Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Ethnopsychiatry: Counselling immigrants in France

  • Published:
International Journal for the Advancement of Counselling Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The plight of immigrants in France and the United States bear a striking similarity. This article highlights the struggle of immigrants in the French society and the discrimination they face. A French academic discipline calledethnopsychiatry has arisen to help immigrants in France. It appears to be very similar in purpose to cross-cultural counselling, but draws more heavily in practice from traditional healing techniques used in Africa. The pioneeringstrides of ethnopsychiatry in the cross-cultural counselling paradigm are discussed.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Ba, N. (1994). La dépression du ventre: Réactions dépressives après l'accouchement des femmes immigrées, originaires d'Afrique de l'Ouest [Stomach depression: Post-partum depression among West African women]. Nouvelle Revue d'Ethnopsychiatrie 24(2): 59-72.

    Google Scholar 

  • Benedict, R. (1950). Echantillons de civilisation [Patterns of Civilization]. Paris, France: Gallimard.

    Google Scholar 

  • Biznar, K (1995). Ruptures familiales et névroses traumatiques [Family disintegration and traumatic neuroses]. In T. Nathan et al. (eds.), Rituels de deuil, travail du deuil [Mourning Rituals and Griefwork] (pp. 127-139). Paris, France: Éditions La Pensée Sauvage.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bonierbale, M., Gensollen-Giraldil J. & Pin, N. (1981). La femme immigrée et la sexualité [The immigrant woman and sexuality]. Psychologie Médicale 13(11): 1785-1788.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bouchami, H. (1986). Les difficultés scolaires chez les enfants d'immigrés algeriéns [Academic Difficulties of Algerian Immigrant Children]. Unpublished doctoral dissertation. Paris, France: University of Paris V.

  • Bruns, H. (1995). Counselling Immigrants in France: Mainstreaming Traditional Therapies Within a Multidisciplinary Approach (Unpublished manuscript, George Washington University).

  • Creamean, L. (1996). Membership of foreigners: Algerians in France. Arab Studies Quarterly 18(1): 49-67.

    Google Scholar 

  • Devereux, G. (1980) Basic Problems of Ethnopsychiatry. Chicago: The University of Chicago Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dhombres, D. (1996, October 22). Tobie Nathan, ethnopsychiatre: 'Freud ressemblait un peu à un guérisseur africain' [Tobie Nathan, ethnopsychiatrist: 'Freud was a little like an African healer']. Le Monde 14.

  • Dores, N. (1996, December 4). Comment soigner les trouble psychologiques des immigrants? le psy, le chaman et le charlatan [How do you treat the psychological problems of immigrants? The psychologist, shaman, or charlatan?]. Libération 4834: 5.

    Google Scholar 

  • Figueras, A. (1983). La France 'aux Francais' [France for the French]. Paris: Publications André Figueras.

    Google Scholar 

  • Frank, J. D. (1963) Persuasion and Healing. New York: Schocken Books.

    Google Scholar 

  • Freud, S. (1913/1970). Totem et tabou [Totem and Taboo]. Paris: Payot.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gilson, M. (1996, August 8-14). Le piège des sans-papiers [The predicament of illegal aliens]. Le Nouvel Observateur 1657: 30-32.

    Google Scholar 

  • Guichard, M.-T. (1989, March 6). France: Le choc islamique [France: The islamic shock]. Le point 859: 24-25.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hounkpatin, L. & Nathan, T. (1993). Refaire la tête: Dialogue sur le démontage et le remontage des organes dans l'initiation à la fonction de thérapeute (haba-lao) chez les yorubas (Bénin) [Restoration of Well-being: A dialogue on the removal and replacement of organs during the initiation ceremonies of Yoruba healers in Bénin]. Nouvelle Revue d'Ethnopsychiatrie 20: 49-72.

    Google Scholar 

  • Jeanblanc, A. (1993, August 14). Médicaments: Les voies naturelles [Medicine: Natural remedies]. Le point 1091: 53-55.

    Google Scholar 

  • Jelen, C. (1993, October 3). Immigration: La polygamie en France [Immigration: Polygamy in France]. Le point 1098: 42-51.

    Google Scholar 

  • Jelen, C. (1996, March 2). Islam en France: Les intégristes sapent la République [Islam in France: Extremists threaten the Republic]. Le point 1224: 28-35.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kassan, K. & Chazaud, J. (1987). Les troubles mentaux de l'africain emigré à la lumière de la tradition [Psychological problems of African immigrants in view of tradition]. Information Psychiatrigue 63(10): 1259-1271.

