A Systemic Review of Couple Therapy Research in Greater China

Abstract

Objective: This article aims to explore the development of scholarly articles relating to couple therapy in Greater China in academic journals in the past four decades between 1976 and 2016. Method: This review analyzes 278 couple therapy articles with a focus on the question of “who are the authors?” and “what kinds of articles published?” Results: The volume of Taiwan, Mainland China, Hong Kong, and Macau articles are 90, 88, 64, and 0, respectively; 190 of them are group authorship, and the first research was published in 1984. Women are 3 times more likely than men to be the key target group, and almost two third of the works are identified as academic-led research. Conclusions: Indigenization of couple therapy research in Greater China with reference to its social and political context is addressed. The motto is, “think global but act local and promote the local to inform the global.”

Teach Self‐Awareness and Self‐of‐the‐Therapist in a Chinese Society: A Class Example at National Taiwan University

“…Systemic approaches have also been growing in popularity in Chinese societies including Mainland China, Taiwan, and Macau (Chan, 2013;Chan, Lao, Chin, & Ho, 2020;Chao & Huang, 2013;Deng, Lin, Lan, & Fang, 2013;Epstein et al, 2012;Sim & Hu, 2009). As the overall processes of westernisation, industrialisation, globalisation, and socioeconomic development have changed family dynamics in Chinese societies, MFT is needed more than ever to meet the needs of families struggling with these changes (Chan et al, 2020;Chao, 2011;Deng et al, 2013;Li & Gale, 2018;Ng, 2003).…”

“…Furthermore, researchers focused on MFT in Chinese societies declared the need to modify the mostly Western-originated family therapy models to be more sensitive to Chinese values, traditions, family structures, and social and economic influences (Chan et al, 2020;Cheung & Chan, 2002;Deng et al, 2013;Epstein et al, 2012Epstein et al, , 2014Li & Gale, 2018). Chao and Lou (2018), in their article that examines the core competencies for family therapists in Taiwan, reflect on the importance of promoting local therapists' awareness of their own involvement and personal impact on therapeutic relationships.…”