Course Aims

This course aims to enhance students’ general cultural sensitivity and competence in working with diverse populations. Specific situations and conditions occurring currently in Hong Kong will be discussed to facilitate students to develop insights about various cultural issues. The course will explore the implications of diversity in psychotherapy and counselling in several ways. First, the issues of nomothetic and idiographic nature regarding human society will be examined and discussed. Additionally, the interrelatedness of cultural elements, such as implicit assumptions, environmental and cultural factors which affect the practice and utilization of psychotherapy and counselling across cultures will be addressed and appraised. Multicultural competence and intercultural communications will also be explored so students will have a better grasp of both the challenges and benefits that cultural diversity brings to counselling practices.