Counseling Vietnamese

The continuing influx of Vietnamese refugees means that increasing numbers of counselors unfamiliar with Vietnamese culture will be called on to build helping relationships with refugee children and their families. This article provides specific information to help the counselor establish rapport, avoid misunderstandings in explicit and implicit communication, minimize transference dangers, and deal with Vietnamese attitudes toward sex roles and the individual/family relationship. It also discusses relevant socioeconomic and ethnic differences among the Vietnamese themselves, as well as some war-related mental health problems. Practical matters, such as the proper use of Vietnamese names, are explained.