Coping with anxiety and rebuilding identity: A psychosynthesis approach to culture shock

Abstract

As the number of international students continues to increase worldwide, their experience of culture shock has been well-researched. Missing, however, from the culture shock literature is the perspective of psychosynthesis psychology and its methodology to deal with the affective, behavioral, and cognitive (ABC) aspects of shock and adaptation. This article illustrates two psychosynthesis techniques that student sojourners found helpful in their acculturation process. Firstly, the self-identification exercise eased anxiety, an affective aspect of culture shock. Secondly, the subpersonality model aided students in their ability to integrate a new social identity, the cornerstone of the cognitive aspect. With a new integrated identity, students changed their behavior (the second ABC component) and new creative energies were released. These qualitative findings are supported by the testimonies of nine international student sojourners in the Netherlands who received psychosynthesis counseling. In addition, a case study demonstrates subpersonality integration and its role in helping students to come into relationship with themselves as well as others. The self-identification exercise and subpersonality model are not only effective tools for aiding sojourners in their adaptation to a host country, but viable methodologies for anyone searching to synthesize a new personal and social identity.

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Coping with anxiety and rebuilding identity: A
psychosynthesis approach to culture shock
Catherine Ann Lombard
To cite this article: Catherine Ann Lombard (2014) Coping with anxiety and rebuilding identity:
A psychosynthesis approach to culture shock, Counselling Psychology Quarterly, 27:2, 174-199,
DOI: 10.1080/09515070.2013.875887
To link to this article: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/09515070.2013.875887
Published online: 17 Jan 2014.
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Coping with anxiety and rebuilding identity: A psychosynthesis
approach to culture shock
Catherine Ann Lombard*
Department of Psychology, Health & Technology, University of Twente, Enschede,
The Netherlands
(Received 1 August 2013; accepted 12 December 2013)
As the number of international students continues to increase worldwide, their
experience of culture shock has been well-researched. Missing, however, from
the culture shock literature is the perspective of psychosynthesis psychology
and its methodology to deal with the affective, behavioral, and cognitive
(ABC) aspects of shock and adaptation. This article illustrates two psychosyn-
thesis techniques that student sojourners found helpful in their acculturation
process. Firstly, the self-identification exercise eased anxiety, an affective
aspect of culture shock. Secondly, the subpersonality model aided students in
their ability to integrate a new social identity, the cornerstone of the cognitive
aspect. With a new integrated identity, students changed their behavior (the
second ABC component) and new creative energies were released. These
qualitative findings are supported by the testimonies of nine international stu-
dent sojourners in the Netherlands who received psychosynthesis counseling.
In addition, a case study demonstrates subpersonality integration and its role
in helping students to come into relationship with themselves as well as oth-
ers. The self-identification exercise and subpersonality model are not only
effective tools for aiding sojourners in their adaptation to a host country, but
viable methodologies for anyone searching to synthesize a new personal and
social identity.
Keywords: culture shock; identity; international students; psychosynthesis;
subpersonality; meditation
Introduction
Today, international students are rapidly increasing worldwide in response to a number
of factors, including a globalizing world; inexpensive, easily-accessible communication
and transportation; and the demand for an international labor market (Suter & Jandl,
2008; Tremblay, 2008; Vincent-Lancrin, 2008). In addition, international students are
being actively sought by universities, in particular Australia, the UK, New Zealand and
the USA, as a valuable and growing source of revenue for universities (Department of
Foreign Affairs and Trade, 2005). Many students experience their move to a new envi-
ronment as a profound life event (Kim, 2001), and Ward, Bochner, and Furnham
(2001) have pointed out that international students are probably the most intensely stud-
ied group in the culture shock literature.
*Email: c.a.lombard@utwente.nl
© 2014 Taylor & Francis
Counselling Psychology Quarterly, 2014
Vol. 27, No. 2, 174–199, http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/09515070.2013.875887
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Culture shock is a well-known term used to define the initial experiences of immer-
sion in an unfamiliar culture. Oberg (1960) first defined culture shock as involving two
processes: (1) contact with or immersion in a different culture and (2) loss of the safety
net of predictable socia l roles, cures, and practices. Since Oberg’s identification of cul-
ture shock, there have been numerous contributions to its study, models, causes, and
prevention. Besides finding oneself in a stressful situation, persons undergoing culture
shock can experience adjustment strain (Crano & Crano, 1993), acculturative stress
(Berry, Kim, Minde, & Mok, 1987), and even grief and bereavement for significant oth-
ers left behind (Ward et al., 2001).
In addition to understanding its causes, many strategies have been proposed to suc-
cessfully manage culture shock and its effects. Cross-cultural training techniques, for
example include information-giving (Gudykunst & Hammer, 1988) where travelers are
passively presented with facts and figures about the host country either before or after
departure. Besides cognitive training, experiential training includes the use of critical
incidents, defined as brief social episodes where a misunderstanding or conflict arises
due to cultural differences (Bennett, 1995). With the help of a facilitator, travelers are
asked to explore critical incidents in order to increase their awareness of their own cul-
turally determined attitudes and how these attitudes effect their interpretation of the
host-citizens’ behavior. Another cross-cultural technique is Shirts’ (1973) BAFA BAFA
stimulation game which aim s to increase travelers’ awareness of their ethnocentrism.
Participants are divided into two hypothetical cultural groups with distinct core values.
After learning their “new cultural identity” from written descriptions, the teams then
exchange visitors in order to simulate the experience of culture shock. Befus (1988)
designed another type of treatment model that integrated both cross-cultural training
methods with psychotherapeutic techniques such as deep breathing and talking about
negative experiences. Befus administered his integrated model to 64 North Americans
alongside a control group who had recently arrived in Central America for language
study. His statistical analysis clearly showed that the sojourners who received his 12-
week treatment for culture shock manifested lower scores of psychological distress than
those who received no treatment.
