The Prick of a Thorn

Aisha Utz, formerly Aisha (Laureen Marie) Hamdan is an American mother of five, currently living in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. She has a PhD in Clinical Psychology from West Virginia University and a Bachelor's Degree in Islamic Studies from the American Open University. She has written over 100 articles on various topics for al-Jumuah Magazine and has several published books. She has written several professional journal articles and book chapters related to the topic of Psychology and Islam, has presented these ideas at a number of professional conferences, and regularly integrates the Islamic perspective into her teaching. She is also Associate Editor of the Faith-Based Practice section of the Journal of Muslim Mental Health. Her current efforts involve the development of a research program to study the relationship between religiosity and mental health in Muslim populations. She has been Muslim for 25 years and is actively involved in various da'wah activities.