Chinese Counselors Research Articles

LGBQ affirmative practice and psychological well-being in China.

Research has consistently shown the importance of affirmative practice when therapists work with lesbian, gay, bisexual, queer/questioning (LGBQ) clients. However, less is known about factors that may influence the extent to which clients benefit from affirmative practice. The present study intends to address this gap by examining whether LGBQ affirmative practice would be positively associated with psychological well-being, and whether individuals factors including internalized homophobia (IH), reciprocal filial piety (RFP; providing care and support for parents based on affective bonding), and authoritarian filial piety (AFP; showing unconditional obedience to parents based on parental authority) would moderate this relationship. A total of 128 Chinese LGBQ clients (50% male, 38.3% female, and 11.7% nonbinary/gender queer; age: M = 25.26 years, SD = 5.46) from 21 provinces and regions completed the online survey. Results revealed that LGBQ affirmative practice was positively associated with psychological well-being after controlling for LGBQ clients' pretherapy distress and therapists' credibility. Such association was greater for LGBQ clients who had higher levels of IH and AFP, whereas such effect did not vary with RFP. This study provides preliminary empirical evidence for the effectiveness of LGBQ affirmative practice in psychological health among Chinese LGBQ clients. Moreover, LGBQ affirmative practice might be more helpful for LGBQ clients with higher IH and AFP. These findings implicate that Chinese counselors and therapists should engage in LGBQ affirmative practice when they work with LGBQ clients, especially for those who have high levels of IH and AFP. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).

재한 중국인 상담자의 경험에 관한 연구

Objectives The purposes of this study were to explore in-depth the experiences of Chosun Chinese and Han Chinese counselors living in Korea, based on their counselor development stages, through a narrative study on the experiences of Chinese counselors in Korea.
 Methods The study utilized the narrative research method, one of the qualitative research methods, and conducted individual in-depth interviews as the main method of data collection, targeting two Chosun Chinese and Han Chinese counselors who are currently living and working as counselors in Korea.
 Results The results of this study were divided into three chapters: “The Seed is Planted”, “Wherever I Fly”, and “To Bloom a Flower”. The first chapter revealed the themes of “A True Gateway of Encounter”, “Choice and Focus”, “Volitional Interest”, and “Turning a Corner”. The second chapter revealed the themes of “The Place I Want to Stay”, “What the Unfamiliar Brings”, “The Beautiful Role”, and “Finding Balance”. The third chapter revealed the themes of “My Wounds are Also Flowers”, “It Was Not Me, But It Had to Be Me”, “From Doubt to Conviction”, and “Unexpected Encounters.”
 Conclusions Based on the research results, the researcher compared and analyzed the participants by theme, such as “Interest: Before Minds Meet”, “Facing Oneself”, and “Respect for Differences”, and discovered the significance of the experiences of Chinese counselors living in Korea, in terms of choosing and living their paths as counselors in the context of their continuous lives, in addition to the counselor development theory. The researcher also provided suggestions based on the practicality, reflection, and on-site nature pursued by narrative research, for the reconstitution of the sincere stories and experiences of foreign counselors working in Korea.

Dance Movement Therapy with Chinese Counselors

The recently scheduled session coincided with strict lockdown measures and subsequent demonstrations. How can dance therapy help therapists deal with their trauma while still functioning and providing care for their families and students?

한국에서 상담을 전공한 중국인 상담자의 중국 귀국 후 전문직 적응 경험

Objectives This study examined the professional adaptation experience of Chinese counselors who returned to China after obtaining a counseling-related major in Korea. Methods For this purpose, In-depth interviews with 10 Chinese counselors who had obtained a counseling=related major in Korea and had at lest 3 months and up to 5 years of professional experience returning to China, and the data were analyzed using the consensual qualitative analysis method. Results We derived four domains, including ‘experience in the process of returning home’, ‘recognition of differences in expertise in counseling fields between Korea and China’, ‘effect of professional experience in Korea on adaptation after returning home’, and ‘efforts to improve professionalism’, which were classified into 11 categories and 42 subcategories. Conclusions It is meaningful in that the voices of returning Chinese counselors have revealed the uniueness and development of the Chinese counseling field, the difference between Korea and China’s expertise and the reality of the Chinese counselor’s experience of adapting to the profession after returning China. It is also meaningful in that it provided important basic materials for understanding the specific needs and needs of Chinese counselors who wish to return China in the future and planning more effective and practical education programs to professors who are responsible for education.

