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Article Excerpt
Although the counseling profession has grown rapidly in South Korea during the past 10 years, very little literature exists on counselors and psychotherapists. Much of this absence is due to the relative youth of the profession in South Korea, as well as a general lack of available empirical data. This article aims to provide international audiences with insights into the counseling practices in South Korea through a qualitative analysis of in-depth interviews with 12 leading counselors.
One reason for looking at counselors in South Korea is to examine the role of culture regarding counseling practices. More and more, counselors and therapists are practicing in diverse social and cultural environments (Orlinsky & Ronnestad, 2005). Researchers are paying attention to the effects of counseling values and the use of the Western model of counseling and therapy with regard to accessibility, suitability, and efficacy in different parts of the world (Draguns, 2004; P. W. L. Leung & Lee, 1996). According to Cheoung (2000), counselors who practice in different parts of the world are faced with many challenges and are in the process of establishing their professional roles and boundaries in the field.
In the case of Israel, Barak and Golan (2000) found that there was considerable conflict among the different professionals in the field. Because of the strong resistance of clinical psychologists, counselors in Israel are struggling to establish their role. However, the authors are optimistic that given Israel's unique counseling-related issues, such as security threats and religious strife, there are ample opportunities for the profession to become established.
In China, S. A. Leung, Guo, and Lam (2000) reported that counseling and psychotherapy have made steady progress but are not yet established as a mature discipline. They pointed out that many Chinese counselors offer a range of counseling services, but most of these individuals are not formally trained, and there are no established requirements in China for an individual to become a counselor.
Traditionally, Koreans relied on a mix of shamanistic rituals and Oriental medicine when treating psychological disorders (Colegrave, 1980; Kendall, 1985). Today, many Koreans rely on these traditional methods, which creates conflict between mental healers and professional counselors who have been trained in Western modes of therapy. The ideal position for counselors in these situations is to create an atmosphere wherein trusted traditional values can be incorporated into the Western methods of counseling.
The concept of Western psychotherapy was introduced into Korea as early as the 1930s (Rhi, 1985), but it was only in the 1950s after the Korean War (1950-1953) that clinicians actually began to practice psychotherapy. In the mid-1960s, several Korean psychiatrists completed psychoanalytically oriented training, mainly in Germany, Japan, and the United States. This group of pioneers returned to South Korea to become leading practitioners. In the 1970s and 1980s, several professional psychotherapy organizations were established.
The current field of counseling and psychotherapy in South Korea consists of five main types of professionals: psychiatrists, clinical psychologists, counselors, social workers, and lay practitioners. Among these practitioners, psychiatrists have the most political power and professional jurisdiction (Abbott, 1988). Until 1996, psychiatrists were the only mental health professionals who were allowed legally to practice therapy in South Korea (Kang, 2002).
Clinical psychologists practice primarily in hospital settings, although some have begun working in small private clinics treating patients and supervising other psychotherapists (Joo, 1996). More recently, professionals with backgrounds in family studies and social work have also begun to practice counseling and psychotherapy. Finally, new groups of lay practitioners have emerged, most notably in religious fields; those individuals have been trained in workshops or short-term counseling programs.
Today, counselors are the most active group among all professional psychotherapists and are also the most accessible, practicing in a wide range of settings, including schools, national counseling centers, social organizations, workplaces, and religious institutions (Bae, Joo, & Orlinsky, 2003; Joo, Bae, & Orlinsky, 2003; K. H. Kim, 1991).
Despite the growth in both the number and types of counselors in South Korea, psychiatrists still exert the greatest power in the field. Since 1998, the Ministry of Health and Welfare has issued licenses to qualified mental health professionals in other areas such as clinical psychology and social work. Although counselors provide a variety of important services to many, their professional roles and boundaries are not well defined, and they do not yet qualify for legal licensing as a profession.
This has not hindered increasing numbers of people from turning to counselors for help, in a way similar to what happens in the West (Gale & Austin, 2003; Pistole & Roberts, 2002), Korean counselors are playing multiple roles as major helping professionals. Even though there are no government licenses for counselors in South Korea, certificates are granted by professional counseling associations. The Korean Association of Counseling and Psychotherapy, a division of the Korean Psychological Association, provides certification for professional counselors (sang-dam sim-li chun-mun-ga). There is a strong movement among the members for the creation of government licenses and wider public recognition of the profession. Unlike in the United States, where the terms counselor and counseling psychologist refer to different credentials, in South Korea they are used interchangeably. However, as counseling becomes more established, a clearer delineation among the different professions will likely take hold. The Appendix summarizes the standards and criteria for qualifying as a certified counselor.
According to the Korean Association of Counseling and Psychotherapy, there were only six counselors in 1973 when the certification system began, but by 2007, there were 453 certified counselors. Today, there are more than 4,000 members attempting to become certified counselors, and the number has been increasing each year.
The counselors who participated in the study reported in this article are the early members who became certified counselors. They are among the first generation of counseling practitioners as well as prototype educators, supervisors, and the role models for students in counseling training programs.
* Culture and Counseling in South Korea
Many Koreans are still reluctant to seek help from psychiatrists and clinical psychologists in hospital settings because of stigmas associated with mental illness. Instead, clients seek less conspicuous settings and counselors, and counseling centers are beginning to fill this need. Especially regarding problems with children and adolescents, which is a growing societal issue, parents are more likely to consult nonmedical therapists as counselors (Bae & Orlinsky, 1997; Joo et al., 2003; Joo & Han, 2000). However, counselors still face many difficulties because of cultural expectations, and clients have a general lack of understanding of the counseling process.
Another aspect is that relationships in South Korea are highly hierarchical in general, and the therapist-client relationship is no exception. Korean culture places a high value on group solidarity based on strict social hierarchy and formalism. Geographic circumstances (Choi, 1976) and adoption of Confucianism from China more than 1,500 years ago (Deuchler, 1992) are some of the reasons given for the...
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