When I was in India, I called myself a cognitive behavioral therapist. Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT) worked better with the Indian population as it is more directive and realistic in nature. Indian clients responded and worked effectively with CBT as the clients and the therapists both found CBT a systematic technique to challenge a client’s unrealistic thoughts and feelings and hence shape their behavior. The Indian population looked up to counselors as a higher authority and listened to every suggestion from the counselor. As a result, if a CBT therapist assigns any assignment to the clients, clients take it very seriously and they complete the assignment. On the other hand, when I came to the United States and started an internship at the Northside Mental Health Center and John Knox Village, Tampa Bay, I realized the cultural difference that impacts therapeutic alliances. After reading the research literature and conversing with clients, I started implementing
When I was in India, I called myself a cognitive behavioral therapist. Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT) worked better with the Indian population as it is more directive and realistic in nature. Indian clients responded and worked effectively with CBT as the clients and the therapists both found CBT a systematic technique to challenge a client’s unrealistic thoughts and feelings and hence shape their behavior. The Indian population looked up to counselors as a higher authority and listened to every suggestion from the counselor. As a result, if a CBT therapist assigns any assignment to the clients, clients take it very seriously and they complete the assignment. On the other hand, when I came to the United States and started an internship at the Northside Mental Health Center and John Knox Village, Tampa Bay, I realized the cultural difference that impacts therapeutic alliances. After reading the research literature and conversing with clients, I started implementing