Incorporating cross-cultural issues in psychotherapy: a relational framework

The purpose of this context statement is to trace my professional journey into the field of cross-cultural psychotherapy over a 20 year period. The personal factors that led me to this particular journey and the way they influenced my professional interests and choices are outlined. Although the context statement is based largely on the two text publications (1994 and 2010), it is important to mention that the latter text contains an updated version of most of my publications with the aim of providing a comprehensive cross-cultural text ‘under one roof’. I summarise the existential/phenomenological theoretical underpinnings discussed in the first text. The second text also has a philosophical underpinning but is largely based on a psychoanalytically informed theoretical base. In later sections, I indicate aspects which I have drawn upon from my publications and training, and how my thinking has evolved towards a relational framework. Furthermore, I identify the most significant professionals from around the world, which have facilitated my professional development, have inspired my career path and those I have collaborated with (teaching, publications and clinical work). During the two decades my learning comes from different and complementary sources: clinical work with children and adults, as well as both support and therapeutic groups. This substantial clinical experience took place through private practice, via different Hospitals, Voluntary and Charity organisations, and years of teaching and supervising child and adult counsellors, psychotherapists and psychologists and through an international network. Additionally, I describe the varied roles I have held on professional committees, including editorial reviewer, internal and external university examiner nationally and internationally, as well as psychological report writing for legal/insurance purposes. All have made a significant contribution to my learning.