The Use of Traditional Chinese Culture and Values in Social Work Health Care Related Interventions in Hong Kong
Journal article by Cecilia Lai-Wan Chan, Howard A. Palley; Health and Social Work, Vol. 30, 2005
Journal Article Excerpt
The Use of Traditional Chinese Culture and Values in Social Work Health Care Related Interventions in Hong Kong.
by Cecilia Lai-Wan Chan , Howard A. Palley
This column presents information about traditional Chinese values and "ways of thinking" and how such values and understandings may affect or hinder a Western approach to social work practice. We suggest approaches that practitioners can use to adjust their practice to acknowledge and build on cultural values in ways that are therapeutic in health and mental health settings. We examine primarily the relevance of traditional Chinese culture and practices to effective therapeutic techniques among the Chinese population in Hong Kong that is imbued with this culture. (We acknowledge that not all Hong Kong Chinese, who constitute 95 percent of Hong Kong's population follow this traditional way of life.)
USING TRADITIONAL CHINESE CULTURE TO IMPROVE THE EFFECTIVENESS OF SOCIAL WORK INTERVENTIONS
The following examples describe some of the cultural and behavioral characteristics of traditional patients and their families and indicate how these characteristics can be used to facilitate successful social work practice in health and mental health settings (Chan, 2001).
Value Placed on Learning
Because many Chinese people put considerable emphasis on academic achievement, social workers can design courses or programs that are educational in nature. Traditional Chinese come to classes more readily than to less formal groups because they are more willing to learn in a formally structured environment (Ho, 1986). Instructions using a cognitive--behavioral training approach have been found to generate good responses (Leung, 1997). In counseling groups for cancer patients, as well as anxious or depressed single parents and divorcees, programs were packaged in the form of training classes (Chan et al., 1996; Law et al., 1998). The participants were active in doing their "home-work assignment" and participated actively in learning breathing exercises and acupressure points during the classes (Chan & Chow, 1998). Such psychosocial-educational intervention may be more facilitative for a traditional Chinese population than an emotion-focused intervention (Chan & Chow).
Use of Culture and Tradition
To prevent clients from feeling a "loss of face," social workers may use a consultation approach, which involves older family members and parents as consultants instead of clients (Bond & Hwang, 1986). Chinese people, who are pragmatic, willingly participate in collective problem solving if they are not seen as "the client" but as helpers. A bereavement center in Hong Kong invited bereaved husbands to share their experiences as men with the focused goal of helping a female social worker understand men in grief. These widowers were then more willing to share their feelings because they felt that they were contributing to the social worker's ability to help other bereaved men. If the social worker can show a sincere appreciation of the individual's pride in Chinese ethnicity and respect for Chinese cultural norms, the clients often show a beneficial therapeutic effect.
Respect for Rituals
Traditional Chinese families continue to participate in family rituals and celebrate major Chinese festivals. Such practices enhance family interactions that legitimize the showing of concern for one another during such events as the illness or death of a family member. Families may go as a group to sweep the graveyard of ancestors twice a year and make wishes in public for good health for all family members. Death rituals can be used also to reduce the pain of bereavement and hasten recovery (Chan, 1998a, 1998b; Chow, 1995; Yang, 1995a, 1995b).
During major festivals such as the full moon dinner, the dragon boat festival, end of the year gatherings, and the Chinese New Year, there are family meals and social exchanges of gifts and good wishes. Such gatherings may be an important source of information for social work diagnosis involving health and mental health problems.
Moreover, if social workers can be more active in home visits, especially during meal time, the social worker is able to generate important information about family health-related problems and bereavement that can never be generated in office interviews.
Promoting the Acceptance of Illness, Adversity, and Loss
Traditional Chinese values place strong emphasis on concepts such as Buddhist and Confucian virtues of "enduring" suffering (Yang, 1995a). Elderly people can easily talk about their chronic illness-related pains and suffering and therefore should not be told by social work counselors that "they will get over it" (Shanghai Cancer Club, 1993).
Especially in circumstances where health and mental health problems combine with social and economic adversities that are beyond the individual's control or ability to change, acceptance and willingness to endure suffering ...
