Counselling and therapy in a multi-cultural setting

Abstract

The paper argues that counselling and psychotherapy within a multi-cultural setting raise several unresolved issues that are specific to the process of counselling and therapy, such as the language(s) spoken, meanings shared, verbal and non-verbal misunderstandings, the uses and misuses of metaphors, differential expectations, and conflicting values systems of the client and therapist. At a general level, the values underlying multiculturalism are in danger of being compromised by the very process of globalization. Despite some of the economic, scientific, and technological advantages in globalization, it carries within it in-built dangers of homogenization. The paper argues that this is likely to lead to an erosion of cultural identities and values.