Study RecordField Study
- •405 family counselors
- •20 Arab countries
- •40 questionnaire items
- •7 dimensions of challenge
FACResearch & Development
Challenges Facing the Family Counselor
Challenges Facing the Family Counselor
Studies and Research
Challenges Facing the Family Counselor in the Arab World
The first field study of its kind at the level of the Arab world, presented by the Studies and Research Team of the Family Advisory Council. It examines the psychological, social, cultural, professional, organizational, ethical, legal, economic, and training challenges facing family counselors, and how these are reflected in the quality of professional performance and personal life.
Research Team
Supervision and Study Team
General SupervisionDr. Khalifa Mohammed Al-Muharzi
General Team CoordinatorCounselor Nibras Saeed Al-Mulla
Study Team MemberDr. Amat Al-Wadud AbdullahYemen
Study Team MemberDr. Fatima Al-HayasUnited Arab Emirates
Study Team MemberDr. Mohammed KamalEgypt
Study Team MemberDr. Maram Abu GharbiaPalestine
Study Team MemberDr. Marwa IsmailEgypt
Study Team MemberDr. Abdullah Al-YafaiQatar
Study Team MemberDr. Kafala Al-UmayriyahSultanate of Oman
Reviewing Professors and Experts
- Prof. Dr. Mohammed Khattab — Clinical Psychology, Ain Shams University, Egypt.
- Prof. Dr. Youssef Ibrahim Al-Asiri — Family Counseling, University of Bahrain.
- Prof. Dr. Hawaa Mohammed Ibrahim Askar — Family Counseling, University of Tripoli.
- Prof. Dr. Abdulrahman Abdullah Al-Zamil — Family Counseling, Taif University.
- Prof. Dr. Ahmed Abdel Aziz Sayed — Mental Health, Tanta University, Egypt.
- Prof. Dr. Ali Amin Al-Hashimi — Educational Psychology, Kuwait University.
Prepared in partnership with the Arab Family Organization, represented by Dr. Wafaa Al-Kilani, Minister of Family in the State of Libya and President of the Organization.
Study Focus
What the Study Examines
Seven main questions were posed, each asking what challenges family counselors face in their field of work and how far these are reflected in the quality of professional performance and personal life.
- Psychological and emotional challenges.
- Social and cultural challenges.
- Challenges related to beneficiaries.
- Organizational and technical challenges.
- Ethical and legal challenges.
- Economic challenges.
- Training and development challenges.
Study Hypotheses
- Whether the type of challenge faced differs significantly by country.
- Whether the level of challenge faced differs significantly by country.
- Whether the level of challenge differs by age, educational level, years of experience, or workplace.
Methodology
Approach and Statistical Tools
405Family counselors surveyed
40Questionnaire items
20Arab countries represented
Approach and Instrument
Descriptive analytical approachElectronic questionnaire (40 items)Stratified random samplingSeven challenge dimensionsField period 2025–2026
Statistical Methods
SPSSFrequencies and percentagesMeans and standard deviationsOne-Way ANOVAKruskal–Wallis testCronbach’s alphaFace validity
Participant Table
Participant Distribution by Country
Jordan
Saudi Arabia
United Arab Emirates
Oman
Qatar
Bahrain
Kuwait
Egypt
Sudan
Palestine
Yemen
Lebanon
Iraq
Syria
Algeria
Tunisia
Morocco
Libya
Mauritania
DjiboutiNote on the sample
Sample sizes varied considerably between countries, from a single participant in some countries to 73 participants in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Statistical comparisons were limited to countries with 10 or more participants; countries below that threshold were used in descriptive presentation only. Djibouti was excluded from the regional classification because it belongs to the Horn of Africa and had one participant.
Sample Profile
Who Took Part
75.8%Female participants
53.1%More than ten years of experience
39.5%Working in the private sector
Educational Level
Bachelor’s 40.5%Master’s 30.9%Doctorate 22%Not disclosed 6.7%
Workplace
Private sector 39.5%Government sector 36.8%Non-profit sector 23.7%
Years of Experience
More than 10 years 53.1%Five to ten years 20.6%Five years or less 26.3%
Study Instrument
The Seven Dimensions of Challenge
01
Personal and psychological
7 items · Cronbach’s alpha 0.79
02
Cultural and social
7 items · Cronbach’s alpha 0.76
03
Professional and organizational
5 items · Cronbach’s alpha 0.77
04
Ethical and legal
5 items · Cronbach’s alpha 0.81
05
Economic
5 items · Cronbach’s alpha 0.76
06
Training and development
5 items · Cronbach’s alpha 0.80
07
Related to beneficiaries
6 items · Cronbach’s alpha 0.69
Note on the source
Reliability coefficients ranged between 0.69 and 0.81, indicating a good level of internal consistency. The narrative text of the source document lists six items for the beneficiary dimension, while the reliability table lists five; the seven dimensions total 40 items. Shown as reported in the source document, pending confirmation.
