# Exploring Local Aspects for a Culturally and Contextually Adapted Family Therapy Training in Cambodia

## TL;DR

This study explores how to adapt family therapy training in Cambodia to better fit local cultural and contextual needs.

## Contribution

The study identifies key cultural competencies for family therapy training in Cambodia, emphasizing local adaptation.

## Key findings

- Cultural competencies like respecting hierarchy and religious beliefs are crucial for family therapy in Cambodia.
- Trainees experience tension between Western concepts and local values, highlighting the need for adaptation.
- Local experts should lead curriculum development to ensure cultural appropriateness.

## Abstract

The goal of this study was to further local knowledge production and the ground‐up cultural and contextual competencies needed for family therapy training and practice in Cambodia. First, expert interviews were conducted with Cambodian and international mental health professionals with several years of professional experience in Cambodia (N = 25; 72% Cambodian, 52% female). Current characteristics of Cambodian family life and related problems were identified, as well as aspects of the current reality of mental health services in this Southeast Asian nation, which continue to be counted among the low‐ and middle‐income countries (LAMICs). Second, in a group discussion with four Cambodian trainer experts in family therapy, the cultural and contextual competencies to be developed in the training of Cambodian family therapists were identified. The competencies for incorporating religious beliefs, respecting hierarchical family structures/expressing respect, and competencies for dealing with the cultural imperative of silence/face‐saving appear to be significant. For the trainees, it is precisely here that areas of tension were described—triggered by collusion of their own value systems with those implicit in Western concepts. These moments of alienation should be carefully registered for reflection. The experience of dissonance in relation to certain content and procedures points precisely to the need for adaptation by local experts for the development of culturally appropriate curricula.