Using helping skills with Korean clients: The perspectives of Korean counselors

Abstract

Based on these findings, six guidelines are offered for modifying the Hill helping skills approach to fit the needs of Korean clients: Provide a pre-exploration stage to educate clients about approach, utilize indirect and non-verbal communication more than verbal communication, validate client's experiences, work cautiously with emotions, be cautious about using insight skills, and respond to clients' implicit communication when they ask for action. Clinical or methodological significance of this article: Psychotherapy models are typically transported to other cultures without sufficient attention to modifications needed for working with clients in that culture. In this paper, we begin to address how one particular model, the Hill Helping Skills Model, could be modified to make it responsive to Korean clients. Hopefully, by addressing implications for specific populations, we can begin to modify psychotherapy approaches to better fit clientele from diverse cultures.

Development and validation of the Barriers to Using Immediacy Scale (BUIS).

“…The BUIS could also increase understanding of cultural dimensions of immediacy use, particularly given evidence of cultural differences in comfort with using this skill (Joo et al, 2019). Although the BUIS does not directly tap cultural differences, we expect that cultural background would be related to therapist barriers in meaningful ways.…”

“…Relatedly, Jowers et al (2019) found that therapist arousal was heightened after sessions with immediacy, and Berg et al (2016) found that therapists felt confused and struggled to stay attuned to emotions when using immediacy. As well, Joo et al (2019) found that Korean therapists were concerned that clients may be resistant, avoidant, or not return if immediacy were used, especially early in therapy.…”

Clinical, research, and policy implications for psychotherapy training and supervision in the 21st century.

“…Models of training and supervision developed in the United States, for example, might not be effective in Asia and Africa. Indeed, one study (Joo et al, 2019) showed that Korean students modified what they learned in Western-based helping skills training to fit their Korean clients (e.g., less focus on insight) and we suspect and hope that trainees modify what they learn to fit their own and their clients' cultures.…”

Psychotherapy training and supervision with undergraduate and graduate students.

“…For example, students from Asian American cultures had a more difficult time using immediacy than students from European American cultures, and male students across cultures felt more comfortable with challenges than did female students. Furthermore, it appears that Korean students modified how they used the skills after training to fit their culture (Joo et al, 2019). For instance, participants were hesitant to use action skills because they worried about fostering client dependency or feared that clients would react negatively.…”