ACCANewsOfficialSemi-AnnualNewsletterofAsiaChristianCounselorsAssociation,Issue20/2

Editorial

TheCovid-19pandemicwhichstartedfromthebeginningof2020broughtdrasticchangesto every aspect of life on earth. Due tomovement restrictions, the delivery ofcounselingservicesalsochangedovernighttoalmostexclusivelyonline.

ACCA’s initial response was to producethreeshortvideosfordistributiontotheAsianpublicwithsimpletipsonhowtocopewiththemost common mental health issues arisingfrom home confinement. The topics coveredthemanagementoffearandanxiety,reductionof domestic quarrels and the way to grievehealthilyintheabsenceofphysicalcommunalsupportoverthelossofalovedone.

Atthesametime,ACCAactivelyencouragedallitsexistingmemberbodiesintheeightAsiancountries to be pro-active in reaching out tohelptheneedyduringthistimeofcrisis.Soon,almost all the national Christian counselingassociations initiated and promoted to thepublicfreeonlinecounselingservicesmannedbyvolunteerChristiancounselors.Someofour

member bodies also ranwebinars to teach thecommunityoncopingskillswhileothers trained laycounselors inchurchestoequipthemonhowtoaddressvariousmentalhealthissues. Still others offeredpodcasts and online Covid-19resources in their websites,FacebookandInstagram.

It ishearteningtonotethatthere are those nationalassociations with betterresourceswhichhadevengonean extramile to distribute facemasks and medical gowns tohospitals as well as foodpackagestothehardcorepoor.

Members:

AKKI(Indonesia)

PACC(Philippines)

NACC(Malaysia)

ACCI(India)

CCCC(China)

ACCS(Singapore)

MCCA(Mongolia)

CCAT(Thailand)

AssociateMember:

CCAA(Australia)

Despiteallthedisruptions,ACCAcontinuedtofunctionas usual as a regional Board, holding our semi-annualBoardmeetingbyZoominMay2020.Atourlastmeeting,weevenadoptedaConflictofInterestpolicyasourSOP.Boardmembersalsocometogetheronlineonceaweektoprayforourministry.

As an effort to provide direction to Asian Christiancounselorsinfacingthenewnormal,ACCArecordeda90-minutespaneldiscussionentitled“HowWilltheCovid-19PandemicAffectChristianCounselinginAsia?”Inaddition,

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AsiaChristianCounselingAssociation

B-9-9MeganPhileoAvenue2,JalanYapKwanSeng,50450KualaLumpur,Malaysia

Tel:+(6)019-2109780Website:www.asiancca.orgEmail:info@asiancca.org

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wearealsocurrentlyplanningamonthlywebinarforAsianviewerstotalkonPost-CovidLeadershipto shape Asian Christian counseling through theopportunityaccordedbythecrisis.

AlthoughitwasannouncedinBalithatournextAsian Christian Counseling will be held inSingaporein2021,thepandemichasderailedour

plansandatthismoment,themovementrestrictionsin Singapore are still in force. We are looking intoalternatives likeswitchingtoavirtualconference inthe event social distancing is still not lifted or theregistration for attendance is not promising. PleaseprayforuswithregardstothiseventaswellasforthefuturedirectionforChristiancounselinginAsia.

