Multicultural Concerns in Marriage and Family Therapy: Asian Americans

The Asian American population is a major facet of American life; beginning their lives as immigrants they have worked their way to become integral members of society. In 2010 there were 14.7 million Asian Americans living in the United States and in 2011 that number increased to 18.2 million.1 Culturally, Asian American people have traditions and beliefs that contradict those of the Western world.2 “Culture molds people’s values, attitudes, and beliefs; influences their perceptions of self and others; and determines the way they experience their environment.”10 As a result there are certain barriers that exist when communicating with Asian Americans due to their cultural background. Additionally, Asians living in America suffer from the Model Minority Myth, which typecasts these people as being financially and educationally well off in comparison to other ethnic groups.2 Due to this Asian Americans aren’t considered more at risk for many health risks compared to other ethnicities; cultural and physical barriers act as a hindrance to Asian Americans receiving healthcare services, primarily mental health related services.

The model minority stereotype suggests that Asian Americans as a group are achieving a higher level of academic, economic, and social success than the overall American population (Hartlep, 2013; Tran & Birman, 2010). This stereotype is very much engrained in the American culture today; however, such acceptance does not reflect the whole truth.

Great strides have been made in the counseling field to promote multiculturalism, yet it is a complex endeavor and continues to meet challenges in implementation and efficacy. Challenges such as cultural encapsulation, client access to care, implementation of multicultural counseling competencies, and unique issues involved in the practice of counseling a diverse population of clients remains. Research is ongoing to determine the efficacy of culturally adapted treatments in the therapeutic process.

Generic counseling, outside of the culturally competent scope, is predominately seen as a standard way of practice. According to Sue and Sue (2013), generic counseling practices are closely aligned with majority, or White, mainstream cultural characteristics, attitudes, and beliefs. Furthermore, the generic characteristics of counseling assumes a particular way of being that impacts how culture, class, and language, are viewed; and all of these elements influence methods and practices of psychotherapy (Sue & Sue, 2013). First, generic counseling’s underlying assumption about culture includes the belief that an individual’s social network is comprised of the nuclear family and is centered on the individual (Sue & Sue, 2013); and there is an underlying bias of middle class values. Another characteristic of generic counseling is the

A model minority, or a minority group whether based on ethnicity, race, or religion, is often perceived to achieve a higher degree of socioeconomic success than the population average. This goes as far as to assuming success in most, if not all, of the areas such as education, income, family stability, and low crime rate. Although there are Asian Americans that have strived to secure stability in most areas of their life, it is unjust to categorize all Asian Americans under a common stereotype that they are all surrounded by prosperity. The model minority myth stems from this common misinterpretation and harvests more and more dangerous misconceptions. In Priscilla Lui’s Tiger Mother: Popular and psychological Scientific Perspectives on Asian Culture and Parenting, it is noted that the model minority stereotype entails both Asian values associated with high achievement and importance of education and the assumption that Asians and Asian Americans are more successful than other minority groups in the United States.

Ethical issues continue to affect the dispensation of care in the multicultural counseling context. Counselors are increasingly dealing with issues of clients from diverse backgrounds. Therefore, they have to come up with appropriate strategies and intervention that are sensitive to the different individual attributes such as race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, religious affiliation, age, socioeconomic status and nationality. Some of the ethical issues that arise in a multicultural setting include the need for protecting the privacy or confidentiality of clients, applying culturally competent counseling practices, obtaining informed consent from the client before commencing with the interventions, striving to avoid harm to patients and their families as well as maintaining boundaries in the professional counseling relationship. There is also a need for initiating vibrant training programs to ensure that counselors understand the ethical issues inherent in the multicultural counseling context. Such training can aid in the provision of culturally competent services that are consistent with the guidelines of professional bodies such as the American Counseling Association (ACA). By providing culturally sensitive services, counselors can be in a better position to dispense appropriate, safe and patient-centered care that translates to improved treatment outcomes. This paper will look at the ethical issues that counselors face when providing services in a multicultural

Dan Hocoy, person being interviewed and working as a clinical psychologist, explains that most Asian Americans go to their families for help and guidance than professions who are not familiar to them.

