In this blog, we will discuss the top 3 counseling considerations for Asian Americans. This is the fourth entry in a series of blogs addressing multicultural issues in counseling.
Please note that this series is not meant to cover all facets of multiculturalism, but rather to provide some useful information and give you a “head start” in your counseling career. Another important thing to remember is that minority groups are heterogeneous. Therefore, these are things that are likely to be true, but, as with other categories in counseling, it is dangerous to make assumptions.
There is a bimodal distribution of wealth for this group; and so many Asian Americans live in poverty. This group also has high rates of depression. The number of hate crimes against this group actually rose in 1995 (Sue & Sue, 2008). Here are 3 things to keep in mind when counseling Asian clients.
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- Self-Awareness: There are many things to consider when treating an Asian family. Because this is a collectivist culture, a useful question to ask is “How does your family see the problem?” (Sue & Sue, 2008, p. 363). This will allow the counselor to determine to what degree the client is aware of differences between themselves and the family, and also may give the counselor some insight as to the level of acculturation.
- Family Structure: It is also useful to assess the family structure: is it egalitarian or hierarchical? Unless you can determine the structure is egalitarian, address the father first, since fathers and older members are considered to have higher status. If the father is ignored, and he perceives his role as threatened, he may react by becoming even more forceful, which would not be beneficial for family therapy. Assessing the level of acculturation for each member of the family is also important in order to determine if there are conflicts due to acculturation rates.
- Child Rearing: Another major area of consideration is child rearing. Because traditionally this group tends to have an authoritarian parenting style, physical punishment may be prevalent. Thus, it is very important to clearly discuss limits of confidentiality. Furthermore, counselors must consider how they address these issues with parents. Sue and Sue (2008) suggest: “The therapist can help refocus parenting to utilize the more positive aspects of Asian child-rearing strategies” (p. 365). So, placing the emphasis on what Asian families do well (caretaking, modeling, teaching) is helpful. The problem should also be reframed as “helping children with problems” rather than “altering poor parenting” (Sue & Sue, 2008, p. 365).
Yours in the Joy of Knowledge,
Barb LoFrisco
References
Sue, W. G., & Sue, D. (2008). Counseling the Culturally Diverse.
Hoboken, New Jersey: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Also check:
• https://mastersincounseling.org/counseling/essential-tips-for-using-facebook-effectively-keep-yourself-out-of-trouble/
• https://mastersincounseling.org/resources/30-exceptional-qa-sites-on-effective-relationship-counseling/
• https://mastersincounseling.org/psychology/5-free-online-videos-to-learn-about-mental-health/
