Bridging worlds: A re-evaluation of psychotherapy through the lens of intercultural healing arts.

This essay critically examines the Western-centric foundations of psychotherapy and advocates for a more inclusive approach that integrates diverse cultural healing practices such as Yolmo spirit callings, Tamang healing, Chinese medicine, and Balinese rituals. It highlights how these traditions emphasize sensory engagement, communal life experience, and socio-cultural context, contrasting with the individualistic focus of psychodynamic models. Drawing on an ethnographic study of Chinese migration in Jamaica, the essay explores the complex relationship between identity, migration, and mental health, underscoring the need for psychotherapy to address cultural assumptions, power dynamics, and social factors. It proposes intercultural therapy as a dynamic, self-reflective practice that acknowledges both conscious and unconscious biases in therapist and client, aiming to foster culturally sensitive and collaborative healing.