coverage (5hrs for each, plus 1 hr Q&A / discussion)

  • Qur’anic verses and ahadith related to basic psychology
  • Qur’anic verses and ahadith related to applied psychology 
  • Qur’anic verses and ahadith related to counselling and psychotherapy
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