Counseling and Filipinos

I consider the person-centered and behavioral approach to be the most appropriate to use in the Filipino setting or on a Filipino counselee. Why? Consider the following thoughts.

On the person-centered approach
Filipinos are usually ready to share what bugs them. A counselor would not have much problem drawing out a Filipino counselee’s personal history, values, hopes, dreams, strengths, even weaknesses, concerns, fears. It’s like a menu in a restaurant; you ask for something, in a few minutes, you’re going to have it. But there’s a big condition: you have to establish a very good rapport or helping relationship with such clients—which is in line with the person-centered approach’s focus on the quality of the relationship, not the techniques. According to Carl Rogers, empathy, positive regard and congruence have to be present in the counseling relationship to make it productive and result to positive personality change.
Although seeking professional help is not exactly rampant in the Philippines, it is apparent in the need to always keep in touch that Filipinos find a way to vent their feelings, thoughts and experiences to their friends, family and significant people in their lives. It’s like majority are aware that just being able to talk about it, get yourself to actually hear what you’re saying already has a cathartic effect. Usually, Filipinos asked for “advice” but are actually just in need of someone who will listen to them—without judgment, interruption and with undivided attention. Thus, with the generally passive (and very patient) person-centered counselor, the Filipino client would be able to talk extensively within an atmosphere of trust and understanding.

On behavioral counseling
Although the person-centered approach enables the counselor to sit through the client’s disclosure, one of its limitations is that its overly optimistic view may fail to challenge the client to explore deeper areas and may not have a permanent impact to ensure personality change. So, with the support of a behavioral approach, the change in the client becomes more real and concrete. With the Filipino’s willingness to disclose and to usually ask, “So, what should I do?” A counselor may now begin to take an active role in helping the client identify behaviors that are maladaptive and may need to be modified or eliminated. Of course, the counselor does not directly give a long list of “What to do’s” but will assist the Filipino client (by brainstorming, for example) in making step-by-step goals for a change in his/her behavior. This does not only address the symptoms, it also ensures a positive change in the client that will likely continue even after the termination of the helping relationship.

The person-centered approach enables the counselor to hear the Filipino client’s story fully, look into the worldview that is unique to Filipinos. Its optimistic approach is in line with the Filipino’s fatalistic values that always hopes and looks forward to a better and brighter future. But such sharing and self-disclosure is not enough. To achieve those life goals for a better tomorrow, the counselor has to employ behavioral counseling techniques to facilitate the Filipino client in identifying behaviors that may need to be modified, eliminated and learned. Concrete steps in achieving this would be needed to help the client work on something big by toiling first with the smaller bits. With behaviorism’s extensive tray of interventions and strategies, the counselor can choose the most appropriate technique to aid clients achieve their life goals.