The Importance of Setting

So, you’re working with clients and patients who have come from far away. Maybe you’ve encountered similar places and you can make the connections. Or maybe you can’t. What do you do when your client comes from another country complete with different customs, belief systems, and social norms? What if these people come from your own country and you still feel a disconnect?

This is why it is important to collect as much background information as possible. Where the person has come from may just be as important as what they are going through. For example, a young Asian-American boy comes to your office complaining of stomach aches and headaches. If you don’t take a comprehensive background and brush up on your knowledge of his culture, you may not understand the somatization issues often common among Asian-Americans seeking therapy.

So, how about the folks who seem to have lived everywhere? For example, what do yo do with the clients who have lived a year or two in one region of the country only to have moved every year and a half for the past 40 years? The treatment plan may look completely different for these individuals based on their presenting problems, but you can take an early lead with their problems by identifying what they may be running away from or why the can’t settle.

Then there’s the client who comes to you with very little knowlege of English whom you don’t feel comfortable continuing in treatment with you. This would be a time to help the client and their family find someone who does speak their language. It would be nice to try and help, but in fact, you’d have to set aside your helping ways and offer the best help by refering the client to another qualified professional.