Contemporary theories and approaches to culture shock are currently based on its
affective, behavioral, and cognitive components, referred to as the ABC framework of
culture shock (Ward et al., 2001; Zhou, Jindal-Snape, Topping, & Todman, 2008). The
affect aspect of culture shock revolves around the significance of life changes durin g
cross-cultural transitions, the appraisal of these changes, and the application of coping
strategies to deal wi th inherently stressful situations that automatically arise when living
in a foreign country. Researchers have largely adopted a broad-based perspective of
stress and coping in their studies of culture shock (Ward et al., 2001). Variables affect-
ing one’s ability to manage the stress associated with transition and adjustment to living
abroad include demographic factors, cultural-specific knowledge and skills, personality,
social support, and cultural distance. For international students, the affect component of
culture shock appears in studies that indicate acculturative life changes correlate with
psychological distress (Searle & Ward, 1990; Ward & Kennedy, 1993a, 1993b). Nearly
all international students encounter an array of acculturative stressors, including the
language barrier, educational environment, sociocultural situations, discrimination,
loneliness, and practical or lifestyle stressors (Lin & Yi, 1997; Smith & Khawaja,
2011). In addition, student sojourners may also have to cope with unpredictable life
Counselling Psychology Quarterly
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events, such as serious illness or physical injury, illness or death of a family member,
familial difficulties, and political strife or natural disasters back home. In fact, the seem-
ingly high incidence of such trauma caused Brown (2009) to wonder “whether the
sojourn was the trigger, or whether significant life events are universally experienced in
life but highlighted during the sojourn and compounded by isolation” (p. 511). Interna-
tional students cope with acculturative stre ssors in a number of ways, including emo-
tional suppression and dysfunctional coping such as denial, substance use, self-blame,
and disengagement (Khawaja & Dempsey, 2007, 2008). Acculturative stress and lack of
coping mechanisms can also lead international students to depression (Wei et al., 2007)
and soma tic complaints (Mori, 2000). Intervention methods for the affect component of
culture shock include stress management skil ls to help the foreign visitor develop cop-
ing strategies and tactics (e.g. Zhou et al., 2008).
The behavi or aspect of culture shock is based on the theory of cultural learning
(Furnham & Bochner, 1986). Researchers who adopt a cultural learning approach see
intercultural contact as a skilled and mutually organized performance (Argyle, 1969).
This model leads to practical guidelines for changing behavior in order to manage the
“shock” which is seen as the stimulus for acquir ing new culture-specific skills that are
needed to engage in unfamiliar social situations. Cultural learning includes an under-
standing of the attitude and behavior in the host country with regard to socia l skills
such as gift-giving, etiquette, conflict resolution, and non-verbal communication like
bodily contact and mutual gaze (Ward et al., 2001). Examples of the behavioral aspect
of culture shock as experienced by international students can be found in how they
manage the cultural differences betw een educational methodologies in their home and
host country (Popadiuk & Arthur, 2004). For example Liberman’s(1994) qualitative
research showed that students from Asia studying in the United States were often criti-
cal of the informality in the classroom, perceived lack of respect for professors, and
insufficient focus in classroom interactions. On the other hand, McCargar (1993) found
that many Asian students responded positively to a decreased emphasis on memory
learning and an increased relationship with teaching staff. All these changes in the edu-
cational practices required behavioral adjustment on the part of the international student.
Intervention methods include pre-trip preparation, especially behavioral-based social
skills training (Zhou et al., 2008 ).
The cognitive aspect of culture shock is anchored in the theory of social identifica-
tion where identity is the fundamental issue for cross-cultural travelers (Ward et al,
2001). During cross-cultural contact, people suddenly find themselves in a much
broader context which can lead to anxiety-provoking change in how they perceive
themselves and their identity (Zhou et al., 2008). For example, using in-depth
interviews with Vietnamese university students studying in Australia, Pham and Salt-
marsh (2013) explored how these students encountered and traversed cultural differ-
ences to define new perspectives of identity that enabled them to perform roles such as
being academically successful. One stude nt described his new ability to live indepen-
dently while another student talked about her changed attitude towards gays and lesbi-
ans. Pham and Saltmarsh found that the students’ construction of identity was an
ongoing representation of ever-changing internalized viewpoints.
Similarly through interviews, Brown and Brown (2 013) studied the identity conflict
experienced by five international students at a university in the south of England
for whom real and perceived challenges to national self-image were shown to be
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unsettling. For example, after a Chinese student experienced three incidents of discrimi-
nation during her first month in the host town, her response to “the challenges to her
identity involved a self-preservative retreat into a nationalist state of mind” (p. 404). In
stark contrast, an Irani an student resigned herself and acquiesced to the negative percep-
tions she experi enced, closely monitoring her behavior in public, as she felt revealing
her national identity was full of risk.
Intervention guidelines for the cognitive component of culture shock include tech-
niques for enhancing self-esteem, the establishment of inter-group harmony, and empha-
sizing inter-group similarities (Zhou et al., 2008). From the cognitive point of view,
Ward et al. (2001) present four alternatives for people facing culture shock:
(1) Remain staunchly monocultural in their traditions of origin.
(2) Assimilate totally, and identify monoculturally with the host country.
(3) Synthesize the best elements of both cult ures and become bicultural.
(4) Vacillate between cultures, identifying with neither (p. 272).
Anderson (1994) similarly states that the cross-cultural traveler has four ways of react-
ing to the new environment: “(1) change the env ironment, (2) change oneself, (3) do
nothing, (4) walk away” (p. 305). A psychosynthesis approach to such decisions
attempts to accept the challenge of Anderson’s second choice in order to achieve the
goal of Ward et al.’s third alternative.
A psychosynthesis approach to culture shock
Despite psychosynthesis having the possibility of providing an inclusive view of the
skills, coping mecha nisms, attitudes, and abilities required to intervene and manage cul-
ture shock, the psychosynthesis approach remains missing from the research literature.
Psychosynthesis is an integrative transpersonal psychology that provides a universal
framework for coping with the anxiety of life changes and understanding one’s identity
and will. Ultimately, the task is to integrate an understanding of one’s body, feelings,
attitudes, and behavior into a harmonious and synthesized whole which includes all the
human dimensions – physi cal, emotional, mental, and spiritual (Gerard, 1964). Psycho-
synthesis differs from psychoanalysis in that psychosynthesis emphasizes personal and
spiritual synthesis, not analysis.
