Responding to Southeast Asian spirituality in clinical practice.

Abstract

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.

Spiritually integrated psychotherapy among Catholics: A practice-based international investigation.

“…Compared with countries in Europe and North America, people in Asia, Africa, and Latin America are less likely to seek professional psychological help because of an unfamiliarity with psychotherapy, fear of stigmatization, and insufficient mental health services as a result of societal underdevelopment (Kao et al, 2016;Kim & Omizo, 2003;Koç & Kafa, 2019;Nagai, 2015). In this context, the presence of priests and religious people with qualifications for psychotherapy and counseling denotes some important points.…”

The process and outcome of spiritually integrated psychotherapies: A cross-cultural study in Asia, Africa, Europe, and Latin America.

“…In Western cultures, spiritual and religious life has not frequently been incorporated in mainstream Western psychotherapy, research, and training until recently (Crook-Lyon et al, 2012; Plante, 2008). In many non-Western countries, on the other hand, spiritual beliefs and religious practices are considered essential to mental health (Nagai, 2015). Furthermore, in non-Western countries where psychotherapy is not common, individuals are more likely to seek help and support from religious leaders than from psychotherapists, as there is less stigma attached to doing so, and religious leaders can be resourceful in providing spiritual and emotional comfort (Hechanova & Waelde, 2017; Koç & Kafa, 2019).…”