Spice routes of the mind: Rethinking psychotherapeutic practices in the Middle East through global and local perspectives

The Middle East, with its rich history as a crossroads of global trade and cultural exchange, provides a compelling context for examining the challenges and possibilities of decolonising psychotherapeutic practices in multicultural, postcolonial settings. Drawing an analogy to the spice routes – historical conduits of interconnectedness blending Indian, Kenyan, and European influences – this paper reflects on the interplay between Eurocentric therapeutic frameworks and the lived experiences of clients from diverse, non-European backgrounds. The author, an Indian psychotherapist raised in Kenya, trained in England, and practicing in the Middle East, weaves her reflections into an exploration of how colonial legacies persist in psychotherapeutic paradigms, and the potential to navigate the colonial residues embedded in current therapeutic practices while honouring culturally situated experiences. This article thus highlights how decolonising approaches can enhance cultural sensitivity, transform therapeutic relationships, and foster healing; and invites psychological therapists to critically engage with identity, history, and power in their work, offering pathways to enrich practice in a way that is attuned to the complexities of being globally informed and locally responsive.