Behavior as a result of his own internal attributes, independent of his social context. Conversely, collectivist cultures view the individuals behavior as interdependent on the social context.Thus, it follows that psychotherapy differs in the two culturesPsychodynamic psychotherapy frame a personal problem as an individuals failure to come to term with unresolved unconscious issues in the past. On the other hand, helping traditions and customs in the collectivist cultures frame personal problems in a social context, mostly in the here and now. Consequently, the foci for listening differ in the two interventions. In psychodynamic psychotherapy, one listens to facilitate exploration of unconscious processes (Ivey,1997) while in traditional collectivist helping interventions, one listens to facilitate exploration of family and contextual clues that affectthe persons expression of self. Furthermore, there is greater emphasis on feedback and self-disclosure to build a more egalitarian relationship. Finally, interpretation is usually the extent of intervention in psychodynamic psychotherapy whereas in the collectivist setting, the reframing of a problem in terms of familial or cultural issues marks the start of interventions directed at the family or social group.To a large extent, the characteristics of this collective culture have been articulated in Philippine sociology, anthropology and psychology.For example, the Filipino concept of self is that of self in relation to the other. In Filipino psychology, this concept is termed kapwa. This term refers to the until of the self and others and hinges on recognition of a shared identity. (Enriquez,1978). agreeableness in the Filipino is a behavioral manifestation of the cultural emphasis on smooth interpersonal relations, or getting along with people (Chruch,1985; Guthrie and Bennet). Hiya (Shame), is one of important norms governing good manners and right conduct (Jocano).Filipino helping behavior in a collectivist context has been describe by Decenteceo (1997) and Jocano (1998). In the pagdadala model. Decenteseo posits that the Filipino is seen to gain meaning mot only from fulfilling accountability but also from a sense of belonging to a community of co-burden bearers that in return gives meaning to acts of burden bearing. F. Landa Jocano, inhis book, Filipino social organization describes providing assistance to the immediate kinship group as well as the wider kinship sphere as a dominant postulate operative in Filipino culture.Thus, it may not be farfetched to think that in the Filipino setting, the helping relationship may be viewed as an interaction between two persons, keenly aware of their connection to the society at large. As a result, boundary setting may not be as sallent to the Filipino helping tradition as in the west. As early as twenty years ago, Filipino psychologists had pointed out that the goal of privacy is rarely achived in a Manila survey due to such conditions as the large number of people per household, small number of rooms, and cultural factors related to privacy (Church, 1985).So you see that boundary setting is a set of techniques for an individually oriented intervention. Is it any wonder that it is inconsistently applied in a collectivist.Summary Filipino psychiatrists apply boundary setting in their clinical practice in varying degrees of consistency. Filipino psychiatrists boundary setting practices converge with the western norm in some situations while they diverge from the western standanrd in others. Culture, along with psychodynamic consideration strongly influence boundary setting practices. In situation where the western practice contradicts Filipino culture, the dictates if culture prevail. The juxtaposition of boundary setting, a set of techniques for an individually oriented intervention, in a collectivist culture leads to its inconsistent application.Action StepsThe question of the applicability of western concepts in psychotherapy to Philippine culture has long been playing in the minds of Filipino academics in psychology. The clamor for the modification of western psychological models to suit the Filipino culture Church, 1990; Salazar-Clemena, 1998) was sparked bay Virgilio Enriquez, whose work serve as the foundation of Filipino psychology.The literature has accounts of indigenous Filipino psychotherapies (Bulatao, 1999; Jagmis- Socrates, 1998); as well as forms of psychotherapy that are considered applicable to Filipinos (tanalega, 1998). How ever, the search for the culturally relevant form of psychotherapy continues.Tailoring psychotherapy to suit individualist and collectivist cultures has been proposed but found wanting. Although Oyserman et al have recognized that the individualist-collectivist construct is helpful in describing particular ways in which cultures differ systematically, it should not replace the study of culture. Rather, they proposed a framework for understanding the influence of culture on psychological phenomena by analyzing construals of social situation. Since these construals are viewed from the individual to the social to the institutional levels, the cultural variables are as exclusively individualist or collectivist. Instead, they are viewed as an integration of both (Oysserman et al, 2002 cited by Della, 2008).

ClosureI end mw lecture with the thought that culture trumps theory in psychotherapy. Boundary setting necessarily takes on the colors of the therapeutic dyads everyday cultural space. In that way, they serve as a backdrop against which the therapist discerns deviations.Thus, Filipino psychiatrists face the challenge of promoting culturally relevant psychotherapy by incorporating the best of the East and the West. This is a tremendous challenge, given this caricature of Filipino help-seeking behaviorshould the Filipino get sick, lie is cured physically with drugs and medical aid but socio-psycologically with fruits beside him which he may not even eat. More importantly, he has people: friend and relatives. Even a room in supposedly modern hospital which says strictly no visitors as you enter proves to be crowded with people (Enriquez, 1977).Now try setting boundaries in this situation.