There’s a growing movement to make therapy more accessible and accepted in Muslim communities—a long overdue effort to break the stigma around mental health. But in the rush to validate therapy within an Islamic framework, one model has taken center stage almost unquestioned: Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT). Praised for its practicality and intellectual appeal, CBT has become the go-to modality in Muslim clinical spaces. But what if, in our effort to make therapy seem familiar, we’ve unknowingly distanced ourselves from the heart of our own tradition? This article explores the deeper costs of centering CBT in Muslim mental health—and invites us back to a soul-rooted, spiritually honest model of healing.

The following are six nuanced points that Muslims must keep in mind with regards to soulful marital sexual intimacy, and why Muslim struggle with it, for legitimate reasons.