Cross-cultural or intercultural counseling or psychotherapy

Summary

We have reviewed the problems in counseling or psychotherapy posed by cultural differences. Few if any solutions to these problems have been proposed. It has been the general conclusion that theories and methods of psychotherapy developed in Western culture are not applicable in other cultures.

This view is rejected on the basis that there are universals of human nature, a basic one being the common motive of self-actualization. The goal of counseling or psychotherapy is to facilitate the development of self-actualization in clients. Cultures can be evaluated in terms of their contribution to the self-actualization of their members. The major conditions for the development of self-actualizing persons are known, and must be present in counseling or psychotherapy as practiced with any client, regardless of his culture. These conditions are not time-bound nor culture-bound. The problems of practicing counseling or psychotherapy in other cultures are viewed as problems of implementing these conditions. Certain characteristics of clients which present obstacles to the implementation of the conditions are associated with certain cultures. Until cultural changes lead to changes in these characteristics, counseling or psychotherapy will be difficult and in some cases impossible with certain clients from certain cultures. Structuring and client education and training may change client expectations and make therapy possible. In any case, however, to accede to client expectations, abandoning methods which have been demonstrated to be related to self-actualization as an outcome of counseling or psychotherapy, is to abandon self-actualization as the goal, and to accept goals which are often inconsistent with self-actualization.