Psychosynthesis psychology was developed by Roberto Assagioli who was a medi-
cal doctor, linguist, teacher, contemporary of Freud and Jung, and the first psychoana-
lyst in Italy. In 1933, Assagioli published in English his model of the human psyche
(Figure 1). According to Assagioli (2000), the Self is a transpersonal center, a “unifying
and controlling Principle of our life” (p. 21, author’s italics). The Self is represented in
Figure 1 as a star, and appears as 6 at the top of the diagram. In relationship with the
Self is the “I” (5) which is the “inner still point that we experience as truly oursel ves”
(Hardy, 1987, p. 28). The Self and the “I” are ideally aligned as indicated by the dott ed
line connecting them in Figure 1 . One can think of the “I” as a pale reflection of the
full potential of the Self, and the connection between them is referred to as the I
–Self.
Both the Self and the “ I” have two central functions: consciousness and will. From a
psychosynthesis point of view, our life’s journey is to seek, reconnect, and synthesize
the consciousness and will of the Self with the consciousness and will of the “I”–in
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other words, to synthesize the transpersonal with the personal. What distinguishes
psychosynthesis from most other psychologies is the understanding that the Self relates
to the higher qualities within human beings that allow them to foster their I–Self
connection and grow towards their authentic personality. One’s authentic personality is
an “expression of the natural, authentic sense of self, of who we truly are” which is
more than the sum of one’s social roles (Firman & Gila, 2002, p. 48).
Generally, we are only directly aware of thoughts, emotions, and sensations in an
undefined way, which are acted out in the roles we play according to the relationships
we have with other people and/or our surroundings. In psychosynthesis term s, these
roles are called subpersonalities (Assagioli, 2000). We all have multiple subpersonalities
that help us to function in the world, mostly without much reflection, such as mother,
executive, teacher, and friend. We also have subpersonalities that might be operating
without our conscious choice. Often these subpersonalities are polar in nature, acting
contrarily with antagonistic traits. For example, we might be carefree and spontaneous
in one situation and frozen in another. Subpersonalities have their weaknesses, bu t they
also have their strengths. Perhaps most essential is the concept that a higher quality lies
at the core of each subpersonality, no matter what its outer behavior might be. These
higher qualities, like truth, strength, and courage, are considered to be transpersonal,
Figure 1. Assagioli’s model of the structure of the psyche. (1) Lower unconscious. (2) Middle
unconscious. (3) Higher unconscious or superconscious. (4) Field of consciousness. (5) Conscious
self or “I.” (6) Self. (7) Collective unconscious (Assagioli, 2000, p. 15)
Note: Dotted lines indicate permeable boundaries.
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universal, and timeless. However, often these qualities which exist in the Self can be
degraded or distorted when expressed through a subpersonality. For example, at the
core of a hyperactive subpersonality might be the higher quality of energy. The chal-
lenge of psychosynthesis is not to repres s or eliminate any subpersonality’s behavior,
but rather to recover its higher quality and express that gift in a more positive and
holistic way. Psychosynthesis is about synthesizing all these subpersonalities into a uni-
fying center of authenticity where the “I” becomes the director and observer of all sub-
personalities, enabling them to function in a harmonious and balanced way. One
technique for reaching synthesis is the subpersonality integration process, also referred
to as the subper sonality model, which includes the following stages: recognition, accep-
tance, coordination, integration, and finally synthesis of one’s numerous subpersonalities
(Assagioli, 2000; Carter-Harr, 1975; Evans, 2003a; Ferrucci, 1982; Lombard, 2012; Var-
giu, 1974). A full explanation of this model is described under “Techniques” in the
“Research method” section.
In addition to integrating subpersonalities, fundamental to psychosynthesis counsel-
ing is the self-identification exercise, also referred to as the dis-identification exercise or
the body–feeling–mind meditation. The goal of the self-identification exercise is to sys-
tematically connect and bring awareness and affirmation to the physical, emotional, and
mental aspects of the personality, and then guide the client to dis-identify from each
aspect and connect to the “I,” the source of pure consciousness and will. The guiding
psychological principle of this exercise is: “We are dominated by everything with which
our self becomes identified. We can dominate and control everything from which we
dis-identify ourselves” (As sagioli, 2000, p. 98). For examp le, after acknowledging that
we have a body, dis-identification occurs when we further understand that we are not
our body, but, in fact, much more than this single component of ourselves. Even though
we may derive our greatest sense of personal identity from, for example, our body (or
parts of our body), specific feelings, and/or transitory thoughts and attitudes, in fact,
that viewpoint is limited in scope and impossible to maintain given that life is transitory
in nature. Physical sensations, our emotions, and thoughts are continually renewing and
changing while we remain at our core “I” the same. By learning to dis-identify from
these aspects of body, feelings, and mind, we can then begin to domina te, discipline,
and deliberately use them by way of our authentic personality – the simple, unchanging,
and self-conscious “I.”
Other psychos ynthesis counseling techniques include guided visualization, daily
self-reflection, role-playing, drawing, and dream work. While psychosynthesis counsel-
ing sessions might look similar to other forms of counseling such as psychodynamic,
person-centered, or gestalt, the unique aspect of psychosynthesis is the idea that there is
a Self and all counseling is ultimately trying to achieve the recovery of the Self
(Whitmore, 2004). In addition, psychosynthesis counseling explores issues beyond the
behavior patterns and symptoms of the client’s presenting issue. Such exploration
includes examining the situations that trigger the problem, the interpersonal relation-
ships involved, the physical sensations and emotions evoked, the attitudes and beliefs
stimulated, and the values which may be hidden and implicit. Problems and obstacles
are seen not as pathological states to be eliminated but rather as creative opportunities
that “at their deepest level are inherently meaningful, evolutionary, coherent, and
potentially transformative” (Whitmore, 2004, p. 11).