    Google Scholar 

  • Laplantine, F. (1988). L'ethnopsychiatrie [Ethnopsychiatry]. Paris: Presses Universitaires de France.

    Google Scholar 

  • Makarian, C. (1989, August 7). Immigration: Le pari et les risques [Immigration: The stake and the risks]. Le point 881: 26-27.

    Google Scholar 

  • Makarian, C. (1990, April 16). Immigrés: Quels seuils de tolérance? [Immigrants: What is the level of tolerance?] Le point 917: 28-31.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mead, M. (1963). Moeurs et sexualité en océanie [Customs and Sexuality in Oceania]. Paris: Plon.

    Google Scholar 

  • Moro, M. R. (1994). Parents en exil: Psychopathologie et migrations [Relatives in Exil: Psychopathology and Migration]. Paris: Presses Universitaires de France.

    Google Scholar 

  • Naili, D. B. (1986). La sinistrose chez le migrant maghrébin [Sinistrosis in North African migrant workers]. Annales Médico-Psychologiques 144(10): 1099-1104.

    Google Scholar 

  • Nathan, T. (1988). Le sperme du diable: Eléments d'ethnopsychotherapie [The Devil's Sperme: Elements of Ethnopsychotherapy]. Paris: Presses Universitaires de France.

    Google Scholar 

  • Nathan, T. (1993) Ethnopsy 93 [Ethnopsychology 93]. Nouvelle Revue d'Ethnopsychiatrie 20: 7-14.

    Google Scholar 

  • Nathan, T. (1994). L'influence qui guérit [Healing Influence]. Paris: Éditions Odile Jacob.

    Google Scholar 

  • Pégard, C. (1998, March 21) Droite-Front national: L'engrenage [The Right-National Front: Circumstantial entanglement]. Le point 1331: 46-51.

    Google Scholar 

  • Saint-Martin, E. (1998, February 21). Afrique: Le football des marabouts [Africa: The marabout's soccer]. Le point 1327: 78-81.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sarte, J-P. (1996). L'existentialisme est un humanisme [The Relationship of Existentialism to Humanism]. Paris: Gallimar.

    Google Scholar 

  • Soulayrol, R., Guigou, G. & Avy, B. (1981). L'adolescent immigré [The adolescent immigrant]. Psychologie Médicale 13(11): 1793-1795.

    Google Scholar 

  • Stalker, P. (1994). The Work of Strangers: A Survey of International Labour Migration. Geneva: International Labour Office.

    Google Scholar 

  • Thumerelle, P. J. (1994). Ausländer in Frankreich [Strangers in France]. Geographische Rundschau: Frankophone Raüme 46(1): 12-16.

    Google Scholar 

  • Todd, E. (1994). Le destin des immigrés: Assimilation et ségrégation dans les démocraties occidentales [The Future of Immigrants: Assimilation and Segregation in Western Democracies]. Paris: Éditions du Seuil.

    Google Scholar 

  • Traverson, M. (1994, October 15). Ethnopsychiatrie: Le guérisseur des âmes [Ethnopsychiatry: Soul doctors]. Le point 1152: 54-56.

    Google Scholar 

  • Trouve, J-N., Liauzu, P-P., Calvet, P. & Scotto, J-C. (1983). Aspects sociologiques des troubles de l'identité dans la pathologie de la migration [Sociological aspects of identity disorders in the pathology of migration]. Annales Médico Psycholoqiques 141(10): 1041-1062.

    Google Scholar 

  • Viorst, M. (1996). The Muslims in France. Foreign Affairs 75(5): 78-86.

    Google Scholar 

  • Voisard, J. & Ducastelle, C. (1988). La question immigrée dans la France d'aujourd'hui [The Immigrant Question in France Today]. Paris: Saint-Simon-Calmann-Levy.

    Google Scholar 

  • Vontress, C. E. (1991). Traditional healing in Africa: Implications for cross-cultural counselling. Journal of Counselling and Development 70(1): 242-249.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. The George Washington University, Washington, DC

    Clemmont E. Vontress (Professor Emeritus of Counselling)

  2. Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, The Johns Hopkins Hospital, Baltimore, MD

    Lawrence R. Epp (Psychiatric Therapist)

Authors
  1. Clemmont E. Vontress
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Lawrence R. Epp
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Vontress, C.E., Epp, L.R. Ethnopsychiatry: Counselling immigrants in France. International Journal for the Advancement of Counselling 22, 273–288 (2000). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1005680728311

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1005680728311

Keywords

Search

Navigation