Cross-Cultural Counseling

As a therapist, you may find yourself at a brick wall when you try to treat Middle Eastern, North African, South American, Asian, and other clients with psychotherapeutic techniques formulated in the West. As Cross-Cultural Counseling: The Arab-Palestinian Case illustrates, the construction of self, community, and society is remarkably different in Arab countries. Only certain aspects of Western psychotherapy can be adapted to respond to the unique sociopolitical conditions and cultural factors affecting the mental health of people raised to consider community needs over self needs and desires. This text suggests a biopsychosocial approach to treating psychological disorders among Arab clients and highlights differences in the prevalence and manifestation of psychological disorders among peoples of South/Eastern backgrounds, as compared to what is known in the West. You’ll gain an education and understanding from Cross-Cultural Counseling that helps you provide more effective services to Arabs and Palestinians to meet their mental health needs. Cross-Cultural Counseling shows you how divesting therapeutic techniques of cultural sensitivity results in the alienation of clients who are not accustomed to recognizing or meeting their individual needs. It suggests a biopsychosocial approach to treating psychological disorders among Arab clients and highlights differences in the prevalence and manifestation of psychological disorders among peoples of South/Eastern backgrounds, as compared to what is known in the West. Challenging therapists to discard their misconceptions and biases about people who don’t fit the Western mold in terms of individualization, identity, and personality, the book also covers:

• different sociopolitical situations in Arab countries and the maintenance of authoritarian and collectivistic culture
• psychocultural features of Arabs
• socialization in Arab homes and schools
• help-seeking behavior among Arabs and poor mental health service delivery in Arab countries
• factors threatening the unity of the Palestinian family
• therapeutic recommendations for traditional clientsAccording to author Marwan Dwairy, Cross-Cultural Counseling is meant to “undo the dehumanization that has surrounded Palestinian-Arabs and help clinicians to understand the behavior of the Arab client and come to know the person in him or her.” Certainly, no other book can help you, as a psychologist, psychiatrist, or mental health professional, treat Palestinians, Arabs, and other South/Eastern clients as efficiently and successfully.