ACCACovid-19Resources

ACCAPanelDiscussionon“HowwilltheCovid-19PandemicAffectChristianCounselinginAsia?”(90mins.)Panelists:Dr.SimonNeo,Dr.DavidNikles,Dr.YakubSusabda,Dr.ReupahPhilipsFacilitator:Dr.EdmundNgToviewthevideo,pleaseclickonthislink:h t t p s : / / d r i v e . g o o g l e . c o m / o p e n ? i d = 1 R r 9 a H 9 C w I 4 u A y m 4 4 3 0 r f q n u 3 J 9 u U O a U i ShortVideoClipswithsimpletipstohelppeopleexperiencingmentalhealthissuesduringtheCovid-19pandemic.1)Reducingdomesticquarrelsduringenforcedstayingathome.Toview,clickonthislink:h t t p s : / / d r i v e . g o o g l e . c o m / f i l e / d / 1 F 5 V Z c y I D 1 W W L X y p t o 9 I A R x O A m U e N q 3 h _ / v i e w ? u s p = s h a r i n g 2)Managingfearandanxietyduringenforcedstayingathome.Toview,clickonthislink:h t t p s : / / d r i v e . g o o g l e . c o m / f i l e / d / 1 2 N e Y K k A a 5 c P Y - n R W 2 k R r n 3 v Z l Z T R f r g o / v i e w ? u s p = s h a r i n g 3)GrievinginahealthymannerfollowingthelossofalovedonethroughtheCovid-19virus.Toview,click: h t t p s : / / d r i v e . g o o g l e . c o m / f i l e / d / 1 R Z H q r g e X 2 7 5 T R P A A v 9 1 9 L S B M g W E G a T 2 O / v i e w ? u s p = s h a r i n g

L e t u s a s C h r i s t i a n c o un s e l o r s b e r e l e v a n t t o wha t i s h a ppen i n g i n o u r m i d s t a n d d o o u r p a r t i n e x t e nd i n g God ’ s k i n g dom i n t h i s t ime o f g l o b a l c r i s i s .

AKKIinpartnershipwiththeReformedTheologicalSeminaryofIndonesiawenttheextramiletodistributefacemaskstothehospitalsaswellasfoodpackagestothepoorfamiliesaffectedbytheCovid-19lockdowninJakarta.

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BooksbyAsianAuthorsWhilst acknowledging the contributions and limitations of Christian counseling knowledge andtechniquesfromtheWest,givenourdifferingfocusandcontextualrealities,weneedtodevelopourownresourcesthatareuniquelyAsian.

Indeed,whatwill bringus together asAsianChristian counselors areourEastern identities, commontheological persuasions, economic and environmental struggles and the urgent need formore ChristiancounselingresourcesthatembracethesufferingsandpainsofAsia.

WeAsiansmustriseuptomeetourlocalneeds!Hence,moreAsianChristiancounselorsareencouragedtoengage inthinkingandwriting,especiallywithregardstothemanyportionsof theBiblethatcontainmuchoffolkpsychologypresentlyleftuntappedbyChristiancounselinginterpretations,todevelopadeeperinterface of psychology and theology that is spiritually and culturally-sensitive, holistic, existential andtransformationalforprofessionalpractice,people-helpingandministryinAsia.

ACCAinvitesAsianauthorstolisttheirbooksonChristiancounselingorrelatedsubjectsinourwebsiteforfreepromotion.Thebooksmustcontainasubstantialinterfaceofpsychologyandtheologyandnotjustonlypsychologicalcontent.

Thefollowinginformationaretobesubmittedtopresident1@asiancca.org:a)Titleandsynopsisofthebook(max.200words)b)Photoofthefrontcoverc)NameandCVoftheauthor(max.150words)d)PriceinUSDe)Wheretoorderthebook.

Note:Youmaysubmitasmanybooksasyouwish.However,selectionoflistingissolelyatACCA’sdiscretion.

SubmissionofShortArticlesforACCANews:ACCAinvitesthecontributionofshortprofessionalarticlesonChristiancounsellingwrittenbyAsiansforpublicationinACCANews.Kindlyemailtopresident1@asiancca.orgthefollowingdetails:

i)ArticleinWordformat(max.1,000words);

ii)Contentcomprisesasubstantialinterfaceofpsychologyandtheology,andnotjustonpsychologyalone;

iii)ShortC.V.ofthewriter(max.150words);

iv)Author’semailaddressforfeedbackfromreaders.

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ShortArticle:

TheroleofOnlineCounselingintheCovid-19EraBy Dr. Reupah Phillips, Board Member, ACCA

Recent events of Covid-19 and the relatedlockdown has skyrocketed the need for onlineservices. These unprecedented times have led tounprecedentedadaptationbypeopletodoalltheirtransactions online. More than ever, we are intimes that demand us tomove away our currentpracticeofthesamelocationcounsellingtoonlinecounseling inorder to serveour clientsand reachout to them desspite of the constraints in thecurrent situation such as the lockdown and socialdistancing. This form of counselling is highlyaccessibletopeoplearoundtheglobetogainaccesstobasiccounsellingandmentalhealthservices.Itisalso applicable when a preferred or moreexperiencedcounsellorisnotinthesamevicinityastheclient(Wong,K.P.,Bonn,G.,Tam,C.L.,&Wong,C.P.,2018).