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The aim of this study
Whether by chance, circumstance, or an unconscious or conscious act of will, all inter-
national students choose to leave what they outwardly think of as home to reinvent
their lives on foreign soil. Giddens (1991) argues that away from the routines and ritu-
als associated with home, individuals come face-to-face with disturbing existential ques-
tions and the threat of personal meaninglessness. Stripped of their familiar identity and
way of life, student sojourners are often forced to face inner struggles that have previ-
ously remained buried. Feelings of loneliness and emptiness can emerge, questions
about past relationships or work choices are raised, and even deeper, childhood traumas
can suddenly appear in need of attentio n and healing. Psychosynthesis concepts and
techniques have the potential to provide a comprehensive and integrative approach to
managing the inner and outer struggles experienced by foreigners living in a host coun-
try. The aim of this study was to ascertain if the two psychosynthesis techniques of the
self-identification exercise and subpersonality model might help international students in
the Netherlands to intervene and manage the ABCs of culture shock.
Research method
The source of data is psychosynthesis counseling work conducted in the Netherlands
from October 2008 to August 2013. The data gather ed and analyzed in this study are
qualitative. While quantitative methods are beneficial in determining outcome research,
qualitative methods are particularly suited to counseling psychology research for a num-
ber of reasons, including the relevance of qualitative approaches to multicultural coun-
seling and psychology, and the advantages of methodological diversification and
expansion to psychology (Morrow, 2007). Since psychosynthesis counseling emphasizes
open-ended questions by the counselor when exploring clients’ issues, it is particular
suited to the collection of detailed, information-rich narrative data through in-depth
active interviews (Holstein & Gubrium, 1995). Open-ended questions permitted the stu-
dents the freedom to not respond and, at the same time, enabled the counselor to probe
beyond their answers (see also Berg, 1995).
Participants
Nine international student sojourners voluntarily sought counseling, with nationalities
from the following countries: Austria, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Italy, Portugal,
and South Africa. One Dutch student was also included in this study as he related inci-
dents regarding time spent in South Korea during his master’s studies. Sojourners are
defined as people who:
… live voluntarily in a country for a longer period of time, with a specific and goal-ori-
ented purpose, such as business or education, and are usually inclined to adjust to local
cultural norms. (Gudykunst, 1998)
Although there are no fixed criteria for how long a sojourner might stay in the host
country, six months to five years are commonly cited parameters (Ward et al., 2001).
Of the student psychosynthesis clients included in this study, two were male and
eight female, and they ranged in age from 25 to 36 years old. Three were married and
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the rest single. None had children. Except for the Dutch client, all student sojourners
coming for psychosynthesis counseling had already lived for at least two years in the
Netherlands. Except for tw o, all were mid-way through their doctorate degree. The two
exceptions were a postdoctoral researcher and the spouse of a PhD student (she had,
however, also recently completed her master’s degree at a Dutch university). Clients’
fields of research included philosophy, tissue engineering, nano-biology, physiochemist-
ry, computer science, geoscience, and technology and sustainable development.
Data collection and analysis
Clients met the counselor 10–55 times, two-to-four times per month, with each session
lasting one hour. In total, more than 270 h of counseling work occurred. Sessions were
conducted in English as it was the shared language between the clients and counselor.
In addition, clients were invited to self-reflect and write about any critical issues they
faced or emotions they felt between sessions and to email their observ ations for further
exploration during the next session. While the subject for self-reflection remained open
at all times, the client would sometimes be directed to reflect and write on a specific
topic pertaining to the current work and email that reflection before the next session. Of
the nine international students, seven emailed reflections during the course of their
meetings. The frequency of emails varied, with some clients only writing twice or thrice
in total, and others two-to-five times per week at the start of their sessi ons to once a
month. The length of the emails varied from 100 to more than 4300 words. In addition,
for six of the clients, all meetings were recorded. All students were assured of confiden-
tiality and anonymity and permission from all students to quote them in this article has
been obtained.
Data collected and analyzed from the counseling sessions included emailed reflections,
drawings created by all clients during the sessions, verbal testimonies of the participants
who were record ed, and the resear cher’sreflections carefully written and compiled imme-
diately after a non-recorded session. Work on the data was an evolutionary process that
included written observations, reflections, and detailed notes of all meet ings immediately
after each session. A core feature of this proces s was the noting of the following subper-
sonality features: subpersonality name, general description, physical description, wants,
needs, higher qualities, and historical context. The researcher also tracked over time what
triggered the subpersonality and the behavioral response to the trigger. During the integra-
tion stage of the subpersonality process, data was collected on the interaction between sub-
personalities, and polar subpersonalities were identified. Emails were also careful ly read
to include data that could broaden the understanding of each subpersonality and their par-
ticular features, triggers and responses, as well as relationships with other subpersonalities.
Similarly, students’ drawings were reviewed in order to deepen the overall understanding
of the subpersonality and its relationship to others.
To assess the effectiveness of the self-identification exercise, clients’ reactions
immediately afterwards were collected by always asking the open-ended question,
“How was that mediation for you?” Students also played a centr al role in the process
of data analysis in order to check for counter-indications of the emerging theses (Yin,
2003). At the end of the sixth session, the counselor and student held an evaluation of
how the psychosynthesis process was working for the student, what techniques he or
she found particularly useful, and whether to continue the meetings. During this
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evaluation, both the subpersonality model and self-identification exercise were assessed
and noted by the researcher. Similarly, students’ emails that discussed these two tech-
niques were also identified and noted by the researcher. Besides the six-week review,
all clients held a self-evaluation with the counselor during their last session, and long-
term clients self-evaluated their meetings every 6 to 9 months. Prior to these evaluation
meetings, students were asked to reflect on the turning points of their inner process and
what techniques they found particularly useful. Turning points were considered changes
in behavior or attitud e that led to the resolution of any presenting issues. Then, during
the evaluation session, first the students presented what they believed each turning point
to be, followed by the counselor’s perceptions of the turning points. One-by-one, each
turning point was discussed and analyzed by both the student and counselor and a
consensus was reached. After such a session, the researcher carefully noted the agreed
upon turning points. In this way, the students were able to correct, reshape, or contextu-
alize the counselor’s perceptions as they deemed appropriate, and their reflections and
adjustments were integrated into the final data collection and analysis. For those clients
whose sessions were recorded, tapes were listened to by the researcher and reviewed
when they contained the following: introduction of a subpersonality, integration
processes between subpersonalities, and turning points agreed upon by the client and
counselor. Consequently, the narrative of each client was carefully held, reflected upon,
observed, and analyzed with the aim of garnering themes or patterns in each student’s
psychological process. While half of the client work was supervised by the Institute of
Psychosynthesis, London, affiliated with Middlesex University, London, the
interpretations are the researcher’s alone.
