Transference and Empathy in Asian American Psychotherapy Cultural Values and Treatment Needs

The family-centered nature of Asian American life, the stresses on the minority position, and the cultural stigma associated with mental illness combine to constitute significant obstacles to the provision of appropriate mental health care for Asian-Americans. The authors, all practicing psychotherapists, focus on two critical aspects of the therapeutic relationship--transference and empathy--emphasizing the need to apply these fundamental concepts within the context of Asian cultural values and treatment needs. The work includes in-depth case studies which will be valuable in training psychotherapists and counseling practitioners to be sensitive to the mental health needs of people of non-European background whose numbers are increasing rapidly in the United States.