CHAPTER 16
COUNSELING ASIAN
AMERICANS AND
PACIFIC ISLANDERS
Statistics on Asian Americans
and Pacific Islanders
 The number of Asian Americans in the United States stands
at approximately 15,000,000.
 Native Hawaiian and other Pacific Islanders comprise 1.2
million of the U.S. population.
 It is a very heterogeneous group (e.g., East, South,
Southeast).
 Many Asian Americans speak another language
 Asian Americans differ with respect to acculturation and
immigration status.
Asian Americans: A Success Story?
For example:
 Of those over the age of 25, 44% of Asian/Pacific
Islanders had at least a bachelors degree versus
24% of their White counterparts.
 However, in the area of education, Asian
Americans show a disparate picture of
extraordinarily high educational attainment and a
large undereducated mass (e.g., Hmong, Laotians).
Collectivistic Orientation
 Instead of promoting individual needs and
personal identity, Asian families tend to have
a family and group orientation.
 Children are expected to strive for family
goals and not to engage in behaviors that
would bring dishonor to the family.
Hierarchical Relationships
 Traditional Asian American families tend to
be hierarchical and patriarchal in structure,
with males and older individuals occupying a
higher status.
 Communication flows down from the parent
to the child, who is expected to defer to the
adults.
Parenting Styles
 Parenting styles tend to be more authoritarian and directive than in EuroAmerican families.
 Shame, induction of guilt, and love withdrawal are used to control or
train children.
 Problem behavior is thought to be due to lack of discipline.
 Parenting styles differ among Asian American groups.
 Implications:
 Egalitarian or Western-style parent effectiveness training strategies may
run counter to traditional child-rearing patterns.
 Traditional Asian American families may feel that their parenting skills
are being criticized when exposed to Western techniques or styles.
 It may be helpful for the therapist to refocus parenting to utilize more
positive aspects of Asian child-rearing strategies.
Emotionality
 Strong emotional displays, especially in
public, are considered to be signs of
immaturity or a lack of control.
Holistic View of Mind and Body
 Because the mind and body are considered
inseparable, Asian Americans may present
emotional difficulties through somatic
complaints.
Academic and Occupational Goals
 As a group, Asian Americans perform better academically
than do their Euro-American counterparts.
 They also have more fear of academic failure compared to
their Euro-American peers.
 Asian American adolescents report feeling isolated,
depressed, and anxious and report little praise for their
accomplishments from their parents.
 Parents often have specific career goals in mind for their
children (e.g., hard sciences).
Cultural Strengths
 The family and collectivistic orientations
provide individuals with honor and support,
which can buffer stressors.
 Ethnic pride can be enhanced through
connecting with cultural traditions.
 Having strong cognitive flexibility is key.
Racial Identity Issues
Individuals undergoing acculturation conflicts may
respond in the following manner:
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Assimilation seeks to become part of the dominant society to
the exclusion of his or her own cultural group.
Separation identifies exclusively with the Asian culture.
Integration/biculturalism retains many Asian values but
adapts to the dominant culture by learning necessary skills
and values.
Marginalization perceives ones own culture as negative but is
unable to adapt to majority culture.
Acculturation Conflicts
 Children with Asian parents encounter a
unique challenge because they must deal
with cultural differences.
 Children are raised with two conflicting
viewpoints—an American culture that calls
for active parental involvement, and a home
life that demands individual and community
responsibility.
Expectations of Counseling
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Explain the nature of the counseling and therapy process
and the necessity of obtaining information.
Describe the clients’ role.
Indicate that the problems may be individual, relational,
environmental, or a combination of these and that you
will perform an assessment of each of these areas.
Introduce the concept of co construction—that the
problem definition and solutions are developed with the
help of the client and the counselor.
Asian clients expect the counselor to take an active role
in structuring the session and guidelines on the types of
responses that they will be expected to make.
Racism and Discrimination
 Asian Americans continue to face issues of racism
and discrimination.
 One study found that discrimination in early
adolescence was related to depression, alienation
and lower academic performance.
 Asian Americans report more workplace
discrimination than do Whites.
 Southeast Asian refugees who experienced racial
discrimination report higher rates of depression.
Implications for Clinical Practice
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Be aware of cultural differences between the therapist and the
client regarding counseling, appropriate goals, and process.
Build rapport by discussing confidentiality and explaining the
client role and the need to co construct the problem definition
and solutions.
Assess not just from an individual perspective; include family,
community, and societal influences on the problem.
Conduct a positive assets search.
Consider or reframe the problem when possible as one in which
issues of culture conflict or acculturation are involved.
Determine whether somatic complaints are involved and assess
their influence on mood and relationships.
Implications for Clinical Practice
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Take an active role but allow Asian Americans to
choose and evaluate suggested interventions
Use problem-focused, time-limited approaches that
have been modified to incorporate possible cultural
factors
With family therapy, the therapist should be aware
that Western-based theories and techniques may not
be appropriate for Asian families. Therefore, focus on
positive aspects of parenting such as modeling and
teaching, and use a solution-focused model
In couples counseling, assess for societal or
acculturation conflicts
Implications for Clinical Practice
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With Asian children and adolescents, common
problems involve acculturation conflicts with parents,
feeling guilty or stressed over academic performance,
negative self-image or identity issues, and struggle
between interdependence and independence.
Among recent immigrants or refugees, assess for
living situation, culture conflict, and social or
financial condition.
Consider the need to act as an advocate or to engage
in systems-level intervention in cases of institutional
racism or discrimination.