This study examines clinicians' own assessment of their cultural and spiritual competency in working with Asians and Asian Americans. Thirty clinicians, who are Asian Ethnic Minority Mental Health Specialists in the Northwest region of the United States, were surveyed to assess their perceived levels of cultural and spiritual competency. The study found that clinicians perceived themselves as being less spiritually competent than culturally competent and that most clinicians acknowledged the need for more training in spirituality.

The multicultural counseling movement emerged in response to a diversified society and an increasing need to bring the awareness of culture into clinical practice. Using postmodern theories, shifting from "discovering insights," which suggests an objective knowing, to "identifying meanings," which posits being aware of multiple subjective realities, this article delineates clinical examples of how ethno-cultural and linguistic transference and countertransference are manifested and either are neglected or used in the clinical practice from the perspectives of traditional Asian cultures.

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This qualitative research explored how Southeast Asian clinicians respond to culturally based spiritual experiences expressed by their Southeast Asian clients. Five focus groups were formed consisting of 26 clinicians from Hmong, Mien, Lao, Cambodian, and Vietnamese communities in the Northwest region of the United States. Each group was interviewed using a semistructured interview guide, including questions such as how to understand and effectively treat spiritual experiences. The results of this study indicated the importance of responding to spirituality as 1 aspect of diversity along with other cultural factors. Various examples as well as recommendations were provided by the Southeast Asian clinicians.

Spirituality is one of the most important aspects of diversity; however, it is often neglected in clinical practice and even in multicultural training. In order for clinicians and trainers to deepen their understandings of how to incorporate culturally based spiritual experiences effectively into their practices, this study explored how East Asian clinicians respond to spiritual beliefs expressed and spiritual practices utilised by their East Asian clients. Three focus groups were formed consisting of nine clinicians from Chinese, Korean, and Japanese communities in the Northwest region of the United States. Each group was interviewed based on the semi-structured question guideline and the data were analysed to identify core themes of culturally based spiritual experiences and delineate effective ways to understand and respond to them. This article included various case examples as well as clinical recommendations suggested by research participants.