Intercultural counseling

As a Filipina psychologist I get requests every now and then from mixed Filipina-Dutch couples to mediate in their conflicts. Somehow there seems to be a need for psychologists who are able to take on the perspectives of both cultures in cases of mixed marriages. As a matter of principle, I believe that psychologists should be able to view problems from various points of view and perspectives. Afterall, the science of psychology pertains to human behaviour, be it in the Western context or in another cultural context. Does a psychologist having exposure to both cultures (in this case, Filipino and Dutch) have an added value in mediating conflicts in mixed marriages? I would say "Yes and No". I guess this depends on the nature of the conflict. If the cultural differences (especially the manner of communication) play a major role in the conflict, then I would say "Yes". In this case, we can speak of 'intercultural counseling'. In other cases (that is, wherein the nature of the conflict has least to do with cultural differences), then I would say "No". To read more on intercultural counseling, taking the example of Filipinas in The Netherlands, click on the link below.

http://home.planet.nl/~butal000/M-thesis/Counseling.html