The counselor will then need to help Judy understand the process of assimilation into American culture, so she can decide whether this is right for her or not. By visiting a counselor with her partner, she would demonstrate appropriate cultural loyalty by asking her husband to be the care seeker, or person who aligns with the psychotherapist to make decisions so her partner does not become violent or engage in overly masculine behaviors that may harm Judy's spirit (Nghe, Mahalik & Lowe, 2003). The counselor may be able to express the need for Judy to first attend to work to help support her partner before having her baby, in a manner that considers her partners potential insecurities at allowing Judy to take on a non-traditional role in the family. This change however is likely, especially as more and more Asian families adopt a more Western cultural belief system (Nghe, Mahalik & Lowe, 2003). The counselor may also work with Judy to help her understand often it is far more difficult as proven by case study for Vietnamese men to accept the idea of acculturation, because it may influence their formerly socially accepted activities including drinking, which in the states may result in economic loss, as the patient realizes thus her desire to work (Nghe, Mahalik & Lowe, 2003). The role of the counselor will also serve to help Judy understand typically Vietnamese women "acculturate and acquire English proficiency faster" than do their "male counterparts" (Sue, 1990; Nghe, Mahalik, & Lowe: 245). The counselor can also help Judy to understand how her participation in providing...
Ideally this will result in mutual understanding between both parties, and allow Judy to make a decision about her participation without compromising her morals or social beliefs. Her partner may also be able to compromise on some traditional "rules" so that Judy may enjoy some work, perhaps part-time, so there is still an opportunity for her to take on a traditional role if that is what she desires.
References
Nghe, L.T., Mahalik, J.R., Lowe, S.M. (2003), Influences on Vietnamese men:
Examining traditional gender roles, the refugee experience, acculturation, and racism in the United States. Journal of Multicultural Counseling and Development, 31(4): 245
Sue, D. & Sue, D. (1993), Ethnic identity: Cultural factors in the psychological development of Asians in America, in, D.W. Atkinson, G. Morten, & D.W. Sue (Eds), Counseling American minorities: A cross-cultural perspective (4th Ed.). Dubuue, IA: Brown.
Tung, T.M. (1985), Psychiatric care for Southeast Asians: How different is different
T. Owan (Ed.), Vietnamese mental health: Treatment, prevention, services, training and research (pp.5-35). Washington DC: U.S. Dept. Of Health and Human Services
Uba, L. (1994), Asian-Americans: personality patterns, identity and mental health. New York: The Guilford Press.
Case Study
