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A Phenomenological Exploration of Bhutanese Counselors’ Experiences with Western Counseling

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Abstract

Bhutan has recently invited the profession of counseling to aid in responding to growing mental health problems, social and family issues, and school and career guidance needs. This study is a phenomenological investigation of the experiences of Bhutanese counselors with Western counseling in order to understand the cultural fit between Bhutan and Western counseling orientations. Eleven participants were interviewed and four themes identified: conceptualization of counseling, Bhutanese culture, Bhutanese counseling, and the relationship between Western counseling and Bhutan. Suggestions are made for a potential model of Bhutanese counseling, counselor training, ongoing Western contributions, and the further development of the counseling profession.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Counseling and Applied Behavioral Studies, University of Saint Joseph, 1678 Asylum Avenue, West Hartford, CT, 06117, USA

    Susan V. Lester & Judith C. Durham

  2. Department of Counseling and Human Services, Old Dominion University, Norfolk, VA, USA

    Susan V. Lester & Radha J. Horton-Parker

  3. Department of Psychiatry, Mental Health Counseling and Behavioral Medicine Program, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA

    Laurie M. Craigen

Authors
  1. Susan V. Lester
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  2. Radha J. Horton-Parker
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  3. Laurie M. Craigen
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  4. Judith C. Durham
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Correspondence to Susan V. Lester.

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The authors declare that there is no conflict of interest.

Ethical Approval

All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional research committee where the research was conducted and with the 1964 Helsinki declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards.

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Informed consent was obtained from all individual participants included in the study.

Additional information

Note that Susan Lester completed the study in association with Old Dominion University but is now at the University of Saint Joseph in West Hartford, Connecticut.

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Lester, S.V., Horton-Parker, R.J., Craigen, L.M. et al. A Phenomenological Exploration of Bhutanese Counselors’ Experiences with Western Counseling. Int J Adv Counselling 40, 398–413 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10447-018-9333-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10447-018-9333-3

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