Techniques
Self-identification exercise
During initial sessions, students were led through the self-identification exercise. Unlike
other meditation techniques such as mindfulness, the self-identification exercise is
grounded in the theory of psychosynthesis and has the specific purpose of helping the
individual become more of an observer and director of all the personality’s aspects and
activities. The self-identification exercise was easily executed by clients on their own,
and to help them to do so, all the students were provided with a recording of the medi-
tation. The text of this distributed meditation was essentially the same as what appears
in the illustration below. During subsequent sessions, the counselor would encourage
daily practice of the exercise by asking about the students’ progress and discussing pos-
sible solutions to any obstacles that might be hindering them .
For a better understanding of how the self-identificati on exercise is executed, a brief
illustration (assuming the client is male) follows. For a full explanation, please refer to
Assagioli’s description (2002, pp. 211–217). The exercise, which can last from 10 to
20 min, is first introduced to the client, who is then asked for his willing participation.
Once the client has agreed, he is then told to sit comfortably in his chair, close his eyes,
and take three deep breaths. The client is told that he can open his eyes or stop the
exercise at any time. He is then asked to feel his feet on the floor. The counselor then
asks the client to slowly and systematically move his awareness from his feet up
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through his body and back down into his feet. This part of the exercise can take about
7 to 10 min. The client is then asked to say to himself:
I have a body, but I am not my body. I treat it well, I seek to keep it in good health, but it
is not myself. I have a body, but I am not my body.
After approximately two minutes of silence, the client is then asked to turn his attention
away from his body towards his feelings. He is asked to allo w his feelings to simply
be, without judging or fixating on them. After a few minutes, the client is then asked to
say to himself:
I have emotions, but I am not my emotions. They may swing from love to hatred, from
calm to anger, from joy to sorrow, but yet my essence, my true nature does not change. I
have emotions, but I am not my emotions.
After approximately two minutes of silence, the client is then asked to turn his attention
away from his feelin gs towards his thoughts. He is asked to allow the thoughts to sim-
ply flow through him “as water flows over and around a rock in a stream,” without
judging, fixating, or following them. After a few minutes, the client is then asked to
say to himself:
I have a mind, but I am not my mind. It is an organ of knowledge to both the outer and
the inner worlds, but it is not myself. I have a mind, but I am not my mind.
After approximately two minutes of silence, the client is then asked to say to himself,
“I am pure consciousness and will,” which is followed by a few more minutes of
silence. The client is then asked to “take three deep breaths and slowly bring his aware-
ness back into the room.” Once the client’s eyes are open and eye contact is made, the
counselor can then ask the client if he would like to explore verbally, in writing, or
through artwork any images, impressions, feelings, or thoughts that arose during the
exercise.
Subpersonality model
As previously stated, the subpersonality integration process includes the following
stages: recognition, acceptance, coordination, integration, and synthesis. Students
initially recognized their subpersonalities by assessing, alongside the counselor, what
subpersonalities might be playing a dominant role in their presenting issue(s). These
subpersonalities were revealed through the different roles students played in different
situations with different people. In the context of culture shock, the first roles defined
were those that were not successfully working in the foreign country, causing the stu-
dent stress and anxiety. For example, one student identified a Mr Freeze subpersonality
who wanted to connect to others but needed space and time to feel safe before doing
so. This subpersonality was, for obvious reasons, particularly challenged in a foreign
country. Another client strongly identified herself with a subpersonality called Stella who
wanted no problems and needed perfection, control, and certainty. This subpersonality
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was similarly challenged by the uncertainty and ambiguities as a consequence of living
abroad.
Once the subpersonality was recognized, the next step was to give it a name – The
Rebel, The Joker, Princess, Perfect Student, etc. Humor was used during this stage to
facilitate dis-identification and allow the student to more playfully engage in relation-
ship with that subpersonality. Once naming the subpersonality, the student then created
its character sketch. An important question for international students was: What is the
world view of this subpersonality? Once the subpersonality was identified, named, and
described in detail, the student then made a drawing of it and was asked to further write
about it in a personal journal.
After recognition, the next step for the student was to accept his or her subpersonal-
ity. The stude nt was asked to observe what triggered each subpersonalities’ appearance
and to simply watch and allow that subpersonality to exist. This exercise of skillful will
helped to strengthen the observer “I.” Alongside acceptance was the complementary
stage of coordination, which has the basic purpose of identifying and becoming more
conscious of the subpersonality’s wants and needs in order to find acceptable ways in
which the needs can be fulfilled. Therefore, alongside learning to accept the subper son-
ality, students were asked to identify the wants and needs of each subpersonality and
how these needs were typically fulfilled. Throughout the course of the sessions, students
were then asked to contemplate and creatively imagine how they might fulfill their sub-
personalities’ needs in new, objective, and creative ways in order to transform inner
conflicts. One technique used to initialize this discussion and playfully search for new
solutions was to ask the student, “If you had a magic wand, what would you do?”
Examples of how clients more consciously addressed their subpersonality’s needs
included the student who identified a Mr Freeze subpersonality who wanted to connect
to others but needed space and time to feel safe. By accepting this subpersonality, the
student was able to consciously choose not to attend large social gatherings that
required quick and spontaneous connections and, consequently, triggered feelings of
being unsafe. Instead, the student chose to frequent smaller more intimate functions,
like student association evenings and even a dance class, where he could take his time
to connect to others. In addition, he began to invite friends to also attend different func-
tions with him in order to provide the social safety he felt he needed. Another example
is the subpersonality Stella who wanted no problems and needed perfection, control,
and certainty. By consciously choosing to practice acceptance more in her everyday life,
this student was able to offset Stella’s needs. In fact, accept ance was the need of Stel-
la’s polar subpersonality, The Dreamer, who was often dominated by Stella. Hence, by
consciously developing an attitude of acceptance, this student was able to simulta-
neously offset the needs of one subpersonality while fulfilling the needs of its polar
opposite and bring both more into balance in a new way.
