Approaching the "Resistant:'' Exploring East Asian International Students' Perceptions of Therapy and Help-Seeking Behavior Before and After They Arrived in the United States

In this study we investigated cultural, familial, and individual beliefs that influenced international students' perceptions of therapy and help-seeking behaviors. Included were changes in perception or behavior before and after the students came to the US, and factors that influenced help-seeking behaviors. Six international students from East Asian countries where English is a foreign language, including Taiwan, Mainland China, Japan, and South Korea, were interviewed. We used semi-structured interviews and participant observations for collecting data. The findings indicated changes after students came to the US. Further discussions focus on encouraging and discouraging factors relative to seeing therapists, and culturally sensitive interventions for family therapy clinicians.