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Culture, Personality and Psychotherapy

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  • Vijoy K. Varma

    (Department of Psychiatry, Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh 160012, India)

Abstract

Conventional Western-model psychotherapy is based on a number of premises regar ding its rationale and technique. The increasing experience in psychotherapy globally is questioning the universality of these premises, suggesting that these could be to a large extent culture-specific, having developed in a particular culture at a particular time. Hence, the need to move from a dogmatic approach to psychotherapy to a flex ible approach taking into account the socio-cultural reality. The paper identifies a number of cultural variables involving the intrapsychic mechanisms (e.g. cognitive and expressive), social relatedness (e.g. autonomy, social distance) and religious-philosophical belief systems (concept of sin, and belief in fatalism and after-life/reincarnation) and discusses their role in the approach to and process of psychotherapy, illustrating it with the situation in the Indian setting.

Suggested Citation

  • Vijoy K. Varma, 1988. "Culture, Personality and Psychotherapy," International Journal of Social Psychiatry, , vol. 34(2), pages 142-149, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:sae:socpsy:v:34:y:1988:i:2:p:142-149
    DOI: 10.1177/002076408803400209
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