Open AccessCultural adaptations of psychotherapy: Therapists’ applications of conceptual models with Asians and Asian Americans.
Author(s) -
Gordon C. Nagayama Hall,
Jin E. Kim-Mozeleski,
Nolan Zane,
Hiroshi Sato,
Ellen Huang,
Mia Tuan,
Alicia Yee Ibaraki
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
asian american journal of psychology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.883
H-Index - 27
eISSN - 1948-1985
pISSN - 1948-1993
DOI - 10.1037/aap0000122
Subject(s) - psychology , psychotherapist , collectivism , credibility , adaptation (eye) , interdependence , clinical psychology , conceptual framework , cognition , individualism , psychiatry , sociology , social science , neuroscience , political science , law
Although conceptual models of cultural adaptations of psychotherapy have been developed, little is known about how therapists apply these models in clinical practice. The purpose of the current study was to examine, using a directed content analysis, how therapists culturally adapt cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), one of the most widely used evidence-based approaches, for application with clients of Asian ancestry. The study also examined if there were major differences in adaptation strategies between therapists who practice in the United States ( N = 9), a predominantly individualistic society as opposed to those who practice in Japan ( N = 6), a predominantly collectivistic society. Semi-structured, open-ended interviews revealed that interdependent conceptualizations of the self and indirect communication were addressed by therapists in both countries, and therapist credibility issues were addressed only by therapists in the United States. These results imply that when culturally adapting psychotherapy, therapists incorporate elements of conceptual models that are relevant to their clients' cultures.