Nancy Wender, LCSW Therapy for apexart Residents/Fellows
An important element in the work together was dealing with the cultural biases regarding therapy. Nine Fellows to date have sought therapy for some reason in their home countries. Others had a close member of their family working in the field as either a psychologist or psychiatrist. In other cases, therapy was not available in their culture, or a Fellow had a bias against seeing a therapist, based on preconceived notions derived from the media. Culturally they may have been taught not to discuss their emotional issues with someone other than family, if at all. Occasionally, the culture has accepted and promoted the value of therapy, making communication in a therapy setting more comfortable and natural. Language facility was an important factor, as dealing with English for some was quite challenging. Working with these variables and finding a common language were instrumental to therapy’s efficacy. While the Fellows profited by this effort, Ms. Wender experienced the satisfaction of helping, learning about new cultures, and ultimately, reinforcing her belief that we all have many things in common and want the same things in life. Several of the Fellows have maintained contact with Ms. Wender once they’ve returned to their home countries. The effects of the residency on their lives will only be felt over time, when they can reflect on and analyze the benefits gained by their time here. They are encouraged to reach out should they want to process these changes. Ms. Wender wrote the following essay on the Fellowship program for the upcoming apexart book. Psychotherapy and the Fellowship Program
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