Psychotherapists in South Korea: Professional and Practice Characteristics.

Using data collected as part of a collaborative international study of the development of psychotherapists (D. E. Orlinsky et al., 1999), the authors of this study describe a sample of 538 Korean psychotherapists in various mental health professions and also provide information about the cultural and historical background of psychotherapy in South Korea. The study delineates the professional identifications, training, theoretical orientations, career status, personal therapy, and demographic characteristics of this little-known group of psychotherapists and describes their treatment settings, clients, and typical treatment modalities. The use of Western therapeutic approaches in a non-Western cultural context is discussed with respect to the potential conflicts for practitioners between imported methods that embody individualistic values and the traditionally collectivist orientations of their societies. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)