Decolonising Clinical Psychology Training in Singapore: Trainee and Recently Qualified Psychologist Views about Diversifying Therapeutic Models

Abstract

Despite literature suggesting that Western psychology and models might not be as culturally appropriate in other cultures (e.g. Henrich et al., 2010; Llewelyn & Shimoyama, 2012), clinical psychology courses in Singapore continue to follow a mainly Western curricula (Geerlings et al., 2014; Lange et al., 2015). Geerlings et al. (2017) found that these courses focused heavily on Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), and suggested that courses expand their curriculum to include other models. However, they did not propose any suitable models. The current study aims to address this gap by answering the following research questions based on interviews with clinical psychologists (CPs) from these programmes: 1) Is a focus on CBT suitable for working within Singaporean culture? 2) What other models of therapy might be culturally relevant for Singapore? 3) How prepared do Singaporean CPs feel for culturally relevant practice after training locally? •Which models of therapy would they have liked to learn more about before graduating and what else would have added to their preparedness to provide culturally relevant therapy? Method Nine recent graduates and five final-year trainees from both clinical psychology courses in Singapore were interviewed across four online focus groups (FGs). The interviews were analysed using thematic analysis (TA) and member-checking was used to confirm the preliminary themes. Findings from the interview activities completed during the FGs are also reported. Results Participants felt that CBT was suitably relevant but could be further adapted for Singapore. They shared about how they used an integrative approach in incorporating other more culturally relevant models at times. Participants referred to an assumption about the need to follow ‘evidence base’ when deciding which models to use. Implications Some implications for Singapore CPs, training courses, and professional bodies are discussed, including better cultural training, more reflective spaces on evidence and culture, the inclusion of more culturally appropriate models in CPs’ practices, and increasing the diversity of CP trainees. Some areas for future research are discussed.