Clinical & Peer Support Guides
Free resources for professionals serving Muslim clients in recovery. These guides accompany From Liquor to Dhikr: Islam and the 12 Steps, translating its spiritual framework into practical clinical tools. Designed for immediate implementation in treatment settings.
Clinical Practitioner Guide
Culturally Competent Care for Muslim Clients in Recovery The Muslim population in North America continues to grow, yet culturally competent addiction treatment resources remain limited. Many treatment centers lack understanding of Islamic spiritual frameworks—leading to missed opportunities for effective intervention and, in some cases, inadvertent cultural harm. This guide bridges the gap between evidence-based addiction treatment and Islamic spiritual principles, providing practical tools for clinicians working with Muslim clients.
What’s inside?
- Clinical assessment and spiritual screening — Protocols for
evaluating religious identity, spiritual resources, and cultural context
- The 12 Steps through an Islamic lens — Each step mapped to Islamic
concepts (tawbah, tazkiyah, sabr, muhasaba) with clinical facilitation
strategies
- Integrating evidence-based treatment — Adapting CBT, ACT, Motivational
Interviewing, and trauma-informed care for Muslim clients
- Working with diverse populations — Guidance for reverts, lifelong
Muslims, women, youth, and varying levels of religious practice
- Family systems and cultural dynamics — Navigating stigma, shame,
gender roles, and extended family involvement
- Crisis intervention — Protocols for spiritual emergencies, loss of
faith, and religious scrupulosity
- Collaboration with religious leaders — Guidelines for working with
imams and Islamic scholars
- Documentation templates — Sample assessments, progress notes, and
discharge summaries
Who this is for.
- Clinicians and counselors in residential or outpatient treatment
- Social workers serving Muslim populations
- Treatment centers seeking culturally competent programming
- Chaplains and spiritual care providers
- Clinical supervisors training staff on cultural competency
What this is not.
This guide is not a substitute for clinical training or religious instruction. It is a supplemental framework for professionals already credentialed in addiction treatment who want to provide more effective, culturally informed care to Muslim clients.
A note on approach.
The material presented here is based on lived recovery experience, extensive research, and deep engagement with both clinical and Muslim communities. It is offered not as a set of clinical directives, but as a conceptual model for culturally and spiritually integrated care— intended to be adapted, questioned, and refined by those working in the field.
Peer Support Facilitation Guide
Help Your Community Heal—No Credentials Required You don't need to be a therapist, imam, or addiction specialist to support someone struggling with addiction. You need sincerity, compassion, and a willingness to show up. This guide is for everyday Muslims who feel called to help others in recovery. Whether you're a revert who understands both journeys, a masjid leader wanting to create recovery-friendly spaces, or simply someone with a heart for service—this is your roadmap.
Inside includes:
- The spiritual framework — How Islamic concepts like tawbah, fitrah, suhba, and dhikr connect naturally with the Twelve Steps
- Creating sacred space — Practical guidance on setting up meetings, maintaining confidentiality, and building trust
- Working through all 12 Steps — Each step paired with Qur'anic reflections, discussion points, and facilitator notes
- Facilitating real conversations — How to handle shame, family dynamics, community stigma, relapse, and difficult moments
- Supporting different populations — Guidance for working with new reverts, lifelong Muslims, women, and youth
- Practical tools — Opening and closing du'as, dhikr for cravings and anxiety, and resources for building community connections
- Taking care of yourself — Recognizing burnout and maintaining your own spiritual health while serving others
Who this is for?
- Community members who want to start a recovery support group
- Masjid leaders creating space for Muslims struggling with addiction
- Anyone in recovery who wants to help others
- Family members seeking to understand and support loved ones
What this is not.
This is not a clinical manual or religious instruction guide. It's a companion for honest conversation, mutual support, and community-based healing—created from lived experience by the author of From Liquor to Dhikr.