Key Findings
Major Themes in the Findings
01
85.2% agreed that families’ weak financial capacity hinders their commitment to treatment — the study’s strongest single result.
02
65.2% said unrealistic expectations from beneficiaries affect the progress of the counseling process.
03
63.5% pointed to weak, awareness-based media promotion of family counseling.
04
62.0% said they adapt sessions to be compatible with the client’s cultural environment.
05
60.0% said society confuses family counseling with giving advice or religious guidance.
06
60.0% said some clients conceal information essential to understanding the case.
07
57.5% reported weak legal training and limited familiarity with local legislation.
08
53.8% said there is no clear legal framework governing professional privacy.
09
52.6% said specialized training programmes are not regularly available.
10
51.9% observed colleagues using methods that lack recognized scientific foundations.
About professional resilience among counselors
Psychological and emotional challenges ranked relatively lower than other dimensions. 68.4% strongly disagreed that accumulated pressures make them consider leaving the profession, 71.6% strongly disagreed that they struggle to separate personal and professional life, and 64.7% reported no psychological symptoms arising from the nature of the work. At the same time, 37.5% said they need regular professional supervision and psychological support, and 29.6% reported emotional exhaustion after intensive sessions — which the study reads as latent rather than absent pressure.
Reported level
The overall level of challenge was medium. The study concludes that the profession does not face a crisis in practitioner competence so much as in the professional environment in which practice takes place. These results reflect the study sample and are not a definitive generalization.
Regional Reading
Results by Arab Region
- Arab Gulf countries. Challenges varied within the region: economic challenges were foremost in Saudi Arabia and Oman, professional and organizational challenges in the Emirates, and training and development challenges in Qatar.
- Arab Mashreq countries. Economic challenges led in Jordan and Palestine, while professional and organizational challenges led in Egypt and Yemen.
- Arab Maghreb countries. Professional and organizational challenges were the most common, ranking first in both Algeria and Tunisia.
No significant differences
One-Way ANOVA and the Kruskal–Wallis test showed no statistically significant differences between participating countries in the overall level of challenge. Likewise, no statistically significant differences were found by gender, age, educational level, years of experience, or workplace. The study reads this as evidence that the challenges are shared professional and institutional ones rather than individual characteristics.
Conclusions and Recommendations
General Recommendations
Legislative and Regulatory
- Establish a clear Arab legislative framework regulating the family-counseling profession.
- Create a professional body or council in every Arab country to issue practice licences and set accreditation standards.
- Prepare a unified Arab code of ethics covering confidentiality, conflicts of interest, and legal disclosure.
- Regulate counseling delivered through digital platforms and penalize professional impersonation.
Professional and Organizational
- Require annual licence renewal through continuing professional-development hours.
- Replace short theoretical courses with intensive fellowship diplomas containing supervised field practice.
- Establish quality and development units applying periodic professional supervision.
- Build an Arab database of accredited practitioners to limit the spread of non-specialists.
Training and Qualification
- Develop academic programmes to keep pace with contemporary social and technological change.
- Provide legal training so counselors understand local family legislation.
- Train counselors in digital tools, electronic case files, and data protection.
- Deliver intensive supervised practical hours and real case studies.
Psychological Support for Counselors
- Provide periodic psychological-support programmes to prevent burnout.
- Include psychological immunity and mindfulness within professional-development plans.
- Adopt regular emotional-debriefing sessions for counselors handling high-risk cases.
- Increase the number of counselors per centre and set a suitable fixed caseload.
Economic
- Increase government support for family-counseling centres.
- Encourage private-sector and corporate social-responsibility funding.
- Provide support funds for families unable to bear session costs.
- Improve counselors’ financial return in proportion to professional responsibility.
Societal and Media
- Spread awareness through accredited specialists and correct misconceptions about the profession.
- Clarify the methodological difference between religious guidance and scientifically approved therapeutic techniques.
- Strengthen the culture of seeking help early, before family problems escalate.
Research Notice
This page summarizes the content and findings of the field study as reported in the source document. The results reflect the study sample and are not a definitive generalization. It is provided for educational and professional-information purposes and is not a substitute for individual advice.
Family Advisory Council
Supporting the Family Counseling Profession
The Council supports responsible research, professional regulation, and the training and wellbeing of family counselors across the Arab world.