The effects of lesbian, gay, and bisexual experiences and internal beliefs on lesbian, gay, and bisexual affirmative counselor competence among Chinese counselors.

Lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) affirmative counselor competence is important for counselors to work effectively with sexual minority clients, but the level of competence is unclear among counselors in China, given the more conservative sociocultural climate. To understand the factors that contribute to Chinese counselors' LGB affirmative counselor competence, this study examined how situational (e.g., LGB experiences) and cognitive factors (e.g., internal beliefs) contribute to such competence in light of cultural learning theory. A total of 672 counselors (79.40% female; Mage = 36.33 years, SD = 7.87) from Mainland China completed an online survey. They provided information about demographics and LGB experiences (i.e., hours of LGB training, number of LGB clients, and number of LGB friends) and completed the Essentialist Beliefs Scale, Social Dominance Orientation Scale, and Sexual Orientation Counselor Competency Scale (SOCCS). Structural equation modeling results indicated that number of LGB friends was positively associated with SOCCS-Attitude. Number of LGB clients had the greatest effect on SOCCS-Skill, followed by hours of LGB training and number of LGB friends. Lower discreteness belief, higher immutability belief, and lower social dominance orientation were associated with higher level of SOCCS-Attitude. Higher universality belief was associated with higher levels of SOCCS-Knowledge and Skill. Interestingly, more hours of LGB training were not associated with higher levels of SOCCS-Attitude and Knowledge. In addition, counselors' gender or sexual orientation did not moderate the effects of LGB experiences and internal beliefs on LGB affirmative counselor competence. The implications for these findings are discussed. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).

Supplemental Material for The Effects of Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual Experiences and Internal Beliefs on Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual Affirmative Counselor Competence Among Chinese Counselors

Supplemental Material for The Effects of Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual Experiences and Internal Beliefs on Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual Affirmative Counselor Competence Among Chinese Counselors

An introduction to mental health services at universities in China

After 30 years of development, the mental health service system in Chinese universities forms its own characteristics: (1) Mental health services are positioned as part of ideological and political education. (2) Most of work focuses on mental health education. Personal counseling plays a less important role. (3) Main problems of students are interpersonal relationships, emotional issues, academic stress, career development, neurosis, internet addiction. (4) Chinese counselors are making efforts to construct local conceptual frameworks of psychological counseling, among which the Mountain Stream Therapy is worth to note. A case study of Zhejiang University is also included in this article.

Emerging Practices of Counseling and Psychotherapy in China: Ethical Dilemmas in Dual Relationships

A qualitative study was conducted with 48 Chinese counselors and psychotherapists who were interviewed in 2006 and an independent sample of 50 participants who responded to a survey in 2014. This study aims to explore how the new emerging expansion of mental health practice is related to issues and challenges of dual role relationship and how the well-engrained values and social characteristics of Chinese culture influences perceptions and resolution of ethical dilemmas. The participants identified similar dual relationships in 2006 and 2014: (a) Incidental boundary crossings, a sexual or romantic relationship, a dual social relationship, and a professional dual relationship were the most frequently reported types of dual relationships encountered by Chinese practitioners, and (b) the socioeconomic and cultural context and the development trajectory of counseling and psychotherapy in China play a significant role in shaping practitioners’ behaviors. The comparison of the data in 2006 and 2014 indicated that practitioners in psychotherapy and counseling have an improved awareness and understanding of ethical issues, evidenced by the decreasing cases of romantic and sexual relationships and increasing cases of social dual relationships influenced by the interrelatedness of traditional Chinese culture.

The counselor perspective on the use of directives in counseling in China: Are directives different in China as in the United States?

