Course Aims

The course aims to enhance students’ general cultural sensitivity and competence in working with “diverse” population and to train students to develop critical thinking and insight about various cultural issues. Specific situations and conditions occurring currently in Hong Kong will be discussed. The course will also explore the implications of diversity in psychotherapy and counselling in several ways. First of all, the issues of nomothetic and idiographic nature regarding human society will be examined and discussed. Secondly, the interrelatedness of cultural elements, such as personality, implicit assumptions, environmental and cultural factors which affect the practice and utilization of psychotherapy and counselling across cultures will be addressed and appraised. Subsequently, the application of scientific inquiry and theoretical knowledge to identify common themes or elements of psychotherapy and counselling practice that are essential and useful across cultures will be investigated. Finally, distinct approaches and elements that are primarily ethno-culturally based are explored so as to facilitate the students to have a better grasp of both the changes and benefits that cultural diversity brings to counselling practices.

1. possess a deeper understanding and wider view regarding the definition of “culture”;

 

2. demonstrate knowledge and ability to comment on the presuppositions of existing theories and practices in relation to cultural diversity;

 

3. express and appreciate for cultural diversity and its implications for the further development of counselling and psychotherapy;

 

4. show comprehension of the inevitable shift from self to self-in-relation in cultural diversity relating to the issues of discrimination, cultural-privilege, personal biases, and other sensitive issues in the field of counselling psychology;

 

5. be more aware of the power of personal subjectivity, and how to formulate their personally integrative approach to working with issues of cultural diversity;

 

6. express a sensitivity for engaging in life-long dialogical and critical reflexive processes that add value to professional practice in culturally diverse contexts; and

 

7. demonstrate an appropriate level of competence in counselling a culturally diverse clientele.