Working with South Asian Families
Part 1: First Generation Immigrants
Part 2: Second & Third Generation Immigrants
This course is broken into 2 parts and will discuss the cultural issues that emerge in the treatment of immigrant South Asian families.
We encourage you to attend both parts, but you have the option of ending after Part 1.
The price per webinar decreases if you attend both parts.
Both webinars will be held from 12pm-3:15pm Eastern Standard Time.
Course Descriptions
Part 1
The first workshop is designed to build understanding of and empathy for the socio-economic and cultural influences that might impact this population. It will focus on identifying the immigration trends of this diaspora and explicate the possible cultural clash of values (especially regarding autonomy and independence) between South Asian families and non-South Asian providers that can affect therapy outcomes. The presentation will use clinical case examples. This course will be limited to first generation South Asian immigrants.
After this session, participants will be able to:
- Describe the diversity in the South Asian immigrant population in the US especially in NJ.
- Distinguish between first and second generation immigrants and recognize that the psychological issues, worldview, presenting problems and approach to therapy are all different across the generations.
- Describe the psychological impact of socio-economic and cultural conditions experienced by South Asian immigrants and the differences in their worldview from that of a “stereotypic” Western (non-immigrant/distantly immigrant) worldview.
Part 2
The second workshop in the series is designed to explore the specific cultural and psychological struggles of the second (and third) generation immigrants of South Asian immigrants as they grow up affected by the confluence of the cultural imperatives of their South Asian parents and the ambient American (Western) culture and the racial landscape of the US. It will discuss their clinical needs, clashes and compromises and clinical strategies that can help them. It will also discuss inter-racial couples and the specific issues that emerge in those relationships. The workshop will be designed to work through several case examples applying the concepts, ideas, and techniques discussed in the first two workshops in order to provide hands on experience in working with the complexity presented by clinical material when working with this population. Participants will be encouraged to bring in case examples of their own to workshop with the presenter and the participants of the group.
After this session, participants will be able to:
- Describe the specific nature of the identity conflict faced by the second-generation South Asian immigrants and contrast these with the identity conflict of non-immigrant youth and youth who have immigrated from other parts of the world.
- Describe the specific issues faced by the second-generation South Asian American immigrants pertaining to their racial and cultural challenges in the US.
- Discuss the issues that emerge in inter-racial and inter-cultural relationships in which one or both partners are second generation South Asian immigrants.
- Discuss the modification and adaptation of clinical techniques needed to provide effective therapeutic care to this population.
- Identify issues that come up for them (counter-transferentially) when treating South Asian immigrants.
- Discuss therapeutic goals and techniques that are likely to be successful when working with first and/or second generation South Asian immigrants and couples.
- Articulate at least two major adaptations of their own therapeutic style that will enhance the effectiveness of their treatment with clients with South Asian backgrounds.
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Session Agenda Items
Part 1:
- Describing the population
- A model
- Differentiating and comparing American with South Asian (immigrant) “worldviews” along 3 dimensions:
- Socio-economic factors
- Socio-cultural factors
- Immigration factors
- Clinical implications and discussion
Part 2:
- Marriage and couples’ issues
- Psychological conflicts for 2nd generation
- Racial issues
- Clinical implications and discussion
- Clinical techniques and recap
- Cases: 3 (first- and second-generation, and inter-racial issues)
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Instructor Bio
Dr. Anita McLean is a licensed clinical psychologist in full time private practice in NJ. In addition to individual and couples therapy for adults, she provides training for mental health clinicians and agencies as well as other service agencies on issues of cultural competency and diversity.
She obtained a doctorate in Clinical Psychology from the Graduate School of Applied and Professional Psychology at Rutgers University and subsequently was a In the past she has also been a visiting faculty at GSAPP. While she was psychodynamically trained, she has sought additional training in therapies that use attachment theory as a base, in particular, Accelerated Experiential Dynamic Psychotherapy (AEDP) for individuals and Emotion Focused Therapy (EFT) for couples as well as Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), Experiential therapies such as Focusing, Short term therapies, and Mindfulness based practices. She incorporates these learnings into her practice.
Over the years, her professional activities have included:
Teaching and supervision at the Graduate School of Applied and Professional Psychology at Rutgers University.
Working at Princeton University and Rutgers University student mental health services in various positions.
Conducting cultural competency trainings and diversity workshops for mental health care providers, agencies, and organizations throughout the state of NJ. These have been sponsored by organizations such as the Multicultural family Institute, UMD-NJ, NAMI-NJ, Boggs Center for Disabilities, and United Way
Dr. McLean was born in India and has lived in the US for 40 years and has been interested in the impact of a heritage culture on the individual (and family’s) interaction with the Western culture of the adopted country. Her interests and teaching spans over the impact of culture on issues of identity across the lifespan and the impact of immigration, bi and multilingualism, multicultural experiences, ethnicity, gender identity, spirituality, music, art, and other aspects of creativity on our sense of self, our happiness, and sense of fulfillment.
Dr. McLean does not have any conflict of interest for this program.
Contact Us
For questions, please email ce@gsapp.rutgers.edu
Continuing Education Information
Rutgers Graduate School of Applied and Professional Psychology (GSAPP) is recognized by the New York State Education Department's State Board for Psychology as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed psychologists #PSY-0123.
LMFT/MFT and LPC/LAC Licensed in New Jersey: Programs approved by the American Psychological Association are acceptable sources of continuing education credits. Please see https://www.njconsumeraffairs.gov/regulations/Chapter-34-Subchapters-10-31-Professional-Counselors.pdf, Section: 13:34-15.4 APPROVAL OF COURSES OR PROGRAMS on page 27. For all other professional licenses and certifications, please reference your issuing state board regulations regarding reciprocity of continuing education credits.
Rutgers Graduate School of Applied & Professional Psychology is approved by the American Psychological Association to sponsor continuing education for psychologists. Rutgers Graduate School of Applied & Professional Psychology maintains responsibility for this program and its content.