There has always been a strugglewith face-to-facetraditionalcounsellingintheeastwheremanyindividuals find it hard to have a face-to-facecounselling session (Barak et.al., 2008). WhenconsideringtheAsianpopulationandculture,thereisstrongstigmaregardingtheuseofmentalhealthservices and many would hesitate to seek helpbecauseofthisstigma.Researchinthisculturehasdepicted that the Asian community are notcomfortable with the idea of self-disclosure orbringingtheirproblemsoutintotheopen.Basedonthese cultural restrictions and barriers, onlinecounsellingwouldserveasaboonsincethisisdonein the privacy of one’s own room. It would helptackle many issues which would have otherwisebeenleftuntreated(RoddaandDan,2014).

DistanceTherapy

Research regarding distance therapy goes backmanydecades.Therapistsoughttheuseofairmailcorrespondence and telephonic conversations toassistclientswhocouldnotmeetinperson,whichhas been seen since the start of the 20th century(Perlaet al., 2011). In thepast, therapy thatwasadministered electronically would be referred bymanyterminologiessuchasteletherapy,e-therapy,

andcybercounselling(Barak,Klein,&Proudfoot,2009).

Mental health needs are on the rise and thesame location counseling could be restrictive attimes.Onlineopensupmultipleavenuestoreachto people across culture and geographicallocations. It is essential to break themyth thatonlinecounselingisnotpossibleorthatitisnotaseffectiveasthesamelocationatthisstagewhenweneedtoattendtoourclientsduringthiscrisis.

EffectivenessofOnlineCounselling

InastudyconductedbyCohenandKerr(1999),oneofthefirststudiesdoneonthetopicofonlinecounselling and its effectiveness, theymeasuredthe difference between a computer mediatedcounsellingserviceandaface-to-facecounsellingservice. Itwasmeasuredonthebasisofanxietythat was faced by the client with the therapist.The researchers also were able to collate datafrom the participants of the study on the ratinggiventothetherapist.Therewereseveralcriteria:“expertness, attractiveness and trustworthiness”(p.18).Whatwasnoticedwasthattherewerenofunctional differences between the two groups.Both groups had the same decrease in anxietysymptoms.

ProcedureforOnlineCounselling

Clientsareeasilyabletoaccesstheirtherapistthrough emails or through support groups(Mallen,Vogel,Rochlen,&Day,2005).Theclientcan scheduleanappointment throughawebsiteafterwhichtheclientisabletomeetthetherapistpersonallyatanotherplatform,whereinstructionsare made available when the appointment isbooked. From the therapist’s point of view,consultationswithcolleaguesonaparticularcaseorcollaborationswithorganizationscanbedoneinamoreefficientmanner.Itisalsonecessarytobeawarethatonlinesupervisionisavailableandalsoeffective like the same location supervision.Gettingonlinesupervisioninsteadofsame

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location will also enable you to test theeffectivenessoftheonlinecounselling.

CautionandEthics:

Since the online availability and usage hasincreased,andallformsofnetworkingthroughtheuse of internet has been facilitated, one can onlyimagine that online counselling is here to stay.However, caution and care need to be observedkeenlywhenofferingtheseservices.

Itisimportanttohighlighttheadvantagesofthisform of therapy. The ability for the therapist tooffermulticulturalcounsellingisabigbonusaswellasabane.Thetherapisthastobeadeptinhandlingdifferent cultures and backgrounds. The easyaccessibilityandcosteffectivenessmakethisformoftherapymostsortafter.Inthisdigitalagewhenpeoplearewellequippedwiththeinternet,itmakesiteasyforclientstoconnectwiththetherapist.