In order to allow for further recognition of a subpersonality, the counselor expressed
when the student’s subpersonality seemed to surface during the sessions and how she
experienced it. Since the therapeutic relationship was inher ently multicultural, multina-
tional, and multilingual, it often mirrored the complex environment in which the stu-
dents found themselves. Therefore, the therapeutic alliance was highly regarded as an
ideal setting through which the c lient could practice having the subpersonality fulfill its
needs in a new and possibly more constructive way.
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For a deeper exploration, all students were asked if they were willing to investigate
their personal history to better understand the etiology of the subpersonality. Subperson-
alities develop based upon individual tendencies, inner gifts and talents, and the envi-
ronment in which an individual is born and raised. When a child is born, she looks
towards her mother
1
for her core survival needs, both physical and psychological. In
the ideal world, the child will be able to identify with “mother as a foundation for [his]
sense of self” (Holliday, 2007, p. 39.) By empathically mirroring the child and coming
into intense relationship, the mother not only gives the child a sense of being but also a
connection to another, which is an outer expression of the inner world for the child’s
own I–Self connection (Firman & Gila, 1997).
Most of us, however, do not have an ideal experience as a child. Miller (1987)
describes the greatest of wounds as “not having been loved just as one truly was as a
child” (p. 110). Miller further explains that each newborn child needs a secure setting,
family, and available mother, who is able to provide the child’s need for “respect, echo-
ing, understanding, sympathy, and mirroring” (p. 10). As this can never fully occur,
even by the most astute and conscious mother, some degree of wounding inevitably
takes place.
In order to survive, the child then makes a “promise” to behave falsely and become
inauthentic as prescribed by the projections of her caregivers. As Holliday (2007) states,
the promise made by the child to her caregivers, while it “ ensures early psychological
survival and belonging, is essentially Self-limiting” (p. 40). Thus, what Assagioli
describes as a subpersonality is formed to help the child survive in the outer world, and
at the same time express part of the child’s identity and protect a higher quality.
Through uncovering the childhood story behind each subpersonality, students could
begin to more clearly identify with the observer “I” and choose to act out the behav-
ioral pattern of the subpersonality or not. Note, however, that this step was not manda-
tory and depended entirely on the student’s own will, psychological maturity, and what
he or she considered desirable a nd helpful.
The final stages of the subpersonality process – integration and synthesis – are life-
time endeavors. While coordination deals with the development and understanding of
specific subpersonalities, integration is concerned with the relationship between subper-
sonalities as well as each one’s activity within the personality as a whole. Integration
typically takes place with pairs of opposite subpersonalities since their wants and needs
are usually in conflict, for example, the previously described subpersonalities of Stella
and The Dreamer. Synthesis involves the culmination of individual growth that allows
for balance and harm ony of the entire personality as a whole and is essentially interper-
sonal and transpersonal. As a result of synthesis, the life of the individual and his or
her interactions with others become “increasingly characterized by a sense of responsi-
bility, caring, co-oper ation, altruistic love and transpersonal objectives” (Vargiu, 1974,
p. 89). To initiate these final stages, students were first presented an opportunity for
their subpersonalities to interact. Numerous techniques were used to allow for such
interactions including: guided visualization, role play, imaginary meetings, conferences
between different subpersonalities, letter writing from the observer to the subpersonality
(and vice versa), and evening reviews. Throughout such interactions, students were
encouraged to strengthen their role as the observer and, consequently, to consciously
and more creatively fulfill any conflicting needs. In addition, the self-identification exer-
cise was used to identify with and then dis-identify from a subpersonality being
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explored. In this way, students could practice distancing themselves from the subperson-
ality and strengthen their “I,” the observer and director of all their subpersonalities. As
stated by Assagioli (2000), “Although it seems paradoxical, … the less we are identi-
fied with a particular role, the better we play it” (p. 67).
Students were ultimately guided to assess, appreci ate, and come into relationship
with the higher quality held by each of their subpersonalities. In the case of the
previously mentioned Mr Freeze subpersonality, his higher quality was a deep and
sincere commitment when in relationship. For the subpersonality Stella, the higher
quality was a drive towards personal growth, and for The Dreamer, creativity and
vulnerability. In order to work towards the ultima te stage of synthesis, once the
need of the subpersonality was met in a new creative way, students were asked to
reflect upon, practice, and observe their expression of the subpersonality’s higher
quality in the world. For example, once re flecting on the higher qualities of
Mr Freeze, the student was better able to acknowledge, appreciate, and enjoy his
deeper relationships with friends and family. And through the continual integration
of the polar subpersonalities Stell a and The Dreamer around the theme of
acceptance, the student was able to express her strong will to achieve personal
growth by spending a two-week retreat at a monas tery. At the same time, The
Dreamer’s higher qualities of artistic expression were allowed to emerge through the
pursuit of the student’s long-held desire to take artistic photographs.
Similarities and differences with other approaches
While similar integrative models exist, the subpersonality model is different in
various ways. For example, the subpersonality process constitutes various stages of
integration much like the assimilation model (Stiles et al., 1990). However, the
subpersonality model differs in that it is: (1) integral to and integrated in the
psychosynthesis therapeutic approach, (2) mirrored by the relationship between
the client and counselor, the client and others, and the client and Self, (3) ulti-
mately (although not necessarily) seeks to account for the etiology of the subperson-
ality, and (4) always seeks for the subpersonality’s higher qualities. Unlike the
Gestalt approach to assimilating experiences, the subpersonality model is not a
“destructive” process that involves the sometimes painful breaking down of old
gestalten in order to refor m and recreate new gestalten (Perls, Hefferline, & Good-
man, 1951). Instead the subpersonality model aims to constructively coordinate,
integrate, and synthesize the various subpersonalities through identification and sub-
sequent dis-identi fication from them. Through this distancing, clients can potentially
recover a subpersonal ity ’s higher quality, such as vulnerability or trust, and more
holistically and willfully express that gift, rather than unconsciously display it as a
disconnected fragment of themselves. For a deeper understanding of the subpersonal-
ity model, please refer to the psychosynthesis counseling literature (Assagioli, 2000;
Caddy & Platts, 1993; Crampton, 1970; Evans, 2003a, 2003b; Ferrucci, 1982;
Firman & Vargiu, 1974; Haronian, 1976; Ryan, 2011; Whit more, 2004).