The Asian-Indian immigrant population has increased dramatically in the last several years, consequently, this populations group is the second largest group after the Chinese (Joseph, 2006; U.S. Bureau of the Census, 2010). The increase in this population group could be a strength for a multicultural counselor who specializes in Asian-Indian culture. Some aspects to consider for this group would to be aware of your own cultural values and biases in fact, Sue & Sue (2016) states, “Programs stress the importance of not allowing our own biases, values, or hang-ups to interfere with our ability to work with clients”. A counselor should be aware of the stigma and shame that can be associated with psychological disorders and mental illness for the

The population of Asian Americans is “proportionally the fastest growing ethnic group in the United States”(Hall, Hong, Zane & Meyer, 2011 p. 215) and is expected to rise to 8 percent of the total population within the next six years (Park, Chesla, Rehm & Chun, 2011). As the population rises culture becomes increasingly important in caring for patients of Asian descent. Language barriers are not the only cultural complication, “equally important is the providers’ ability to understand the culturally specific needs of minority clients and to adjust their approach to care accordingly” (Park, Chesla, Rehm & Chun, 2011 p. 2374) Culturally competent care for Asian individuals is characterized by three essential components: cultural brokering, supporting

Duffey, T., & Somody, C. (2011). The Role of Relational-Cultural Theory in Mental Health Counseling. Journal of Mental Health Counseling, 33(3), 223-242. Retrieved August 13, 2015, from Proquest Central.

It is important to note that culture intertwine with intervention strategies. Culture are may have a vital role in the intervention strategies. For example, Indian parents were more likely to notice social issues with the client more than Americans (). Another important aspect to examine when thinking about culture and intervention is the way symptoms are interpreted. According to, Pacific islanders and African Americans are less likely to agree with symptoms as disorders than Caucasian Americans, and effects whether the client’s caregivers choose to use interventions at all. Another important aspect

Rather, it is built on complex relationships, individual prejudices, and innumerable barriers. With the dynamic culture that has precipitated in the past years, I feel family therapy has become more pertinent than ever. I feel my strong sense of cultural sensitivity in our diverse society will act as my greatest strength and ally in the years to come as I pursue my career in family therapy.  I have become a culturally sensitive therapist, by emphasizing understanding of a client’s background and by practicing as a problem solver by opening a level of communication to trust in me and help

In this approach often times it is found that there is deficit, in expertise in working with culturally diverse clients. In addition, to this model of theory, Erford (2014) emphasized the Western model of psychotherapy in terms of counseling theories can often be inappropriate with clients of diverse cultures, primarily as they are based on the belief system and values of the White dominant society. Similarly, the monocultural, ethnocentric approach has proven to be ineffective with non-White clients as well. Therefore, there may be times when a clinicians and or counselor may use interventions in counseling that may conflict with the client’s worldview (Hayes,2008). As counseling and psychology are linked within each other it is important to view theories and cultural factors together. In doing so will enable a better understanding of the client’s and or needs of a group of people as a whole, resulting in an successful outcome in their treatment and a greater sense of awareness to various cultural groups and

When assessing people of different cultures, it is important to consider social, language and cultural barriers. Sui Li is a young, 20-year old Asian American adult, who might be one of the acculturated Asian American clients, being born in the United States. Acculturation is the process of functioning within t he dominant culture while retaining one's original culture ( Goldsea , 2008) . Assimilation, on the other hand, is allowing one's original culture to be overridden by the dominant culture. Determining her perspectives is crucial to have an effective interview. Generally, t he family is typically the most social institution for Asian Americans. It is often their greatest source of functional and psychological support. To have a successful

Counseling has been through numerous cultural barriers and continues to do so. It is important as a future counselor to become culturally aware and sensitive to all ethnic groups I come across in counseling. Although there have been positive aspects coming from the history of counseling, there is still a long way to go. I hope to take what I learn here and use it to my advantage as a future mental health