S A M I A Q U D D U S
I am a fully qualified psychotherapist and a Registered Member of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (MBACP). The BACP is the largest professional body representing counselling and psychotherapy in the UK. My interest in psychology dates back to my work in primary education and my Specialist practitioner role in the Special Educational Needs area of Social, Emotional and Mental Health. Since qualifying as a psychotherapist, I have published in the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP) Children and Young People's magazine.
Taqdeer’s conception occurred during a stage in my life when I wanted to incorporate my understanding of journaling and the notion of gratitude both from an Islamic and scientific perspective. As a mental health practitioner, I have utilised my psychotherapy training to bridge Western psychological theories and Islamic principles that serve to promote positive well-being, mental health including spiritual health.
"I really like the concept of combining Islam and psychology into
one journal."
- ADNAAN PATEL
Coinciding with the creation of Taqdeer in 2017 and the initial stages of therapist training, I experienced a difficult life event: an experience which led me to practising mindfulness exercises. Through using a mock-up version of Taqdeer, I found that solely focusing on Shukr (gratitude/ appreciation) helped me to develop a greater 'present' state, a self-development skill that is beneficial in increasing one's self-awareness.
By regularly listing my Alhamdulillah (praise be to God) moments in a structure that remained repetitive and consistent potentiated a change in my perspective as I constantly sought to identify the positives.
The use of Taqdeer combined with my therapist training has deepened my understanding of a trust-in mindset. My work requires me to display a trust-in my clients process as we work together. This entails exercising patience as experiences are worked through - however long it takes.
I applied similar thinking to my own difficult experiences through trusting my own process and importantly validating uncomfortable emotions by giving them a space to be felt. Recognising and accepting emotional felt-states is an important reflective feature within Taqdeer to help users further nurture a state of psychological mindedness.
I am a passionate advocate of mental health and regularly write blogs for Taqdeer. I understand the complexities that many ethnic groups may experience with mental health interventions and aim to raise positive well-being practices in BAME communities.
Find out more about my work here.