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PROFESSOR STEPHEN PALMER INTERVIEWS LING GUI RUI & HOU ZHIJIN
CAPITAL NORMAL UNIVERSITY COUNSELLING CENTRE AND COUNSELLOR TRAINING IN BEIJING, CHINA
Stephen Palmer, Ling Gui Rui and Hou Zhijin
Stephen Palmer interviews Ms Ling Gui Rui and Ms Hou Zhijin at the Capital Normal University Student Counselling Centre, Beijing, China (see footnote).
On a visit to Beijing during March, 1998, I (SP) was invited to Capital Normal University to lecture to the undergraduates about Suicide and also run a workshop for the Beijing Counsellors Supervision Group. Whilst at the University I had time to drop in at the students counselling centre which is located on the campus. I had the pleasure of meeting some of the counselling staff and later being treated to a really excellent dinner in the university restaurant. An interesting and enjoyable experience. Afterwards I spent the evening at a Beijing Jazz club.
Due to the packed agenda I ran out of time to interview the staff and this interview was completed by using the internet. The two interviewees are Ling Gui Rui, The Director of the Student Counselling Centre, and Hou Zhijin a university lecturer and counsellor.
Stephen Palmer(SP): In this interview I will be focusing on the development of your Student Counselling Centre. In addition I want to discover more about the training of counsellors at your centre and elsewhere in China.
How long has the University's counselling service been established?
Ling Gui Rui(LGR): It has been established for five years. It was set up in 1993.
SP: Why was it set up?
LGR: There were a number of reasons for establishing the counselling centre. First, we wanted it to meet the training goals of the university. Students in our university are similar to those elsewhere in China. The educational goal is to foster healthy adolescents both mentally and physically. Students in our university are trainee teachers therefore they need to have healthy personalities. These qualities are not only for their own benefit but to help the next generation too.
Second, it would meet the needs of social reform. The change from a traditional society to a market economy brings a lot of stresses that people must face. This is also reflected in our university students. Unfortunately, some have psychological problems and need to see a counsellor.
Third, as most students will become teachers in either a middle or high school, they will need to learn a range of skills and techniques to deal with their own student's problems.
SP: Just to clarify, what is your middle or high school?
LGR: When students graduate from primary school they go to middle school which equates to seven to nine grade in the United States. High school is similar to ten to twelve grade.
SP: Who funds the centre?
LGR: There is a department of student affairs. It is both responsible for it and funds it.
SP: How many counsellors work at the centre?
LGR: There are ten counsellors in total. Two of them are full-time counsellors. The others include two professors from the Department of Education, a doctor from the university hospital and five teachers who have specialised in students management.
SP: What do you mean by students management?
Hou Zhijin(HZ): In my opinion, the students management department is unique. It is similar but not the same as the administration office in the US. In China, there is a teacher in over-all charge of a class in each grade in every department and there is a administration department in charge of all students affairs. The teacher takes on almost total responsibility for the students which includes the freshmen's registration, the organisation of activities and the assigning of jobs to the students etc.
SP: Are the counsellors volunteers or paid?
LGR: The full-time staff are employed whilst the others are volunteers who may receive a small fee once a year.
SP: What counselling training have they received?
LGR: Almost all of them have attended short courses provided by foreign experts or Chinese professional institutions. Some may have a Masters Degree in Psychology.
SP: What approaches to counselling are used by the counsellors?
LGR: There are three main approaches used: cognitive-behaviour, client-centred and psychoanalytical therapy. Generally, the counsellors tend to be eclectic.
SP: How well used is the counselling service?
LGR: The counselling centre is open Monday to Friday, 8.00am until 5.00pm with a two hour break. In all there are about 400 sessions per term. The centre provides an optional course on mental health education for the students. In addition, we sometimes offer a counselling facility for middle schools. We also undertake some research.
SP: What research do you undertake?
LGR: We do a mental health survey of the freshmen. We are interested in the types of mental health problems people have in the university. We undertake research into mental health education.
SP: What types of problems do the students bring to counselling?
LGR: There are a range of problems such as freshmen's adaptation to university life; problems related to studies including exam anxiety, failing exams, lack of motivation; interpersonal relationship problems including those related to love and sex; career issues related to profession and job choice; and disorders related to depression, trauma, neurosis and personality disorders.
SP: The range of problems is very similar to universities in Britain. Do you have any suicides?
LGR: There are very few suicides.
SP: What types of group therapy do you offer?
LGR: In 1996 we offered a developmental counselling group focusing on self-assertiveness and social skills training. This year we ran a self-awareness group. This term we will be running a self-acceptance group.
SP: How do you evaluate the effectiveness of the service you provide?
LGR: We do not employ any specific methods to evaluate the effectiveness of the service. However, sometimes we receive feedback from the teachers and clients.
SP: What professional groups are attracted to work as counsellors in China?
HZ: The three main groups are psychologists, doctors especially psychiatrists, and as previously mentioned, teachers who manage students in universities and high school. On some of the telephone counselling 'hotlines' other professional groups are involved.
SP: I want to return to the topic of training. In China what training is available to people interested in becoming a counsellor or psychotherapist?
HZ: As there is no systematic training available in China, they are interested in receiving almost any kind of training. The training offered has included Morita therapy, cognitive-behaviour therapy, hypnosis, psychoanalysis and systemic family therapy. The short courses offered by the mental health institutions include a basic introduction to the counselling approach, general theory and techniques.
The German-Chinese three year advanced continuous training psychotherapy programme is the best course available. It provides training in three main approaches: behaviour, psychoanalytic and systemic family therapy. There are two periods of 'face-to-face' training each year. All entrants were assessed for suitability by a panel of experts. After each training period students have to undertake homework assignments, translate it into English and then forward it onto the German teachers. During the training each student attends at least two supervision sessions.
SP: Describe the type of training you receive.
HZ: The training run by the foreign experts is a combination of both theory and practice. The Chinese professional training only usually provides counselling theory with less case discussion.
SP: Do counsellors receive regular supervision of their counselling?
ZH: At the university, counsellors do not have regular supervision. If they are enrolled on the German-Chinese training programme then they receive supervision from the German teachers.
Some counsellors have established a support group. They have regular monthly meetings and hold case discussions as well as talk about themselves. The group participants also learn techniques.
SP: Finally, are there any national organisations that represent counsellors or allied professions?
HZ: Yes. The national organisation is the Chinese Mental Health Association. There are some divisions such as the National Professional Association of Counselling and Psychotherapy and the Professional Committee for University Counselling in Beijing.
SP: Thank you for interview.
Footnote:
Counselling Centre
Capital Normal University
Beijing 100037
China
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