Counseling Psychology Training of Chinese Expatriate Students in the US

Abstract

A qualitative study was conducted with 12 respondents who understand many aspects of Chinese culture and have counseling experiences with Chinese clients or teaching in the American counseling psychology training program. This study aims to explore how American counseling psychology programs can better equip Chinese expatriate students to do effective therapy with Chinese clients. Toward that goal, the respondents identified the following : (a) the advantages of American counseling psychology programs to equip Chinese expatriate students to better serve Chinese clients; (b) the challenges that Chinese expatriate students encounter when working with Chinese clients; (c) the important components of equipping Chinese expatriate students during training; (d) and the ways that help Chinese expatriate students explore the most efficient approaches in serving Chinese clients and develop their own theoretical orientations based on existing Western theories. This study comprises not only a select few qualitative studies that specifically focus on Chinese expatriate students, but it is also one of the few conducts in Sinicizing counseling psychology training in the US (Bertram, Poulakis, Elsasser, & Kumar, 2014; Cook, Lei, & Chiang, 2010). In all, this study paves a practical, cultural, and academic way for American psychological programs to improve the learning experience and future career experiences of their Chinese expatriate students.