Sociopolitical, Cultural, and Historical Contexts That Influence Counseling Practice in Four Countries

Abstract

In this article, we provide examples of how historical and sociopolitical events have shaped the development of psychology and psychological services in Iceland, South Africa, Thailand, and Turkey. These examples are offered to (a) enhance international competencies related to the countries’ cultures, ecological system, and subsystems, and (b) inspire counseling psychologists to collaborate with colleagues around the world on efforts to indigenize psychology paradigms and promote accessible service delivery systems. Common themes across these countries indicated that (a) provision of psychological services is highly influenced by the biomedical model of mental health, (b) access to mental health care is influenced by cost and stigma, and (c) a limited connection exists between traditional healing practices and Western-based diagnostic and mental health services. In all countries there was a struggle for greater recognition of psychological services; in Iceland, Thailand, and Turkey, counseling psychology is not recognized as a legally sanctioned profession. Suggestions are offered for internationally competent counseling psychologists who intend to promote the provision of culturally responsive psychological services worldwide.

Supporting Disaster Relief Efforts Internationally: A Call to Counseling Psychologists

“…Heppner et al (2012) conceptualized collaboration as a core cross-national competency. Community and cross-cultural and/or cross-national competency approaches require understanding and respecting the local sociocultural, political, and historical contexts (Gerstein et al, 2015;Heppner et al, 2012;Morgan-Consoli et al, 2018;AEgisdóttir, Leach, Romano, Tomlinson-Clarke, & Canel-Çınarbaş, 2019 [this issue]), as well as coordinating interventions with local organizations to provide systemic supports. This form of collaboration is exemplified in the development of a culturally appropriate PFA training model in Japan (Semlitz et al, 2013) when dealing with the 2011 Great East Earthquake.…”

Traditional and biomedical care pathways for mental well‐being in rural Nepal

“…Recent research in continents such as Africa and Asia has illuminated varying reasons for the traditional healer's ongoing appeal over biomedicine [27]. For example, research has distinguished traditional healing in terms of its relative accessibility [28], exceptional prowess at treating certain quality of life issues [29], and overlap with sociopolitical, cultural, and historical context [30]. In light of these findings, we must redefine our notions of cultural inclusion if we aim to fully capture the traditional healer's benefits on mental well-being, especially within settings such as LMICs where communities have long depended on indigenous healing practices [14,22].…”

– The Asian Conference on Psychology & the Behavioral Sciences 2020 Official Conference Proceedings

“…The following theories are to explain the findings of this research. Weiss (1973) suggested that the second phenotype of loneliness termed social loneliness is the perceived presence/absence of quality friendship or family connections. People with more frequent contact with friends or family have a lower level of social isolation (Hawkley, Browne, & Cacioppo, 2005).…”

“…Dissatisfaction with the quality of relationship increases the likeliness of one to feel lonely (Hawkley et al, 2008). Weiss (1973) defines loneliness as perceived social isolation. Loneliness occurs not only when there is no social relationship, but also when the relationship does not meet the person's ideal (Cacioppo & Cacioppo, 2012).…”