Nazila Isgandarova

Supervised Psycho-Spiritual Education (SPE) Practicum Director
Assistant Professor, Teaching-Stream in Islamic Spiritual Care

BA/MA Baku State University
MA Carleton University
MSW University of Windsor
DMin Wilfrird Laurier University
PhD St. Michael's College, University of Toronto

Contact: 416-585-4536
Email: nazila.isgandarova@utoronto.ca 

Nazila Isgandarova has a Ph.D. from the University of Toronto, a Doctor of Ministry degree in pastoral counselling, marriage and family studies from Wilfred Laurier University, and a Master of Social Work from the University of Windsor. She is a Registered Psychotherapist at the College for Registered Psychotherapists of Ontario and a Registered Social Worker at the Ontario Social Workers and Social Service Workers. Nazila is the recipient of the Order of Vaughan, Forum for Theological Exploration research award for her study on domestic violence against Muslim women, the Canadian Association for Spiritual Care Senior Research Award and the Society for Pastoral Counselling Research Award. 

PUBLICATIONS

Authored Books

1. Muslim Women, Domestic Violence, and Psychotherapy: Theological and Clinical Issues. New York: Routledge, 2018.
2. Islamic Spiritual Care: Theory and Practices. Kitchener, ON: Pandora Press, 2019.

Articles in Academic Journals

1. Isgandarova, Nazila. “Post-Traumatic Growth and Resilience in Victim-Survivors of Genocidal Rape.” Pastoral Psychology, 2023. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11089-023-01064-0.
2. Isgandarova, Nazila, Thomas St. James O’Connor, and Rhonda Kane. “Recognizing and Managing Performance Anxiety in First-Year Supervised Pastoral Education (SPE) Students: Description, Causes and Remedies.” The Journal of Pastoral Care & Counseling 77, no. 1 (2023): 4–11. https://doi.org/10.1177/15423050221124025.
3. Isgandarova, Nazila. “Clinical Interpretation of Jinn Possession and Cultural Formulation of Mental Illness.” Journal of Pastoral Care & Counseling, (August 2022). https://doi.org/10.1177/15423050221116775.
4. Isgandarova, Nazila. “Muslim Subjectivities in Global Modernity: Islamic Traditions and the Construction of Modern Muslim Identities by Dietrich Jung and Kirstine Sinclair: Brill: Leiden, 2020.” International Journal of Practical Theology. De Gruyter, 2021. https://doi.org/10.1515/ijpt-2021-0044.
5. Jamal, S. and Isgandarova, N. "Intercultural Communication Concepts in Clinical Pastoral Education: The Intercultural Experience of Muslim Students." Journal of Pastoral Care and Counselling. 75, no. 3 (September 2021): 163–70. https://doi.org/10.1177/15423050211021388.
6. “When Someone is Dying, We Prefer…”: COVID-19 and The Challenges to Muslim Health Care Choices.” The Muslim World (Hartford) 111, no. 4 (2021): 573–83. https://doi.org/10.1111/muwo.12412.
7. Xiong, Jianhui (Jane), Isgandarova, Nazila and Panton, Amy Elizabeth. "COVID-19 Demands Theological Reflection: Buddhist, Muslim, and Christian Perspectives on the Present Pandemic" International Journal of Practical Theology, vol. 24, no. 1, 2020, pp. 5-28. https://doi.org/10.1515/ijpt-2020-0039
8. Isgandarova, Nazila. “Muraqaba as a Mindfulness-Based Therapy in Islamic Psychotherapy.” Journal of Religion and Health 58, no. 4 (2019): 1146–60. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10943-018-0695-y.
9. “Medical Assistance in Dying: Challenges for Muslim Healthcare Professionals.” Journal of Pastoral Care & Counseling (2018): 202–211 (R)
10. “The Role of Practice‐Based Education in Islamic Spiritual Care: The Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) Training.” The Muslim World 108(2) (2018):349–363. (R)
11. “The Role of Islam in Preventing Domestic Violence towards Muslim Women in Azerbaijan.” Spiritual Psychology and Counseling 2(2) (2017): 183–202. (R)
12. “The Correlational Approach to Islamic Spiritual Care.” Tidsskrift Islamisk-Kristent Studiecenter 1 (2016): 15-28. (R).
13. Physician-Assisted Suicide and Other Forms of Euthanasia in Islamic Spiritual Care.” Journal of Pastoral Care and Counseling 69(4) (2015): 215–221. (R)
14. “Music in Islamic Spiritual Care: A Review of Classical Sources.” Religious Studies and Theology34 (1) (2015): 101–113. doi: 1558/rsth.v34i1.26326 (R).
15. “Practical Theology and Its Importance for Islamic Theological Studies.” Ilahiyat Studies: A Journal on Islamic and Religious Studies 5(2) (2014): 217–236. doi.org/10.12730/13091719.2014.52.109 (R)

Chapters in multi-author volumes.

1. “An “Epistemic Weight” of Islamic Practical Theology in Contemporary Islamic Social Work." In Exploring Islamic Social Work Between Community and the Common Good. Edited by Hansjörg Schmid and Amir Sheikhzadegan., 163-177. Springer: New York, 2022.
2. "Female Voices in Islamic Spiritual Care: Tensions and Achievements." In Complexities of Spiritual Care, Ed. Anne Anne Hege Grung. Springer.
3. “I Follow the Religion of Love.” In Navigating Religious Difference in Spiritual Care and Counseling: Essays in Honor of Kathleen J. Greider. Claremont: Claremont Press, 2019. (R)
4. Co-authored with Ibrahim Long and Amber Haque. “Integrating Islamic Spiritual and Cultural Care Professionals in Clinical Settings.” In Multifaith Perspectives in Spiritual & Religious Care: Change, Challenge and Transformation. Toronto: Canadian Multifaith Federation, 2019.
5. “‘The Practice of the Laying on of Hands in Islamic Spiritual Care." In Therapeutic Touch: Research, Practice and Ethics, edited by Martin Rovers, Judith Malette, Manal Guirguis-Younger. Ottawa: University of Ottawa, 2017. (R)
6. “The Impact of Maternity Beliefs on Reproductive Health in Muslim Societies." Muslim Mothering: Local and Global Histories,Theories, and Practices edited by Margaret Aziza Pappano and Dana M. Olwan. Bradford, ON: Demetr Press, 2016. (R)

Memberships

College of Registered Psychotherapists of Ontario

College of Social Workers and Social Service Workers