Withthisadvent,therearemanydisadvantages.First of all,weneed to address thedehumanizingtherapeuticenvironment. This include the lackofempathyandtheinabilitytoidentifythenon-verbalcuesandfacialexpressions.

Thetherapistalsohastoadheretothelicensurerequirementsthatarerequiredwitheachcountry.The therapist has to keep in mind the privacyrequirements and the trust considerations whendealingwithclientsofdifferentnationalities(JoAnnOravec,2000).

Health Insurance Portability and AccountabilityActof1996

The HIPAA privacy rules provide a format tofollowwhenmaintainingpsychotherapynotes. AsdefinedbyHIPAA,psychotherapynotesmeannotesrecordedinanymediumbythetherapist.Theyhaveto be separated from the rest of the individual’smedical record. This has to be maintained withprivacy and should not be available for publicviewing.Thishastobedonewithmuchthoughtandconcernby the therapist for thewell-beingof theclient.

Conclusion:

Today,thereisagreatneedforonlinecounselingduetothehecticlifestylesandstretchedworking

hourswhichwould leadtofrustration. Withtheboom of internet facilities such as videoconferencing, it helpsa therapist tobeavailablefortheclientwhentheneedarises.

With this rise of demand towards OnlineCounselling, it isonlyamatteroftimewhenthisformofcounsellingwillbecomethenormorthemodusoperandifortherapistsallovertheworldtoconnectwithclients.Therefore,ascounselorsweneedtotakeontheresponsibilitytoadvocateforthetechnologyassistedcounseling.

References:

1. Barak, A., Klein, B., and Proudfoot, J. G. (2009).Defining internet-supported therapeuticinterventions.AnnalsofBehavioralMedicine,38(1),4–17.

2. Barak A., Hen L., Boniel-Nissim M., Shapira N.(2008). A comprehensive review and a meta-analysis of the effectiveness of internet-basedpsychotherapeutic interventions. J. Technol.Hum.

Serv.26109–160.10.1080/152288308020944293. Cohen, G. E., & Kerr, B. A. (1999). Computer-

mediatedcounseling:Anempiricalstudyofanewmental health treatment. Computers in human

services,15(4),13-26.4. Al-KrenawiA,GrahamJR,Al-BedahEA,KadriHM,

SehwailMA (2009). Cross-national comparison ofMiddle Eastern university students: help-seekingbehaviors, attitudes towardhelpingprofessionals,andculturalbeliefsaboutmentalhealthproblems.CommunityMentalHealthJ.2009Feb;45(1):26-36.

5. JoAnnOravec. (2000).OnlinecounsellingandtheInternet: Perspectives for mental health caresupervision and education. Journal of Mental

Health, 9:2, 121-135, DOI:10.1080/09638230050009122

6. Mallen,M.J.,Vogel,D.L.,Rochlen,A.B.,andDay,S. X. (2005). Online counseling reviewing theliteraturefromacounselingpsychologyframework.TheCounselingPsychologist,33(6),819–871.

7. Perle, J. G., Langsam, L. C., and Nierenberg, B.(2011).Controversyclarified:Anupdatedreviewofclinical psychology and tele-health. Clinical

psychologyreview,31(8),1247–1258.8. RoddaS.N.,DanI.L.(2014).OnlineCounselingfor

Problem Gambling: An Analysis of Client and

Session Characteristics. Clayton VIC: MonashUniversity.[GoogleScholar]

9. Wong, K. P., Bonn, G., Tam, C. L., &Wong, C. P.(2018).PreferencesforOnlineand/orFace-to-FaceCounselingamongUniversityStudentsinMalaysia.Frontiers in psychology, 9, 64.https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2018.00064

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NewsfromMemberCountries

AKKI(Indonesia)

SincetheCovid19outbreak,AKKIhasinitiatedfreeonlinecounsellingtothecommunity.Flyersweresentouttochurches,schoolsandhospitals.We also help the local churches to provide lay counselling servicesthrough our training program called “Counseling Ministry Planting@Local Church”. On 13 Jun 2020, Dr.Mariana Foo represented AKKI topresent a webinar organized by the Indonesian PsychologicalAssociation. The webinar entitled “To Promote the Mental Health ofChristians during the Pandemic” was attended by more than 350participants.

