(In)Visible Diasporan Returnee Communities: Silences and the Challenges in Studying Trans-Atlantic History in Ghana

Essien, Kwame

doi:10.1353/ghs.2014.0011

Cited by 1 publication

(1 citation statement)

References 29 publications

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“…An additional source of difference in the Ghanaian population is migration. Immigration and overseas training opportunities have resulted in both a Ghanaian diaspora in countries such as the United States, United Kingdom, Germany, the Netherlands, and Italy (Arhin-Sam, 2019;Nieswand, 2009) and waves of involuntary (Kandilige & Adiku, 2019) and voluntary returnees (the latter are locally referred to as been-tos or most recently Ahasporas; Essien, 2014). Overseas experiences can lead to varying degrees of value shifts (Arhin-Sam, 2019; Kandilige & Adiku, 2019).…”

Section: Ghanaian Culture and Psychotherapymentioning

confidence: 99%

“A Lot of Ghanaians Really Don’t Understand the Work We Do” – Cultural Adaptations and Barriers in Ghanaian Psychotherapy Practice

Dzokoto

Anum

Affram

et al. 2022

International Perspectives in Psychology

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Abstract. Formal psychotherapy in Ghana is gaining momentum. Concerns about the over-reliance on Western theories bring the suitability of associated clinical interventions into question for Ghanaian, non-Western clients. We interviewed 27 clinical practitioners (including clinical, counseling, and health psychologists) practicing in an urban setting to explore cultural challenges they faced and to identify cultural adaptations they made in their practice. Our participants reported navigating cultural barriers to therapy such as potential clients seeing therapy as an unfamiliar resource, resistance due to mental illness stigma, linguistic barriers, and hierarchical and age norms associated with help-seeking. Our sample identified attention to the following as routine in clinical practice: charismatic Christian and African cosmological worldviews, cultural expectations of helping and interdependence, and family involvement in “individual” therapy sessions. The findings have implications for future psychotherapy practice and training in Ghana and similar Low and Middle Income Country (LMIC) contexts, as well as for clinical work with African immigrants.

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Section: Ghanaian Culture and Psychotherapymentioning

confidence: 99%