International Handbook of Cross-Cultural Counseling: Cultural Assumptions and Practices Worldwide

International Handbook of Cross-Cultural Counseling: Cultural Assumptions and Practices Worldwide has been selected as the recipient of the 2010 Ursula Gielen Global Psychology Book Award as the book that makes the most significant and fundamental contribution to psychology as a global discipline.

"I highly recommend the Handbook for courses in international and cross-cultural psychology, courses on multicultural issues in counseling and psychology, and as a text for professional issues courses in counseling and psychology. The Handbook is an excellent resource for counselors, psychologists and other mental health professionals working internationally or at home."
—John L. Romano, APA Society of Counseling Psychology Division 17 International Section Newsletter

The only book to capture the rich diversity of the profession of counseling around the world, this volume provides a strong theoretical, research, and practical focus, with contributions from more than 80 world-renowned scholars. The first section of the Handbook includes chapters on multicultural and cross-cultural psychology in relation to the profession of counseling in a global context—its current status, methodological issues when studying culture, opportunities and challenges in collaboration across borders, and indigenous models of counseling.

The heart of the Handbook includes chapters that describe the present state of the field in the following countries:

&; Europe: France, Great Britain, Greece, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Sweden, former USSR
• The Middle East: Israel, Turkey, United Arab Emirates
• The Americas and the Caribbean: Argentina, Canada, Colombia, Ecuador, Puerto Rico, Venezuela
• South and West Africa: Nigeria, South Africa
• Central Asia: Kyrgyzstan
• South Asia: India, Pakistan
• Southeast Asia: Malaysia, Singapore
• East Asia: China, Japan, Korea, Taiwan
• Oceania: Australia

Topics covered in the various country chapters include the history of counseling, cultural and religious values that have shaped attitudes toward counseling, types of clients and presenting problems, indigenous models of counseling, professional issues and challenges, research findings, the influence of U.S. models, and implications for the future.

This Handbook is a must-have resource for mental health professionals. It is also a critical resource for any academic library, as it will be an invaluable reference for faculty and students alike.

Click here for a chapter-by-chapter overview of how the book maps to key courses.

Lawrence H. Gerstein earned a B.B.A. in public administration and a Ph.D. in counseling and social psychology. He is a Ball State University George and Frances Ball Distinguished Professor of Psychology and Director of the Center for Peace and Conflict Studies, Fulbright Scholar, and a Fellow of the American Psychological Association. Professor Gerstein is a Co-Editor of the Journal for Social Action in Counseling and Psychology and an Editorial Board Member for the Journal of Counseling Psychology. He has published 100+ scholarly articles and three books including the International Handbook of Cross-Cultural Counseling and the Handbook for Social Justice in Counseling Psychology. He is known for his research on cross-cultural methodology, nonviolence, social justice, emotions, and sports for youth development. Professor Gerstein has received 2+ million dollars in funding including four U.S. State Department grants and one U.S. Institute of Peace grant. He has performed conflict prevention and resolution work and/or research with adults, children, and youth in the U.S.A, Jordan, Pakistan, Tajikistan, China, Hong Kong, Korea, Indonesia, Israel, Taiwan, and Burma. He also has trained Iraqi young leaders in social entrepreneurship.

P. Paul Heppner is a professor of the Department of Educational, School, and Counseling Psychology at the University of Missouri. He is cofounder of the MU Center for Multicultural Research, Training and Consultation and was the inaugural co-chair of the International Section of counseling Psychology. He has served on several national and international editorial boards and as editor of The Counseling Psychologist.

Stefania Ægisdóttir is an associate professor in the Department of Counseling Psychology and Guidance Services at Ball State University. She has written about cross-cultural research methods, attitudes and expectations about counseling, clinical judgment, and international and cross-cultural issues and competencies in counseling research and training. She recently completed a three-year grant from the Icelandic Research Fund to study psychological help-seeking patterns of Icelanders.

Seung-Ming Alvin Leung is a professor in and chairperson of the Department of Educational Psychology at The Chinese University of Hong Kong. His major areas of interest include career development and assessment; cross-cultural, multicultural, and international issues in counseling; and counseling in educational settings. He is currently the editor of Asian Journal of Counselling and previously served as associate editor of The Counseling Psychologist.

Kathryn Louise Norsworthy is currently a Professor, Cornell Distinguished Scholar from 2005 at Rollins College. Previously, she was the Department Chair in the Graduate Studies in Counseling. She has taught a range of graduate courses in counseling programs from a multicultural feminist and diversity perspective. She had developed on-campus counseling clinic and practicing structure and has supervised practicum student. She is a consultant on a joint international project between the World Health Organization and National Board of Certified Counselors in developing culture-centered mental health delivery systems and training curricula in countries of the Global South. Focus: "The underserved and never-served." Meetings held in Paris (2/06) and New Delhi (10/06).