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2009年12月31日 星期四
2009年12月14日 星期一
The Outlines of Anticancer & HealthCare Guo Lin Qigong
The Outlines of Anticancer & HealthCare Guo Lin Qigong
I. Three breathing and three openings and closings
Stand straight with arms relaxed. Inhale through the nose and exhale through the mouth three times. Then imagine there is an energy field between the hands. When inhaling imagine the energy field expands and pushes the hands apart. When exhaling imagine the energy field collapses and the hands go back to the original position. Do this three times.
II. Rising and lowering with openings and closings
Stand with feet about one leg's length apart with arms hanging down on both sides. Then hold hands up in front of your chest. Hold them apart about shoulders' width. When inhaling imagine there is an energy field between the hands and the energy pushes the hands apart. Bend the knees to lower the stance. When exhaling imagine that the energy field collapses and the hands go back to the original position (down on the sides) and straighten the legs. Repeat three times.
Next take one step forward. Hold the hands up in front of your chest a shoulders' width apart. When inhaling imagine there is an energy field between the hands and the energy pushes the hands apart. When exhaling imagine that the energy field collapses; drop the hands and bend the knees. Repeat three times.
III. Loosening the waist
a. Moving the arms and waist
Stand with feet apart about shoulders' width. Place the right hand over the point (sea of chi) at one and a half inch below the navel and with the left hand at the back with the back of the hand resting on the acupoint shenshu (shenshu points are one and half inch on the left and the right from the acupoint mingmen . The mingmen is an acupoint on the spine across from the navel). When inhaling raise the front arm (right arm) in the front of the body all the way over your head then exhale and lower the arm by continuing to move in a large curve to the back and end up at the right shenshu. Repeat with the other arm. Repeat three times.
b. Turning with bow-arrow stance
Place both hands on your back with the back of your hands resting on Shenshu points. Step forward with left leg and bend your left knee until you cannot see your toes. Right leg is straight. The width of the stance is about one leg's length. Hold the position for the duration of six or nine counts. Repeat with the other side. Repeat six times.
c. Tilting forward
Place both hands on your back with the back of your hands resting on Shenshu points. Stand with both feet apart about shoulders' width. Tilt forward about 15-20 degrees. Repeat tilting forward three times.
IV. Walking with breath control
Usually practise this at least 2 hours a day. (to be uploaded soon)
Free training in guolin qigong walk in Golden Gate Park, San Francisco, California.
V. Massaging acupoints
VI. Closing with three openings and closings and three breathing (closing means end of the practise and exit the program)
Stand straight with arms relaxed. Then imagine there is an energy field between the hands. When inhaling imagine the energy field expands and pushes the hands apart. When exhaling imagine the energy field collapses and the hands go back to the original position. Then inhale through the nose and exhale through the mouth three times.
I. Three breathing and three openings and closings
Stand straight with arms relaxed. Inhale through the nose and exhale through the mouth three times. Then imagine there is an energy field between the hands. When inhaling imagine the energy field expands and pushes the hands apart. When exhaling imagine the energy field collapses and the hands go back to the original position. Do this three times.
II. Rising and lowering with openings and closings
Stand with feet about one leg's length apart with arms hanging down on both sides. Then hold hands up in front of your chest. Hold them apart about shoulders' width. When inhaling imagine there is an energy field between the hands and the energy pushes the hands apart. Bend the knees to lower the stance. When exhaling imagine that the energy field collapses and the hands go back to the original position (down on the sides) and straighten the legs. Repeat three times.
Next take one step forward. Hold the hands up in front of your chest a shoulders' width apart. When inhaling imagine there is an energy field between the hands and the energy pushes the hands apart. When exhaling imagine that the energy field collapses; drop the hands and bend the knees. Repeat three times.
III. Loosening the waist
a. Moving the arms and waist
Stand with feet apart about shoulders' width. Place the right hand over the point (sea of chi) at one and a half inch below the navel and with the left hand at the back with the back of the hand resting on the acupoint shenshu (shenshu points are one and half inch on the left and the right from the acupoint mingmen . The mingmen is an acupoint on the spine across from the navel). When inhaling raise the front arm (right arm) in the front of the body all the way over your head then exhale and lower the arm by continuing to move in a large curve to the back and end up at the right shenshu. Repeat with the other arm. Repeat three times.
b. Turning with bow-arrow stance
Place both hands on your back with the back of your hands resting on Shenshu points. Step forward with left leg and bend your left knee until you cannot see your toes. Right leg is straight. The width of the stance is about one leg's length. Hold the position for the duration of six or nine counts. Repeat with the other side. Repeat six times.
c. Tilting forward
Place both hands on your back with the back of your hands resting on Shenshu points. Stand with both feet apart about shoulders' width. Tilt forward about 15-20 degrees. Repeat tilting forward three times.
