Understanding and treating the ethnically Asian client: a collectivist approach

Asian clients represent a growing population of clients seeking professional assistance for a variety of social and emotional difficulties. Ethnically Asian clients often have a collective notion of "self" which is highly influenced by family and culture. Clinical work with Asian clients requires very different treatment strategies than those used in work with western clients whose notion of "self" is far more individualistic. The cultural issues at play in the development of a "Collective Self" are described in the article along with common crisis situations which often require the Asian client to seek treatment.