Working with Asian Americans: A Guide for Clinicians

Rating:
Summary: Necessary text, mediocre results
Review: This is an anthology written predominantly by Asian-American psychotherapists for their peers of all races. In this book, they attempt to elucidate how Asian and Asian-American clients may be different from others and how to serve them most effectively. The topics are divided into descriptions of specific ethnicities, Asians in different phases of the life cycle, and special Asian populations (refugees, the monolingual, gay Asians, etc.). This book is neither too academic for lay readers or too plain for academic readers. This book varies on its authors' views about whether Asian clients should be given same-ethnicity therapists. The chapters are quite short. My big problem is that the chapters in total repeat themselves often and verge into the stereotypical. After reading a chunk of the book, you'd think all Asians were shy, academic, family- and community-cloistered, etc. I would recommend that all therapists in Boston, Hawaii, and the West Coast get this text. Still, it left me unfulfilled in some areas.