IV. Walking with breath control
Usually practise this at least 2 hours a day. (to be uploaded soon)
Free training in guolin qigong walk in Golden Gate Park, San Francisco, California.
V. Massaging acupoints
VI. Closing with three openings and closings and three breathing (closing means end of the practise and exit the program)
Stand straight with arms relaxed. Then imagine there is an energy field between the hands. When inhaling imagine the energy field expands and pushes the hands apart. When exhaling imagine the energy field collapses and the hands go back to the original position. Then inhale through the nose and exhale through the mouth three times.
2009年12月3日 星期四
來函分享：心量寬廣 得到喜樂無悔的人生
Subject: Fw: 心量寬廣 得到喜樂無悔的人生
To:
Date: Thursday, December 3, 2009, 6:34 AM
主題: 心量寬廣 得到喜樂無悔的人生
古時候，一位老和尚有個老是愛抱怨的弟子，老和尚決定要開導他一番。有一天，老和尚派這個弟子去集市買一袋鹽。弟子回來後，老和尚吩咐他抓一把鹽放入一杯水中，待鹽溶化後，喝上一大口。弟子喝完後，老和尚問：“味道如何？”弟子皺著眉頭答道。“咸得發苦。”
隨後，老和尚又帶著弟子來到湖邊。吩咐他把剩下的鹽撒進湖里，然後說道“再嘗嘗湖水。”弟子彎腰捧起湖水嘗了嘗老和尚問造道：“什麼味道？”“純淨甜美。”弟子答道：“嘗到咸味了嗎？”走師又問：“沒有”弟子答道。老和尚點了點頭，微笑著對弟子說道：生命中的痛苦是鹽，它的咸淡取決于盛它的容器。”
這則小故事，雖然看起來十分簡單，但它的寓意很深邃。老和尚的那個愛抱怨的弟子，在老師的教導下，明白了一個真理，同樣是一包鹽，當溶于一杯水的時候，嘗一口咸的十分難受。可是當其溶于一湖水的時候，卻絲毫感不到咸的滋味。由此我們得出一個有關人生的道理，生活中固然有不少煩惱與痛苦，只要善于擴展心胸，把以前認為特別嚴重的事情看淡，把過去無法放下的困擾連漸解脫，我們的。境便會出現奇妙的改變。當心量拓展到了相當寬廣的時候，我們就會擺脫煩惱、憂愁的的生命狀態，轉變為幸福，喜樂的無悔人生。
To:
Date: Thursday, December 3, 2009, 6:34 AM
主題: 心量寬廣 得到喜樂無悔的人生
古時候，一位老和尚有個老是愛抱怨的弟子，老和尚決定要開導他一番。有一天，老和尚派這個弟子去集市買一袋鹽。弟子回來後，老和尚吩咐他抓一把鹽放入一杯水中，待鹽溶化後，喝上一大口。弟子喝完後，老和尚問：“味道如何？”弟子皺著眉頭答道。“咸得發苦。”
隨後，老和尚又帶著弟子來到湖邊。吩咐他把剩下的鹽撒進湖里，然後說道“再嘗嘗湖水。”弟子彎腰捧起湖水嘗了嘗老和尚問造道：“什麼味道？”“純淨甜美。”弟子答道：“嘗到咸味了嗎？”走師又問：“沒有”弟子答道。老和尚點了點頭，微笑著對弟子說道：生命中的痛苦是鹽，它的咸淡取決于盛它的容器。”
這則小故事，雖然看起來十分簡單，但它的寓意很深邃。老和尚的那個愛抱怨的弟子，在老師的教導下，明白了一個真理，同樣是一包鹽，當溶于一杯水的時候，嘗一口咸的十分難受。可是當其溶于一湖水的時候，卻絲毫感不到咸的滋味。由此我們得出一個有關人生的道理，生活中固然有不少煩惱與痛苦，只要善于擴展心胸，把以前認為特別嚴重的事情看淡，把過去無法放下的困擾連漸解脫，我們的。境便會出現奇妙的改變。當心量拓展到了相當寬廣的時候，我們就會擺脫煩惱、憂愁的的生命狀態，轉變為幸福，喜樂的無悔人生。
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