Therapy is a white thing.

In our discussions about Asian Australian mental health so far, we’ve forgotten to address one giant elephant in the room. We’ve discussed topics like what oppressive mental health practices look like and the ways in which racism has impacted our mental health, however, there’s another huge piece of the puzzle that we should probably discuss.

And that is, that psychology, which informs all other kinds of therapeutic engagement (eg. counselling, creative arts therapies etc), originates from the West and it is an inherently Euro-centric art and practice.

This is a great easy-read article (HERE) that outlines the history and origins of psychology. And with a quick scan of this timeline, it’s evident that there have been no influences outside of Euro-centric thinking at any point along this timeline. Yes, Carl Jung liked yoga and there have been a few WOC here and there advocating for change, however, basically, the whole idea of psychology/therapy is a “white thing”.

I don’t actually think that this is a problem though. Some things are just made by and for different cultures and that doesn’t detract from how beautiful, powerful or important they are. And no doubt, therapy can be all of these things.

An example of something culturally specific:

Let’s parallel therapy with something culturally specific like the Japanese tea ceremony. The Japanese tea ceremony is a long, meditative, process that is a “Japanese thing”, made for Japanese people. Okay yes, at some point it came from China, however the matcha tea ceremony that we know of today is an intrinsically Japanese practice that doesn’t really mean much to other cultures. And, because we (and Japanese people) understand this cultural context, the Japanese tea ceremony doesn’t dictate how all other forms of tea or how all other cultures drink their tea.

Unlike the Japanese tea ceremony though, psychology frameworks are often viewed and valued as the absolute truth when it comes to our mental health despite it being quite culturally specific (Euro-centric). These frameworks then inform and impact the ways in which therapy is delivered to people regardless of, and without considering their race and background.

This means that all those who don’t find benefit in the very Euro-centric mental health services are labelled as “treatment resistant”, rather than mental health services perhaps considering that their approach has long excluded perspectives from other cultures - and may not be relevant.

And when you flip it back to the tea example, it’s like an English person trying to make a pot of English tea being told that they’ve got it all wrong because they’re not doing it the Japanese way.

This kind thinking is obviously arrogant and dangerous and this is why Asian Australians are falling through the cracks in our current mental health system.

We must recognise that there is a problem in saying that therapy is valuable for all, when these frameworks have long ignored and excluded all the beliefs, values and ways of existing outside of the very narrow white experience.

Because of this cultural arrogance, we see less Asian Australians engaging in non-acute mental health services yet no doubt, our rates of involuntary hospital admission and rates of psychosis are proportionally higher than the white population (you can read about this more HERE).

Instead of services asking, “what could we be doing better?” and “what are we not seeing here?”, they instead say that we, Asian Australians, are a difficult racial group to engage in mental health services. And this viewpoint ends up helping no one. 

So, what do we do about this?

Therapy can be so valuable and helpful so what do we do now that we know that it’s a white thing?

1. We hold two opposing ideas at the same time.

We acknowledge that we’re trying to work with a system that has not recognised our needs or valued the wisdom of our ancestral cultures, but we also appreciate therapy for all the benefits it can offer us. We hold these two almost opposing feelings in a similar way to how we hold both our Eastern and Western values.

We acknowledge that yes, therapy is a white thing but that it also speaks to us because as diaspora, there is much about ourselves that is Westernised too.

Being Japanese, I know that I would never gain any kind of warmth, empathy or insight building conversations if I tried to seek support for my mental health in Japan. Instead, I’d be seeing a doctor in a lab coat who would make me list out all my symptoms and then either prescribe me medication or tell me to “頑張ってください” (= “just keep going/trying”). And I know that this strictly “Japanese” support doesn’t speak to me because I didn’t grow up in Japan and the Westernised parts of me require more warmth, verbal acknowledgement and empathic support.

However understanding that therapy is a “white thing” ensures that when something feels off in therapy, I critically reflect rather than allowing that to make me feel even worse about myself. Here is one example of oppressive mental health practice that could have been really harmful without this kind of awareness. 

2. We remember that there is a shared human experience that goes beyond race, gender, religion or age.

Yes, circumstances and the weight of different experiences may vary based on these constructs, however love, grief and existential distress are innately human experiences that can be understood by all humans who have a capacity for empathy.

We are all so much more than the colour of our skin and the countries where we come from. And the process of reflecting, being in our bodies and bringing language (any kind of language) to difficult experiences or memories (what occurs in therapy) is neurologically a pathway of healing regardless of the cultures come from.

3. We use this understanding to help us become more discerning as consumers/customers/clients.

When you’re aware that therapy is a white thing, you can incorporate questions such as these during your search for a therapist:

• Does your clinic/practice/organisation have any Asian Australian therapists that I can work with?

• If not, do you, or your clinicians have an understanding of the Asian diaspora experience?

• Do you, or your clinicians understand the ways in which family roles and relationships work in Asian cultures?

• Do you, or your clinicians understand the ways in which racism and systemic racism impact mental health?

• And if not, why not?

When we look at these questions, there’s no doubt that even we might find some of them hard to answer. So use these questions more so as a barometer for how aware and willing the therapist is to have such discussions rather than as a test of intelligence or “wokeness”. By asking such questions you’ll know straight away whether or not someone is equipped or willing to engage in such conversations.

4. We find others who can help us navigate therapy.

We reach out to others in our community for a check-in if and when things don’t feel right in your therapy sessions. It’s confusing when you’re not feeling your best so ask others for their trusted opinion if you’re not sure.

Stay tuned with us here at Shapes and Sounds as we are currently developing a platform for members to chat and support one another as we navigate our mental health and wellbeing!

5. We do our research.

If you’re interested in accessing therapy, great! However don’t just research your preferred therapist, have a quick Google of the history of the kind of therapy they offer (eg. cognitive behavioural therapy or acceptance and commitment therapy etc.) and always question, “does this fit well with my cultural values?” or “have parts of my culture been white-washed for this form of therapy to exist?”

 ~

Gaining an understanding of the whiteness of therapy has allowed me to engage in much better mental health support. It’s actually helped me to lean into the idea of therapy (I even became a therapist lol) and also made me see how much of my thinking, feeling and experiencing align with Western values. At the same time, it’s made it super easy to pinpoint racist and ignorant behaviours, therapists and organisations and this has saved me much time, money and distress.

I share this because I want you to feel the same kind of power as a consumer so that you can best care for your mental health, especially during these trying times. I also want us, (eg. those reading resources like this), to educate and support others in our community who may have no interest in or awareness of conversations like this. Therefore, if you have any questions about this topic or would like any further advice, please always feel free to contact me via the form to the right, or send this article along to someone who you think may benefit.