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Results
This section shows how the psychosynthesis techniques of self-identification and the
subpersonality model were effective interventions for the ABC components of
culture shock. The results are presented through the case study of Maria
2
. Maria’s
narrative was chosen to demonstrate the findings because: (1) her process best repre-
sents the processes of the other student sojourners, (2) her inner and outer journey
best illustrates the psychosynthesis process, and (3) she was most able to articulate
her experience. The case study is also augmented with testimonies from other
clients.
Easing the affect component of culture shock with the self -identification exercise
Maria’s presenting issues were depression and feelings of being sad, lost, and unhappy.
In addition, Maria was having a difficult time relating to her Dutch PhD supervisor.
Midway through her PhD, she was considering returning home:
I just don’t identify with Dutch culture, its values, even its food. I’ve completed all the
Dutch language courses, but still can’t understand the morning news. After three years
here, I just feel done with it. Especially the weather.
The counselor’s initial task was to provide Maria a technique for managing and coping
with stress. During the first sessions, Maria was led through the self-identification exer-
cise. After six sessions, she sent the following email:
I feel stronger now with all the things I discovered about myself and also calmer and safer.
Other student testimonies about the self-identification exercise
While some students like Maria decided they needed a counselor to help deal with
depression along with communication problems with Dutch supervisors, others arrived
with various traumatic issu es that were compounded by their living away from home.
One student faced isolation after the dissolution of an intimate relationship, another
was trying to manage physical and medical challenges due to chronic vertigo, and
still another had been diagnosed with melanoma cancer. Before seeking counseling,
some students were soothing themselves with heavy alcohol consumption, binge eat-
ing, cigarette smoking, and physical exercise to the point of minor injury. Powerless-
ness and vulnerability, loss of self-esteem, depression, and the feelin g of being lost
were commonly expressed by all the clients during the initial stages of counseling.
These feelings were particularly magnified by their physical distance from family and
friends.
Loneliness is the worst thing. And I’m not really like that. I was never like that. It’s like I
am a failure in this town. (Brazilian student)
I feel lost and alone. I feel like I’m drowning. Nothing makes any sense anymore. I don’t
want to be here. I want to be home. I feel like I don’t know what I’m doing anymore.
(Canadian student)
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Like Maria, immediately after the self-identification exercise, all students stated that
they felt calmer and less anxious. Their testimonies below demonstrate how, after the
initial six sessions, they were progressing towards learning how to cope and manage
stress.
I’m much better now. One thing I’ ve noticed about my feelings: It feels and seems I was
living all this time a big lie. As Eddie Vedder from Pearl Jam sings: “Saw things clearer
once you were in my rearview-mirror.” Overall, I feel good about it. I’m also reading more
about how to cope, keeping myself busy, and taking more care of myself. (Brazilian
student)
As I’m crying and laughing, I feel good. And I’ve been thinking about the idea of being
happy and how I didn’t think it was possible for me to be happy here in the Netherlands.
I’ve been thinking about what it means to be happy for me. So I’m trying to make that
happiness come from within me. And I feel like I’m getting a lot of strength from that.
(Canadian student)
I feel more calm. I feel like I have more inner power and integrity. I can more clearly see
the reality of my family relationships and accept them. I am also more able to express my
feelings. (Chinese student)
Subpersonalities and the cognitive component of culture shock
Once students started to feel less disorientated, more supported, and, hence, more
grounded in their reality, they could then move towards the more challenging
work of reconstructing their personal identities into a newer and more authentic
way of being through the subpersonality process. Results showed that the more
strongly a student was identified with a subpersonality, the longer the subpersonali-
ty had been functioning in the world and the more firmly established its pattern
of behavior. The fact of living in a foreign country appeared to be the “ shock”
that such subpersonalities needed to become dislodged and less dominant in a stu-
dent’s life.
Students’ subpersonal ities tended to be polar in nature with conflicting wants. For
example, one student recognized the Colonel, who knew how to fiercely set bound-
aries, and the Yeah-Sure Guy, who said “yes” to everyone ’s needs but his own. While
the Colonel wanted control, the Yeah-Sure-Guy wanted a good time. Another example
of conflicting polar subpersonalities included Proud Princess who wanted to be supe-
rior and Sweet Innocent Girl who wanted to be liked. The needs of all the subperson-
alities, however, were more universal desires like love, safety, self-worth, or a deeper
connection to others. Although challenging at times, all students were willing to more
deeply explore their childhood histories in order to uncover the etiology of their
subpersonalities.
Rebuilding a student sojourner’s identity
During her second session, Maria identified two conflicting, polar subpersonalities: Miss
Victorious and Miss Silent (Figure 2). Miss Victorious wanted to control all situations
and to be the best. She needed recognition and could operate in the rational world with
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great success. Miss Silent was sensitive, deeply emotional, and more creative. She
wanted acceptance for who she was and needed safety, space, and time alone.
Miss Victorious, the more dominant subpersonality, was the one who propelled
Maria through her scientific studies and managed her success in the outer world. But,
by constantly wanting control, Miss Victorious left little space for Miss Silent. Part of
Maria’s unconscious reason for entering counseling was to give Miss Silent the space
she was inwardly demanding. The reason Maria initially felt depressed, sad, lost, and
unhappy was her not recognizing and accepting the needs of Miss Silent, compounded
by the limitations of always operating as Miss Victorious.
