Culture and psychotherapy: A psychosocial framework for analysis

This paper discusses how cultural factors influence the current practice of psychotherapy in the Philippines where most psychotherapist still largely employ Western models. Psychotherapy involves process that are informed by the patient's culture. Indigenous psychotherapies are found in many societies and they may be used alone or in conjunction with Western modalities of treatment. This paper proposes a psychosocial framework that lends efficacy in the treatment modalities for psychological problems. Furthermore, it hopes to provide recommendations vis-a-vis training, service, and research in the field of psychotherapy in the Philippine context.

Culture and psychotherapy: A psychosocial framework for analysis

Culture possesses multiple functions in psychotherapeutic processes: (1) it creates specific sources of stress, (2) it provides specific modes of coping with distress, (3) it governs social responses to distress and disability, (4) it defines the symptoms of distress and psychopathology, (5) it determines the interpretation of symptoms and their subsequent biological, psychological, and social impacts, (6) it guides help-seeking and the response to treatment, and (7) it shapes the meaning of the illness experience. Psychotherapy, therefore, involves processes that are informed by the patient's culture. Indigenous psychotherapies could be found in many societies and they may be used alone or in conjunction with Western modalities of treatment. In the Philippines, psychotherapists largely employ Western models of psychotherapy. This paper describes some indigenous healing rituals and discusses the psychosocial framework that lends efficacy in the treatment modalities for psychological problems. Furthermore, this paper also aims to integrate this framework into the current practice of psychotherapy in the Philippines and provide recommendations vis-a-vis training, service, and research in the field of psychotherapy.

Culture and psychotherapy: A psychosocial framework for analysis

This paper discusses how cultural factors influence the current practice of psychotherapy in the Philippines where most psychotherapist still largely employ Western models. Psychotherapy involves process that are informed by the patient's culture. Indigenous psychotherapies are found in many societies and they may be used alone or in conjunction with Western modalities of treatment. This paper proposes a psychosocial framework that lends efficacy in the treatment modalities for psychological problems. Furthermore, it hopes to provide recommendations vis-a-vis training, service, and research in the field of psychotherapy in the Philippine context.

An overview of boundary transgressions in the doctor-patient relationship

This paper propounds two main theses. First, it asserts that the boundaries of the doctor-patient relationship are not clearly delineated, but they are clarified by the clarified contexts in which they are formed. Second, there is a need to formulate a set of guidelines that are flexible enough to accommodate ambiguous situations and yet definitive enough to define the limits of the interaction between the doctor and the patient. In order to advance the aforementioned theses, this paper will clarify what boundary transgressions are, how they come about, and how they could avoided.

Treatment of mental illness in the Philippines: a historical perspective

The evolution of the treatment of mental illness in the Philippines closely follows path that is taken in Europe and America. The Philippines shares a common language with the rest of the world in the conceptualization and management of mental illness. The history of the treatment of mental illness in the Philippines paints an optimistic view of our future development.