Therapist experiences working with Asian American college students

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Counseling
• Cultural Studies

Background:

• University counseling centers serve diverse student populations, including Asian Americans.
• Understanding therapist experiences is crucial for culturally competent care.
• Previous research has not fully explored therapist perspectives on working with Asian American clients.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore therapist experiences with Asian American clients at a university counseling center.
• To identify common presenting concerns and therapeutic approaches used.
• To inform the development of culturally responsive mental health services.

Main Methods:

• Qualitative exploratory study using individual semi-structured interviews.
• 17 licensed therapists from diverse ethnic backgrounds participated.
• Consensual Qualitative Research (CQR) framework for data analysis.

Main Results:

• Family stress was the most frequent presenting problem for Asian American clients.
• Other common concerns included identity search, emotion regulation, academic stress, discrimination, and acculturative stress.
• Therapists frequently used insight-oriented and directive approaches, often integrating them based on client needs.

Conclusions:

• Therapist perceptions of ethnic match in therapy varied.
• Findings underscore the importance of culturally responsive treatments for Asian American clients.
• Further research is needed to enhance mental health service delivery for this demographic.