Culture and Psychotherapy: A Guide to Clinical Practice

by Wen-Shing Tseng MD (Editor), Jon Streltzer MD (Editor)

Overview

Cultural diversity has always been a fact of life, nowhere more so than in the unique melting pot of U.S. society. Respecting and understanding that diversity is an important -- and challenging -- goals. Culture and Psychotherapy: A Guide to Clinical Practice brings us closer to that goal by offering a fresh perspective on how to bring an understanding of cultural diversity to the practice of psychotherapy to improve treatment outcomes.

This remarkable work presents the nuts and bolts of incorporating culture into therapy, in a way that is immediately useful and practical. Illustrated by numerous case studies that demonstrate issues, techniques, and recommendations, the topics in this wide-ranging volume focus not on specific race or ethnicity but instead on culture. • Introduction -- Summarizes the influence of culture (an abstract concept defined as an entity apart from race, ethnicity, or minority) on the practice and process of psychotherapy while offering a broadened definition of psychotherapy as a special practice involving a designated healer (or therapist) and identified client (or patient) to solve a client's problem or promote a client's mental health• Case Presentations and Analysis -- Illustrates distinctive cultural issues and overtones within psychotherapy, such as the traditional Japanese respect for authority figures, the Native American concept of spirit songs, the clash of modern values with traditional Islamic codes, and the effects of the conflict between Eastern values of dependence and group harmony and Western values of independence and autonomy• Specific Issues in Therapy -- Discusses lessons from folk healing, the cultural aspects of the therapist-patient relationship, and the giving and receiving of medication as part of therapy• Treating Special Populations -- Presents issues and trauma faced by African Americans, Hispanic veterans, Southeast Asian refugees, adolescents, and the ethnic minority elderly• Special Models of Therapy -- Shows the interplay between cultural issues and specific models of therapy, including marital therapy for intercultural couples and group therapy with multiethnic members

The relevance of cultural diversity will only grow stronger in the coming years as our definition of community expands to embrace global -- not just local -- issues. With its balanced combination of clinical guidance and conceptual discussion highlighted by fascinating case studies, this volume, authored by national and international experts, offers psychotherapists, psychiatrists, psychologists, psychiatric residents, psychiatric nurses, and mental health social workers -- both in the U.S. and abroad -- an expansive focus and richness of content unmatched elsewhere in the literature.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781585628087
Publisher:	American Psychiatric Publishing, Incorporated
Publication date:	11/01/2008
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	320
File size:	2 MB
Age Range:	18 Years

About the Author

Wen-Shing Tseng, M.D., is a Professor in the Department of Psychiatry at the John A. Burns School of Medicine; University of Hawaii, Honolulu, Hawaii. Dr. Tseng is also a Guest Professor at the Institute of Mental Health, Beijing Medical University in Beijing, China; and a Honorable Advisor to the Transcultural Psychiatry Section of the World Psychiatric Association.

Jon Streltzer, M.D., is a Professor in the Department of Psychiatry at the John A. Burns School of Medicine at the University of Hawaii in Honolulu, Hawaii.

Table of Contents

ContributorsPrefacePART 1: IntroductionChapter 1. Culture and Psychotherapy: An OverviewPART 2: Case Presentations and AnalysisChapter 2. The Man Who Became a Child in the Face of DeathChapter 3. The Woman With One Foot in the PastChapter 4. The Woman Who Could Not Escape Her Spirit SongChapter 5. The Woman Who Alienated Her Family After Losing Her SonChapter 6. One Patient, Three TherapistsPART 3: Special Issues in TherapyChapter 7. Lessons From Folk Healing PracticesChapter 8. Therapist-Patient Relations and Ethnic TransferenceChapter 9. Psychological Aspects of Giving and Receiving MedicationsPART 4: Treating Special PopulationsChapter 10. The African AmericanChapter 11. The Hispanic VeteranChapter 12. The Southeast Asian Refugee: The Legacy of Severe TraumaChapter 13. The AdolescentChapter 14. The Ethnic Minority ElderlyPART 5: Special Models of TherapyChapter 15. Marital Therapy for Intercultural CouplesChapter 16. Group Therapy With Multiethnic Members PART 6: Integration and ConclusionsChapter 17. Integration and ConclusionsIndex

What People are Saying About This

Joseph Westermeyer

Key to conducting cross-cultural psychotherapy is understanding the meaning and symbolism of material revealed in therapy—no easy task for clinicians who cannot command the nuances of all cultures. Through a combination of rich case reports and literature reviews, Tseng and Streltzer have succeeded in providing the clinician with concepts and methods to meet this challenge. They have edited a book for a range of psychotherapists, from those learning this clinical skill to experienced therapists new to conducting cross-cultural psychotherapy, from those conducting supportive to interpersonal therapy. An additional nineteen authors have prepared valuable chapters that orient the reader to general principles and approaches, to diverse groups of patients with varied demographic characteristics, and to marital and group therapy as well as individual therapy.

Allan Tasman

This is a terrific book. Sophisticated psychotherapy treatment requires attention to a multitude of factors. This book provides a multifaceted, user-friendly overview of both how an individual's culture influences mental function and how the clinician can understand these influences and use that understanding for more effective treatment. Every clinician's clinical skills will improve with the knowledge contained in this book.

Lillian Comas-Diaz

This well-organized and edited book moves beyond the cultural formulation to provide useful information, recommending the use of cultural dimension to increase psychotherapy's effectiveness. (The Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease)

Editorial Reviews

3 Stars from Doody

The editors (both are faculty members of the Cultural Psychiatry Study Group at the U. of Hawaii School of Medicine) provide an overview of the cultural aspects of psychotherapy as an introduction to the 16 papers that follow, all by psychiatrists. The different cultures considered include Asian American, Native American, African American, Hispanic American, and European American, with individual chapters on medication, ethnic transference in therapy, the severe trauma of Southeast Asian refugees, marital counseling for intercultural couples, and group therapy with multiethnic members. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

Booknews

Reviewer: Renee Mehlinger, MEd, MD (Rush University Medical Center)
Description: This in-depth look at the cultural aspects of psychotherapy is based upon the clinical work and experiences of experts in the field with patients from a variety of cultural groups.
Purpose: The author addresses the lack of information in the field by presenting clinically relevant material on issues related to culture and psychotherapy.
Audience: This book is written for general and child and adolescent psychiatrists, psychologists, social workers, and mental health workers. It is an excellent aid for teaching medical students and residents who see patients from a variety of cultural backgrounds.
Features: The book is divided into six parts that address various aspects of culture and psychotherapy. An overview of culture and psychotherapy is presented along with an in-depth examination of the cultural aspects of the therapist-patient relationship and a look at the interplay of culture and a variety of therapeutic modalities. Special target populations, such as the elderly and adolescents, receive special attention regarding relevant cultural factors. Unique features include case vignettes with an in-depth analysis of cultural issues and suggestions for the therapist. There is a comprehensive list of references and an index that allows for easy access to specific issues.
Assessment: This is a useful, helpful, timely, and easy to read guide to clinical practice that provides important and relevant information on the cultural aspects of psychotherapy. Experts in the field combine their collective knowledge to enhance the understanding of the effects of culture on the therapeutic process and how to use culture to understand, strengthen, and enhance the treatment process.

Doody's Review Service

This well-organized and edited book moves beyond the cultural formulation to provide useful information, recommending the use of cultural dimension to increase psychotherapy's effectiveness.

The Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease - Lillian Comas-Diaz