Photo:AttendeestoAKKI’strainingforlocalchurches

PACC(Philippines)

PACC spearheaded a Free On-line Counseling during the COVID 19quarantineperiod fromendofMarch,2020until thepresent.Officersdrafted guidelines for online counseling manned by 7 volunteercounselors. The Board met weekly online for connection andintercessoryprayer,andplannedstrategicallyhowtoserveduring thepandemiccrisis.Wehadourveryfirstwebinaron22May2020joinedbymore than a hundred participants. Our President shared Biblical andpersonalinsightsintegratedfindingsofpsychologyandneuroscienceonManagingYourStress&EmotionsDuringLockdown.Wehadare-runon12June2020.

Picture:PACC’sWebinaronManagingStress

NACC(Malaysia)

NACCMalaysia is also moving forward in the new normal by gettinginvolvedinvirtualcounsellingusingZoom,Webinar,Googlemeet,andotheronlineplatforms.AnotherfreewebinaronManagingJobLossandTransition is being held in June. There is much need, not justeconomically but also spiritually as many are desperately looking forhopeintheseperiloustimes.Meanwhile,pleaseprayforusasweplanfor our coming activities according to the Malaysian Government’sstandardoperatingprocedures.Wewillalsobehavingourelectionsandnationalconference.

Picture:NACCEmmanuelOnlineChat

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ACCS(Singapore)

ACCSstartedtheyearliketherestoftheworld,beinginuncertaintyandin the midst of the coronavirus pandemic. To extend support andencouragement, the team posted some resources on the website toprovide information and understanding regarding the psychologicalimpactalongwithcopingtips.Withallphysicalgatheringshaltedatthemoment,ACCSisnowlookingatconnectingwithourmembersdigitallyand reaching out through online networking and training sessions.PreparationsarealsounderwayforourAnnualGeneralMeetingandforanewExecutiveCommitteetocomeonboard.

Photo:ACCS’sCovid19Resourcesintheirwebsite

ACCI(India)

Wehavegreatsupportfromourmemberstoprovidecounselingservicesto the Indian community in response to theCovid19pandemic. Theyconducted webinars and trainings to those who are affected. Theresponsesfromourmembersalsoincludedinvolvementsinsocialworkto the homeless individuals, migrant workers and slum dwellers. OurPromotionalSecretaryisalsoactivelyinvolvedwithindividualChristiancounselors in Sri Lanka, Nepal, Pakistan and Bangladesh to promoteChristiancounselinginthosecountries.

Photo:PresidentofACCIndiawithcommunityvolunteersmakingmedicalmasksandgowns.

MCCA(Mongolia)

ThesettingupofMCCAsloweddowninthefirsthalfof2020duetotheCovid19 pandemic but we are picking up step by step. Our plannedtrainings and seminars have been postponed. Nevertheless, MCCAobtained our official bank accounts for our operations and met therequirementoftheMongolianTaxAuthority. InMongolia,FacebookisthemostpopularsocialmediaandsowehavecreatedaFacebookgroupandstartedtointroduceourassociationanditspurposethroughpostsandlivevideos.Wehave191membersinthisFBgroupandmorethan10 people have become officialmembers ofMCCA.We are presentlyplanning to organize an official launching of MCCA, a meeting of allmembers,aswellastrainingsandseminars.

Photo:FirstmeetingofMCCAon13Jun2020.

CCAT(Thailand)

CCATheldtheSukjaiTelementalHealthCareProjectinMay2020.Itisafree counseling program using Careline and VDO call, manned by 22psychologists and counselors as volunteers. CCAT has been creatingmaterials in Thai to increase awareness of mental health via CCATFacebook (www.facebook.com/ccat.thailand). We are currentlyproducingashortvideoseriesonsuicide.CCATtogetherwithCWFandMcGilvery Leadership Institute will be hosting the CWF 60 hours LayCounselingTrainingonline.

Picture:CCAT’stelementalhealthcare

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