Countertransference in cross-cultural psychotherapy: the example of Jewish therapist and Arab patient.

In the course of most psychotherapies, the cultural background of the therapist vis-à-vis the patient seldom emerges as a potential barrier to treatment. This is so for the simple reason that generally both participants share similar backgrounds. When this is not the case, however, divergent cultural values and assumptions may invade the treatment--sometimes undermining it altogether. The focus of this paper shall be on some of the countertransference issues in cross-cultural psychotherapy, with reference to one specific, and in some ways unique, therapist-patient dyad: the Jewish (Israeli) therapist and Arab patient. In the paper, I shall explore some of the more typical and troublesome countertransference issues that often occur in this particular example of cross-cultural psychotherapy. In addition, some suggestions will be made regarding the technical management of these countertransference problems.