Philippine E-Journals

Adopting a Cultural Lens in the Understanding Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT)

Marissa S. Nicasio

Discipline: Psychology

 

Abstract:

Culture has been studied by different disciplines in psychology, which views it to be a set of psychological processes that explain similarities and differences among different groups of people. It is an exhaustive framework by which counselors and psychotherapists attempt to understand the complexities of their clients. However, most counseling theories and psychotherapies have been developed and researched by psychologistsfrom the Western culture, validating their efficacy using people from the same culture. This is a reflection on the applicability and contextualization of counseling and psychotherapy, particularly Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT) in the light of the Eastern culture. Cultural strengths of CBT, itslimitations, and possible recommendations are discussed using a cultural lens in exploring its tenets.