Section III - Treatment and interventions

"The quality of the alliance between therapist and client trumps cultural issues". (Panya and Herlihy, 2010, p 401).

There is continued debate throughout the research literature about the suitability of Western psychotherapeutic approaches to CALD populations. Western approaches tend to be based on the assumptions and values of individuation, independence, self-disclosure, and verbal expression of feelings. Asian values however are more pluralistic in nature and tend to focus on interdependence, self-control, and repression of feelings, (Lee in Kirmayer, 2001). The general consensus seems to be that some modalities are more suited to particular populations than others, and that engagement issues, the nature and quality of the therapeutic relationship, and feeling safe in the therapeutic situation are critical to success. These latter issues have been dealt with in the CALD 9 learning programme, which is a pre-requisite, and readers are referred back to this module for general information.

A number of modalities suitable for working with Asian clients and their families are suggested below. There is a new and emerging body of literature in the field of appropriate therapeutic modalities for Asian clients. In New Zealand the Te Pou reports of 2012, 2011, and 2008 provide useful information, and in the international literature the Asian American Journal of Psychology, The Asian Journal of Psychiatry and the Hong Kong Journal of Mental Health all include articles on intervention. For this resource input has also been sought from New Zealand expert opinion, feedback from service users, and clinicians in practice. In this section it is assumed that the reader/clinician will be familiar with the range of therapeutic approaches suggested, and therefore the focus will be on their relevance and applicability to Asian clients and their families only, rather than on the modalities themselves.