Indigenous Models of Helping in Nonwestern Countries: Implications for Mu It icultu ral Counseling

Document Abstract / Summary Overview

Every culture has traditionally had ways of dealing with psychological distress and behavioral deviance. For example, in the United States for the last century, counseling has evolved into a formal profession designed to help individuals resolve both situational and developmental problems in various aspects of their lives. Counsehg as practiced in the United States, however, may be a unique profession. In countries with cultures that predate that of the United States and Western Europe, people have for centuries found guidance to resolve educational, career, and personal-social challenges outside of formal counseling with trained professionals. The purpose of this article is to present the preliminary findings from a study of indigenous models of helping in selected nonwestem countries. The goal of the study was to investigate the status of psychology, counseling, and related mental health professions in these countries. Implications from the data for multicultural counseling in the United States will also be discussed.