Psychotherapy Supervision in Hong Kong: A Meeting of Two Cultures

The experience of psychotherapy supervision of a group of trainee psychiatrists, in a university setting in Hong Kong, is reported from the supervisor's perspective. The trainees showed difficulties in this exercise. The cultural difference between the supervisor and the trainees, and that between the Western psychotherapy culture and the Chinese culture, is discussed. It is then followed by a description of what is seen as the trainees' resistance in the acceptance of psychotherapy and of the supervisor. This is considered to be one of the problems in the transcultural application of psychotherapy, and has to be overcome if this importation is to be successful.