History of psychotherapy

Great efforts to create an ambience wherein trusted cultural values can be incorporated into the practices of western methods of psychotherapy have been raised in Korea as well as in other Asian countries. Despite the increasing body of research by cultural impacts in psychotherapy, however, little is known about the Korean perspective of indigenous psychotherapy.

Initially a qualitative inquiry into the historical meaning and effects of experience, this article attempts to interpret a way to highlight indigenous psychotherapeutic methods derived from the concept of ‘Pungryu’, the Korean ethos deeply immersed in their spirits, and cultures. Pungryu is a philosophy or lifestyle Koreans have sought i.e., living in accordance to the nature ‘as wind (pung) blows and the flow (ryu) goes’, with significant emphasis on artistic practices and spirits of play.

This article debates on its implication in modern Korean psychotherapy and efficiency of culturally relevant psychotherapy in practice, further appealing to realize the importance of invigorating an ethos intrinsic to each culture or society as an essential knowledge to psychotherapeutic methods attuned to its distinct cultural or societal expectation.

Key Words: Cultural, Indigenous, Ethos, Korean, Psychotherapy

Background: Haan has been considered vital cultural-specific concept that reflects the essence of Korean ethno-psychology. It refers to the accumulated feeling of sorrow, pain, and deep bitterness that occurs as a result of prolonged mistreatment and deficiency and is generally understood as a provenance for fulminating anger but also driving force for exceptional achievement. However, the increasing anger-related maladies prevalent in Korean society today bring into question such limited understanding of Haan simply as an indigenous psychological concept instead of examining it from pathological and therapeutic viewpoints for intervention. Method: In this article, initially a qualitative inquiry into the historical meaning and effects of experience, Haan is viewed from inferiority complex and habitus with relation to the issues of aggressiveness and anger. Underlining the importance of treating Haan, it examines the traditional ways of Haan.puri (the action and process of unknotting and letting out Haan) commonly featured dynamic, expressive, and artistic, and its implication in modern Korean psychotherapy referring to the distinguished accomplishment of the field of expressive arts therapy in Korea in recent years. Conclusion: Drawn upon the significance of cultural impacts in modern Korean psychotherapy, the article underlines the need to develop, in psychotherapy milieu, more cultural-specific knowledge and culturally relevant psychotherapy.

This is the first English book dedicated solely to the historical development of psychotherapy in Korea. It is an archaeological research of literature relating to the care and treatment of mind in Korean history in dialogue with spiritual, philosophical, cultural, social, and medical perspectives. It reviews the evolution of different approaches on mental illnesses covering autochthonous practices, psychiatry, clinical psychology, counseling, Western psychotherapy, and Korean psychotherapy. Archaeology of Psychotherapy in Korea inspects:

Folk Treatment
First Psychiatry
Influence from Clinical Psychology
Counselling Development
Implementation of Western Psychotherapy
Shaping of Korean Psychotherapy
Its discussion engages firmly with the Korean culture and perspective while acknowledging various extrinsic influences and the fact that Korean psychotherapy continues to evolve in its own unique manner. It aims to refine the understanding of psychotherapy development in Korea in connection with its historical and social backgrounds, and to interpret a way to highlight the culturally relevant psychotherapy that is more suitable as a Korean psychotherapy better attuned to the distinct cultural and societal expectation of Korea.