Psychotherapists in South Korea: Professional and Practice Characteristics.

Abstract

Using data collected as part of a collaborative international study of the development of psychotherapists (D. E. Orlinsky et al., 1999), the authors of this study describe a sample of 538 Korean psychotherapists in various mental health professions and also provide information about the cultural and historical background of psychotherapy in South Korea. The study delineates the professional identifications, training, theoretical orientations, career status, personal therapy, and demographic characteristics of this little-known group of psychotherapists and describes their treatment settings, clients, and typical treatment modalities. The use of Western therapeutic approaches in a non-Western cultural context is discussed with respect to the potential conflicts for practitioners between imported methods that embody individualistic values and the traditionally collectivist orientations of their societies.The fact that modern forms of psychotherapy are practiced in South Korea by a large and growing number of professionally trained psychotherapists is not widely known by therapists in the United States and other countries. The present study aims to help dispel this relative lack of information by providing a detailed description of the characteristics and practices of therapists in South Korea. Some facts about the traditional culture and current conditions of Korean society are also described to provide a context for understanding the situation of psychotherapists in Korea. Consideration of the problems that may arise for practitioners when typically individualistic Western therapies are imported and practiced in non-Western settings should also have relevance for understanding parallel situations in other non-Western countries (e.g.,

General Overview of Psychotherapeutic Practice in Poland. Results from a Nationwide Survey

“…The proportion of gender varies among countries; some are dominated by women (e.g. the UK, Canada, Australia, Argentina, China, India; [ 11 – 16 ]; some by men (New Zealand, South Korea; [ 14 , 17 ]; and in some the proportions are relatively equal (Spain, Germany, Switzerland, Norway; [ 18 – 20 ]. However, even in countries in which the profession is dominated by women, the proportions are smaller than in Poland.…”

“…The results from other studies show that there are countries with younger populations of therapists (e.g. South Korea – 34, China – 37, Argentina – 37 [ 17 ]; [ 12 , 16 ]), but in most of the surveyed countries the age of the therapists is higher (Spain, Germany, Switzerland, Norway, India, New Zealand, [ 14 , 15 , 18 – 20 ]; in some exceeding even 50 years (USA, Canada, UK, Australia; [ 11 , 13 , 14 , 21 ]. The average age above 50 may reflect the fact that in those countries most people enter the profession later in life as a second career, which probably occurs rarely in Poland; for example, in a survey conducted among psychotherapists in the UK, 95 % of respondents had another profession prior to psychotherapy [ 11 ].…”

Applying the integrated developmental model to korean supervisees

“…Gender is another characteristic that needs to be considered. As well as age, gender is another critical variable in socialization process in Korea (Bae, Joo, & Orlinsky, 2003). An examination of gender issues within supervision is particularly important, given the increasing number of women entering the human service professions (Anderson & Rawlins, 1985).…”

Reentry Experiences and Professional Developments of International Marriage and Family Therapy Graduates in Taiwan

“…Westernization and industrialization have changed family dynamics in South Korea, Taiwan, China and Japan leading to conflicted social and cultural values; to meet the needs for families struggling with these changes, family therapy has grown as a profession in these countries. (Bae et al 2003;Chao 2011;Deng et al 2013;Ng 2003). With the need for more mental health professionals, many international students have gone to the United States to attend established and accredited MFT training programs.…”