Eight Chinese counselors were interviewed about their use of directives in counseling. They typically believed that directives can be beneficial in counseling Chinese clients. They used directives to extend the influence of counseling beyond sessions, meet client needs and expectations, and fit their own personality and orientation. In terms of conditions that need to be met for directives to be helpful, they identified client factors such as readiness, communication styles, past experience, and insight; the counselor factor of ability to communicate directives; and the therapeutic relationship. They emphasized the importance of clients acquiring a new perspective as a result of directives. Cultural factors in using directives are discussed.

The Predictive Role of Mastery Experience in Chinese Counselors’ Counseling Self-efficacy

This naturalistic study explored the predictive role of Chinese counselors’ mastery experience in their client-specific counseling self-efficacy. Counselors’ mastery experience was operationalized as their perceived Goal, Task and Bond of the working alliance and Depth, Smoothness, Positivity, and Arousal of previous counseling sessions. The result of Hierarchical Linear Modeling showed that client-specific self-efficacy was significantly correlated with the level of counselor-client agreement on the Goal and Task, and with perceived Depth and Positivity of previous counseling sessions. These findings appeared to reflect Chinese counselors’ high levels of concern for client needs and their traditional cultural values.

National survey of therapeutic orientation and associated factors of counselors and psychotherapists in China

The aim of the present study was to determine the most commonly used and primary psychotherapeutic orientations adopted by Chinese practitioners and to examine the factors associated with the choice of orientation. A nationwide survey using multi-stage convenience sampling without replacement was conducted. A total of 1,232 respondents out of the 1,325 participants selected completed the survey, which corresponds to an overall response rate of 93.0%. The respondents were practitioners who were providing consultations and psychotherapy in China at the time. The main outcome measures were the most commonly used and primary psychotherapeutic orientations. A Chi-square test was used to examine the factors associated with therapeutic orientation. The most commonly used psychotherapies were cognitive therapy (59.2%), behavioral therapy (38.1%) and the psychoanalytic/psychodynamic model (29.4%). The primary orientations were cognitive therapy (41.6%), the psychoanalytic/psychodynamic model (15.7%) and cognitive-behavioral therapy (10.3%). Gender had no effect on the orientation choice. Cognitive therapy was used significantly more by respondents who were ≤30 years old (50.5%), who had been in practice ≤3 years (45.9%), received continuing education ≤64 h (47.2%) and accepted no clinical supervision (53.1%). Those who were ≥31 years old (18.4%), had been in practice ≥7 years (21.0%), received continuing education ≥65 h (23.6%), worked full-time (20.2%) and accepted clinical supervision (20.6%) used the psychoanalytic/psychodynamic model significantly more. The respondents who used cognitive-behavioral therapy had graduated from the medical profession (14.1%) and were not licensed (15.8%). Cognitive therapy and the psychoanalytic/psychodynamic model were the two most popular orientations adopted by Chinese counselors and psychotherapists. Age, years of practice, graduate profession, continuing education, working hours (full/part-time), licensure and supervision are significant factors that affect the choice of orientation.

Engaging counseling students in the dialogue between globalization and indigenization

In this current era of rapid globalization and knowledge transmission, students in Hong Kong and Asia who are being trained in counseling theories and systems face a dilemma. To be recognized internationally as professionally trained counselors, they need to comprehend some of the multiple theoretical approaches to mental health, the development of a person and the techniques needed for assessment and intervention. To practice professionally they must have an understanding of theoretical orientations and become self-reflective in their practice. The texts they use are mainly from Europe or the United States, with the case study focus being either on Americans or on Asian Americans. How do they distinguish between what is required of them internationally and local cultural needs of clients in Hong Kong or different parts of Asia? Much of the literature on pedagogical methods used for educating counselors argues for the development of multicultural competencies. While this is important, this paper argues for students to understand and be aware of the dialogue between globalization, indigenization and reconceptualization of counseling theories. Examples of how this is attempted in a Hong Kong counseling training program will be put forward, with a brief discussion of some current writings from Chinese and Taiwanese counselors and their attempts to indigenize and adapt Western theories for their own context, as well as the importance of exposing students to this research.