The Trajectory of Counseling in China: Past, Present, and Future Trends

Abstract

This article surveys the past, present, and future trends of counseling in China. Historically, mental health problems were addressed within the family. Currently, psychotherapy from trained practitioners is available on a limited basis, at least in urban settings. The challenge of mental health in China is tremendous, and the efforts to meet that challenge are encouraging. The authors recommend that in the future, prevention and intervention services be offered that are ecosystemic, strengths‐based, and culturally appropriate.

Marital Therapy Help-Seeking Attitudes of Young Adults in Mainland China

“…In addition, studies of young adults in the PRC have found a pervasive stigma attached to marital therapy services (Anderson et al, in press), in part, because seeing a mental health professional is more acceptable if the cause is perceived to be out of one's control (as with a hereditary or environmental problem), than for problems such as interpersonal difficulties (Chen & Mak, 2008). While the Chinese traditionally try to handle problems within the family (Lim, Lim, Michael, Cai, & Schock, 2010), it is plausible that increased family instability due to the rising divorce and remarriage rates may lead young adults to seek more formal, professional sources of information to deal with their marital and relationship problems. The current study seeks to add an important piece to the growing literature around marital therapy in China (see Sim & Hu, 2009) by answering the following research questions:…”

Marital Therapy in Mainland China: A Qualitative Study of Young Adults' Knowledge, Attitudes, and Beliefs

“…Couples and family therapy training programs may be likely to grow as a result of enthusiasm for such theories. In addition, psychoeducational approaches to treating mental illness and relationships are perceived well in China, and this has meaningful implications for educational forums that address common relationship problems and marital/relationship enrichment (Lim et al, 2010). Given the ecosystemic framework historically and currently associated with the MFT field (Becvar & Becvar, 2008), MFT programs and MFTs in China could be at the cutting-edge of creating and instituting the curriculums used in these psychoeducational forums.…”

“…In 2002, the government did establish a three-tiered licensing system that requires increasing levels of training and expertise to practice (Lim et al, 2010). This seems to be a start to the standardization of knowledge and practice within the broader mental health field in Mainland China, though it is likely that the average citizen knows little about this credentialing system.…”

“…Within the past decade, China has moved to a more formalized approach to treating mental health problems (for a review see Yip, 2005), and recent attention is being given to the treatment of personal and interpersonal problems from a more holistic ecosystemic perspective (Lim, Lim, Michael, Cai, & Schock, 2010). These two factors alone bode well for marriage and family therapy (MFT) training programs and marriage and family therapists (MFTs) in China, as MFT has its roots in an ecosystemic framework that emphasizes the greater contextual factors that contribute to interpersonal difficulties (Becvar & Becvar, 2008).…”

A Comparison of Psychology Curriculum and Instruction: China & America

“…Chinese master's level psychology programs usually do not provide counseling training: "China currently has a three-tier national licensing program that dates from 2002... [under] ...the auspices of the Central Department of Labor" [5, p. 5]. Under this system, individuals can be licensed at all three levels; however, a licensed practitioner at level two or level three must complete a government-approve course and the pass the Department of Labor examination [5]. However, "the highly coveted Level One License is reserved primarily for those who have Qualifying doctoral degrees in the fields of education, medicine, or counseling and have worked as a therapist for at least 3 years" [5, p. 6].…”