The experience of counselling for Hindu Indian ethnic minorities with a counsellor of a perceived different ethnicity to their own

The U.K. is a country housing many different cultures. It opened its doors to immigrants from war ridden countries and gave them a life here. Yet, there are still many areas of healthcare that do not cater for those from different cultures, creating a barrier into the healthcare service for many. The purpose of this research is to gain an understanding of Indian Hindu’s experience of counselling when working with a counsellor of a perceived different ethnicity to their own, and why it is they may not access support when needed. Data was gathered through semi-structured interviews with seven participants who had immigrated to the U.K. from India, and who considered themselves to be Hindu. The interview transcripts were then read thoroughly, so Personal Experiential Themes and Group Experiential Themes could be identified. All participants spoke of their experiences, and not feeling understood by their counsellor due to cultural differences, as well as some embracing the differences and finding it positive.

The findings of this study support the idea that there are numerous cultural barriers for ethnic minorities to access mental health care. This is partly due to the lack of cultural knowledge within healthcare systems, emphasising the need for cultural training withing psychology degrees and courses before qualifying and working with clients of ethnic minorities. The findings also highlighted difficulties within the counselling process, creating distance and disruption in the therapeutic relationship and journey for the participants. It is evident that there is a need for change in the mental healthcare system, to create a space that is culturally diverse for the U.K.’s dynamic population.