Re-orienting secular psychology towards psycho-spirituality: Islamic epistemology, heart(felt) healing, and depression as a soul disorder
Khaled Al-Kassimi, Layal Hmaidi
Cogent Arts and Humanities October 5, 2026 DOI: 10.1080/23311983.2026.2670975 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Case report Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Topics | Depression |
| Key points | Argues that secular psychology's exclusion of revelation leaves it conceptually unequipped to address spiritual well-being, and proposes Islamic epistemology, with its account of the heart, intellect, and spirit, as a basis for reorienting psychology. Using depression as a case study, the authors contend that Islamic Integrated Cognitive Behavioral Therapy can address spiritual dissonance associated with depressive states in ways they argue Cognitive Behavioral Therapy cannot. |
Abstract
Mainstream secular psychology is grounded in an epistemological framework that privileges reason while largely excluding revelation, thereby limiting its capacity to engage the spiritual dimensions of contemporary mental health and socio-political crises. Yet recent decades have witnessed growing scholarly and clinical interest in non-secular epistemologies that affirm the spiritual essence of human nature and its ontological bond with God. This study employs comparative epistemology and normative philosophical analysis to examine the foundations of secular psychological paradigms and argues that their separation of the metaphysical relationship between God and humanity leaves psychology conceptually unequipped to address questions of spiritual well-being. The paper re-engages psychology through Islamic epistemology by examining the nature, state, and development of the soul, affirming that consciousness is seated in the heart; the primordial human essence is spiritual and pure; the soul comprises interrelated faculties of heart, intellect, and spirit; and harmony between the spiritual and material yields a holistic account of intention and action. Depression is used as a case study to expose the onto-epistemic limits of secular psychotherapy. In contrast to Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Islamic Integrated Cognitive Behavioral Therapy is examined as a psycho-spiritual framework capable of addressing forms of spiritual dissonance associated with depressive states. The study concludes by considering the implications of Islamic epistemology for the renewal of psychology and for the theological reorientation of contemporary academic curricula.
Comparable studies
Other theoretical and historical papers on depression, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy for depression | 2006 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| Psilocybin-assisted therapy of major depressive disorder using Acceptance and Commitment Therapy as a therapeutic frame | 2020 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| The Yale Manual for Psilocybin-Assisted Therapy of Depression (using Acceptance and Commitment Therapy as a Therapeutic Frame) | 2020 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| Neuroinflammation and neuroprogression in depression: Effects of alternative drug treatments | 2022 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| Improving cognitive functioning in major depressive disorder with psychedelics: A dimensional approach | 2021 | Theoretical or philosophical paper |