Multicultural Encounters: Case Narratives from a Counseling Practice (Multicultural Foundations of Psychology and Counseling, 1) PDF
Preview Multicultural Encounters: Case Narratives from a Counseling Practice (Multicultural Foundations of Psychology and Counseling, 1)
Multicultural Encounters Case Narratives from a Counseling Practice Stephen Murphy-Shigematsu Teachers College, Columbia University New York and London Published by Teachers College Press, 1234 Amsterdam Avenue, New York, NY 10027 Copyright © 2002 by Teachers College, Columbia University All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, or any information storage and retrieval system, without permission from the publisher. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Murphy-Shigematsu, Stephen Multicultural encounters : case narratives from a counseling practice / Stephen Murphy-Shigematsu. p. cm. — (Multicultural foundations of psychology and counseling) Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 0-8077-4259-7 (alk. cloth) — ISBN 0-8077-4258-9 (pbk. : alk. paper) 1. Cross-cultural counseling 2. Cross-cultural counseling—Case studies. I. Title. II. Series. BF637.C6 M86 2002 158'.3—dc21 2002071972 ISBN 0-8077-4258-9 (paper) ISBN 0-8077-4259-7 (cloth) Printed on acid-free paper Manufactured in the United States of America 09 08 07 06 05 04 03 02 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 Contents Series Foreword by Allen Ivey and Derald Wing Sue vii Acknowledgments ix 1 Prologue 1 Ethnic Narratives 3 An Integrative Multicultural Counseling Framework 6 Counseling as Art and Narrative 11 The Reflexive Counselor 13 Writing Stories of Counseling and Development 16 2 The Boy Without a Song 18 Blood Brothers: First Impressions 19 A Boy Without a Song: The Loss of Joy 21 A Meeting with Mother 22 Language and Intimacy: Facilitating Communication and Trust 23 Baring One’s Soul: Breaking Through the Ice 25 His Gain Is Her Pain 28 Finding Voice: Gaining Insight 29 Survival Narratives: Cultural Considerations of What’s Normal 31 Sharing Stories 33 Going to America: Escape or Challenge? 37 Using Stories to Teach: Metaphors of Growth and Development 38 Finding Father 41 Hideo the Adventurer 43 A Final Handshake 45 3 The Fruit of Our Own Doing 48 Lost in Japan: Finding One’s Way Without Words 50 Facing the Anger: Maintaining Contact 53 A Paranoid Narrative? In the Borderland of Anxiety and Psychosis 55 Mediating and Negotiating: Cultural Patterns of Behavior 59 Emphasizing with the Hurt and Loss 62 Accepting Responsibility in the Here and Now 63 Awakening to Bittersweet Discoveries 66 v vi Contents 4 The Power in a Name 69 Reevaluating a Worn-Out Narrative 72 Is There a Right Name? 75 Out of Tune? Applying American Theories in Japan 77 Facing Further Complexities of Identity 79 Integrating Narratives: Engaging in Self-Definition 81 5 The Colors of Blood 85 Pure, Mixed, Blue, Green: Confronting the Politics of Blood 88 Assisting the Search for Roots and Community 89 Struggling with Questions of Authenticity 92 Is It Better to Let it Be? 93 Telling Her Boyfriend 94 More than Just an Identity Problem? 97 Keeping Secrets 100 6 Epilogue 103 Understanding the Client’s Worldview 104 Awareness of Our Own Worldview 109 Balancing Worldviews 111 Travelers and Guides 118 References 121 Index 127 About the Author 131 Series Foreword Counselors and other mental health professionals are increasingly encoun- tering clients who differ from them in terms of race, culture, and ethnicity. Unfortunately, most clinicians have been trained in psychological models derived primarily from a Euro American worldview. As a result, few are culturally competent—that is, prepared to understand how culture affects the definitions of normality and abnormality, as well as manifestations of mental disorders, and awareness of the need to balance culture-universal and culture-specific approaches in treating a diverse population. Multicultural Encounters: Case Narratives from a Counseling Practice trans- ports the readers into the inner world of the client, taking us on a multi- cultural journey where issues of race, culture, and ethnicity are revealed as dynamic and powerful dimensions of human existence. Stephen Murphy-Shigematsu does a superb job in bringing to life the hopes, fears, conflicts and aspirations of people through their life stories—stories that illustrate the importance of culture. His comprehensive narratives allow us to view the human condition holistically: Clients possess individual, group, and universal identities that are inseparable. His insightful analy- sis forces us to understand why Euro American atomistic approaches that analyze clients into thinking, feeling, or behaving beings are too limited and fail to recognize that we are all of these and more. He reminds us throughout that we are also social, political, spiritual, and cultural beings. When first published in 1955, Robert Lindner’s historic book The Fifty- Minute Hour mesmerized professionals and the lay public alike with its description of the inner workings of traditional therapy. While fascinat- ing and influential, its monocultural focus was a disservice to the clinical field because it served to perpetuate the notion that culture was unim- portant in therapy. This bias was largely invisible to readers, since the profession at that time lacked a multicultural lens by which to view the clinical encounter. Murphy-Shigematsu’s book is truly revolutionary and brings a more complex, comprehensive narrative to the therapeutic table. In his book, we learn to recognize the delicate balance that characterizes individually and culturally sensitive therapy. The author is among the first to present clinical acumen in multicultural narrative form, thus enriching our understanding of client dynamics and the human condition. This book vii viii Series Foreword serves as a valuable treasure trove of stories that professionals and stu- dents can use to understand multicultural thought and through that under- standing to enhance their practice . The constant theme throughout these therapeutic narratives is that meaningful work with clients must consider each unique individual in his or her social and cultural context. Murphy-Shigematsu’s book brings us fascinating narratives of people within cultural systems; as their narratives unfold, so does the complexity of their interrelationships and interactions. It is not just race and ethnicity but also important sociodemographic mark- ers, like class and gender, that define culturally sensitive counseling and therapy. As co-editors of the new series from Teacher College Press on the Multicultural Foundations of Psychology and Counseling, we are delighted to present Stephen Murphy-Shigematsu’s book. We consider it one of the truly foundational contributions to the practice of multicultural counsel- ing and therapy. This is not just a book to be read and studied, but also one to enjoy. Allen E. Ivey, Distinguished University Professor (Emeritus) University of Massachusetts, Amherst Derald Wing Sue, Professor Teachers College, Columbia University Acknowledgments To my family, who nourished and sustained me and whose love is written on these pages. To the mentors who guided, inspired, and believed in me. To the persons who shared their stories. To the friends who encouraged me. To those who supported and worked directly on the book. To all a deep thanks and appreciation. ix Multicultural Encounters Case Narratives from a Counseling Practice
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