Culture-specific strategies in counseling: A conceptual framework.

Sue, Derald Wing

doi:10.1037/0735-7028.21.6.424

Cited by 101 publications

(109 citation statements)

References 69 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

105

Contrasting

Unclassified

Order By: Relevance

“…(Most of the participants were either students or teachers themselves, making the educational context even more familiar.) Viewing the therapist as an authoritative expert also may have embedded the interaction within a culturally familiar social role hierarchy, thus making it more comfortable (Lin et al, 1995;S. Sue, 1990).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Culture and the therapeutic relationship: Perspectives from Chinese clients

Jim

Pistrang

2007

Psychotherapy Research

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Culture and therapy 2 Culture and the therapeutic relationship: Perspectives from Chinese clients AbstractChinese people in the UK and USA underutilise mental health services and, when they do seek help, may find that therapy does not meet their needs. In response to calls in the literature for naturalistic studies of therapy with people of Chinese background, this study used a qualitative, multiple case approach to examine clients' individual experiences in depth and detail. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with eight Chinese clients. The aim was to investigate how culture might play a role in the therapeutic relationship. Qualitative analysis yielded four key themes concerning clients' and therapists' awareness of culture and how this impacted on their working relationship: "cultural encapsulation", "cultural formulation", "cultural liberation" and "culture is not important". Although participants' perceptions of therapy showed similarities to those reported by clients of European-American descent, culture entered into the therapeutic relationship in complex and diverse ways. The findings have implications for delivering culturally sensitive therapies. Culture and therapy 3 Culture and the therapeutic relationship: Perspectives from Chinese clientsChinese people in the UK underutilise mental health services (National Institute for Mental Health in England, 2003) and have been described as an "invisible population" (Department of Health, 1993). A similar picture exists in the USA, where Asian Americans 1 are under-represented in counselling and therapy services, and, once they do seek help, tend to terminate prematurely (Atkinson, Morten, & Sue, 1998; U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2001). Obstacles to seeking help may include language barriers and a lack of awareness of services, as well as perceptions of therapy as an unfamiliar or undesirable means of resolving mental health problems (Li & Logan, 2000;Li, Logan, Yee, & Ng, 1999;Nagayama Hall, 2001). Indeed, within Chinese culture, the stigma of mental health problems and the concepts of shame and "losing face" may make it particularly difficult to seek help (Li et al., 1999;Lin, Tseng, & Yeh, 1995;Uba, 1994). Those who do seek help may find that therapy does not appropriately meet their needs.Differences in values and belief systems of Eastern and Western cultures are frequently cited as one reason that Chinese clients may terminate therapy prematurely.Chinese cultural values include an emphasis on collectivism, the centrality of the family, filial piety, hierarchical relationships, academic achievement, humility, and emotional selfcontrol (Kim, Atkinson, & Yang, 1999;D.W. Sue & Sue, 2003). Such values are likely to play a role in Chinese clients' experience of self and identity, how they make sense of their problems, and what they expect from therapy. However, it is also important to recognise that clients will vary in the degree to which they adhere to the values and norms of their indigenous culture. Indeed, there is great heterog...

show abstract

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Culture and the therapeutic relationship: Perspectives from Chinese clients

Jim

Pistrang

2007

Psychotherapy Research

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Some have tried to analyze the interaction from the therapists' viewpoint to identify what behavioral styles appear more effective (e.g., authoritarian styles appear more effective with Asian clients than an egalitarian approach, Sue, 1990), whereas other researchers have described the necessary elements required in a culturally sensitive therapeutic interaction (Ho, 1989(Ho, , 1991 Kim, 1985; McGoldrick, Pearce, & Giordano, 1982; Root, 1985).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

A paradigm for culturally based care in ethnic minority populations

Kagawa‐Singer

Chung

1994

J. Community Psychol.

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Health care practitioners are encouraged to “know the cultures” of the multicultural client population they are serving in the United States. The premise behind this injunction is that the use of culturally sensitive techniques that are tailored to the cultural background of the client would result in effective therapy and produce positive outcomes. However, as reflected in the plethora of terms used to describe the application of this knowledge, it is not made explicit why culture would make a difference in therapy nor how it makes a difference, ultimately, in the outcome. The intent of this paper is to highlight one of the fundamental sources of variation in cultural beliefs that affect individual mental health. We propose a model that penetrates to the core of why culture makes a difference in how problems are perceived and appropriate responses defined. Humans have three basic needs: safety and security, integrity, and a sense of belonging. Yet each culture uniquely frames each of these needs and prescribes the sanctioned means to achieve them. In our struggle to define culturally competent or culturally based care, this fundamental aspect is often overlooked. Instead, the Western worldview, structure, and definitions are used as the template to assess dysfunction, diagnose a disorder, and prescribe appropriate care. The theoretical underpinnings of indigenous concepts of self and symbolic interactionism are integrated to clarify these cultural misconceptions and to construct a new paradigm for providing effective and acceptable mental health care.

show abstract

“…However, since its inception, diversity-sensitive counseling experts have tended to emphasize the problems of discrimination, oppression, and racism (Atkinson et al, 1993;Sue & Sue, 1990) as opposed to demonstrating how diversity-sensitive counselors might actually conduct interviews with targeted client populations.…”

Section: Counseling Interventionsmentioning

confidence: 98%

Diversity‐Sensitive Counseling Today: A Postmodern Clash of Values

Weinrach

Thomas²

1998

Jour of Counseling & Develop

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

This article is the second in an ongoing series devoted to a critical reassessment of the status of diversity-sensitive counseling. The current discussion focuses on the use of existing counseling theories and interventions in a diversity-sensitive counseling context, and potential limitations of affirmative action in the American Counseling Association's organizational structure and in counselor preparation programs. Inconsistencies are noted between the strategies now being used to achieve diversity and the philosophical foundations of the counseling profession. At issue are the conflicting values of various constituencies within the Association.

show abstract

Culture-specific strategies in counseling: A conceptual framework.

Cited by 101 publications

References 69 publications

Culture and the therapeutic relationship: Perspectives from Chinese clients

Culture and the therapeutic relationship: Perspectives from Chinese clients

A paradigm for culturally based care in ethnic minority populations

Diversity‐Sensitive Counseling Today: A Postmodern Clash of Values

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About