Maria agreed to more closely explore the origin of these two subpersonalities and
found that b oth had developed very early. Maria is the first born of three daughters to
parents who, while attentive caregivers, also carried psychological wounds from their
own childhood. As a young woman, Maria’s mother attended university but did not
finish her studies. As a result, Maria’s mother emotional ly related to Maria almost
entirely around her education. In addition, when Maria was born, her father explicitly
expressed disappointment that she was not a son. Parental love and acceptance, there-
fore, depended upon, for the most part, high academic achievement. Maria is gifted
intellectually and strong willed, so she was able to excel in school. However, her deeper
emotional life and sensitivity was forced underground as Miss Silent. Here, we clear ly
Figure 2. Miss Victorious and Miss Silent. (Drawing by client).
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see the promise that the infant Maria made to her parents: “I will be victorious in all
that I do” and the promise made to herself: “I will hide the more emotional, sensitive
side of myself from the world.” When Maria made these promises in order to survive
in her familial environment, she broke her connection with the Self – which is a synth e-
sis of the higher qualities of the two subpersonalities (amongst others).
The higher qualities that each of the subpersonalities held were also explored. The
higher qualities carried by Miss Victorious were trustworthiness, dependability, will,
initiative, and persistence. And the higher qualities of Miss Silent were creativity,
intuition, and wisdom. Living away from her home and country, facing scholastic chal-
lenges and difficult relationship issues with her supervisor only augmented and mirrored
Maria’s disconnection from Self. Through recognizing, accepting, and dis-identifying
from her Miss Victorious and Mis s Silent subpersonalities, Maria was eventually able
to reconnect with each subpersonality’s higher qualities. This process of integration was
aided by a visualization in which the two subpersonalities dialoged with each other
alongside Maria as an observer. During the dialog, both Miss Victorious and Miss
Silent expressed their unique needs and b y the end of the visualiza tion, Miss Victorious
had become more humble and vulnerable and Miss Silent more assertive. Afterwards,
Maria drew the two subpersonalities in reconciliation, kneeling before each other,
holding hands, and smiling (Figure 3).
Reflecting on her drawing, Maria said:
Miss Silent has hope now. She trusts Miss Victorious. Miss Victorious has to create space
for Miss Silent. She has to be silent also. Patient. Not so anxious about things. They go
good together. They should do this more often!
Figure 3. Reconciliation leading to synthesis of Miss Victorious and Miss Silent. (Drawing by
client).
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The counseling work continued around balancing, coordinating, and integrating these
two subpersonalities as well as other challenges during the year including the pain and
sadness around Maria’s “childhood promise” to herself and her parents. One example of
Maria’s continual integration of her subpersonalities occurred when she created a space
in her home called her “temple” where she started to paint and meditate. Through this
new endeavor, her subpersonality Miss Silent was allowed to fulfill her needs of safety,
space, and time alone in a new way, and hence integrate more fully with Miss Victori-
ous. This new approach also enabled Miss Silent’s higher quality of creativity to be
expressed in a more conscious and harmonious way.
Other student testimonies as to the benefits of subpersonality work
Maria is one example of how student sojourners easily adapted and worked with the
subpersonality model. Figure 4 illustrates another example of how one student recog-
nized and accepted her various subpersonalities which she had identified and explored
in earlier sessions. As this client sketched her subpersonalities on a single sheet of
paper, she was smiling and playful. The last thing she drew was the “ME” which is
standing outside and acting as both observer and director, the authentic self or “I.”
Afterwards she said:
They’re here and they’re me. And I’m them. It was funny to draw them. Some are so ridic-
ulous! I’m smiling because I think I accept them now. I know that I still suffer them, but I
am always able to see what triggers them and what belongs to them and what belongs to
Figure 4. Coordinating and integrating subpersonalities. (Drawing by client).
Note: All the subpersonalities appear in the drawing as the same size. This corresponds with the
student’s statement: “They aren’t so big anymore in my life.”
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me. I’m less angry and I feel like I have more control. They aren’t so big anymore in my
life. Just recognizing this makes me feel much better.
In fact, all but one of the clients in this study readily grasped the concept of subper-
sonalities and quickly incorporated and applied various techniques to help them recog-
nize, accept, coordinate, and integrate their subpersonalities in their daily life. As they
began to establish a relationship with their different subpersonalities, all student
sojourners found that they were more able to meet ongoing challenges, remained calmer
in uncertain situations, felt freer to make decisions, and more positively related to oth-
ers. Below are some of their testimonies:
The ongoing therapy is very helpful to my personal growth. I recognized my different sub-
personalities, spent some time to “talk” to each one of them, and initiated cross-talk
between them. By doing so, I understood myself better, and my interpersonal relationship
with other people. I understood where the attraction and conflicts stem from. I can also
control myself better in social situations by selecting the proper subpersonality and “talk”
the undesired subpersonality into temporal retirement. Clear recognition of my subpersonal-
ities also helped me understand relationships within my family. (Chinese postdoc)
Our meetings have equipped me with the tools, like my subpersonalities, to continue to
deal with the (what feels like) never ending challenges that life presents me with: the stress
of completing a PhD, the stress of finding new work, the stress of dealing with familial
and other intimate relationships. (Canadian student)
By recognizing and working with my subpersonalities, I was able to not be stuck and to
make clearer decisions. Coming into relationship with my subpersonalities and working
with them, frees up space in my mind and gives me more time for my PhD and to even
enjoy it more. (Dutch student)
Changing behavior and releasing creative energy
As Maria was more able to objectively recognize her subpersonalities, she could better
direct them from a stronger center of her personal “I,” choosing what role was most
appropriate in any given situation. Consequently, her behavior changed as evidenced by
her new ability to engage in relationship with others and even the pursuit of her PhD.
By the time she finished her meetings, Maria had come into a working relationship with
her supervisor, successfully finished her Ph D, married, was better able to relate to her
parents, and was offered a postdoctoral position within the university. Ultimately, by
working through the subpersonality process, Maria, as well as the other students, were
able to reconcile polarities that they faced in the outer world. As they identified and
then dis-identified from the roles that they played during the day, they were more pres-
ent and able to choose the most appropriate role at the most appropriate time, even in
an unfamiliar cultural landscape. Consequently, all students wer e able to engage with
others more effectively, assess and express their own needs and wants, and execute
clearer decisions.
In addition to positive behavioral change and personal growth, students’ stymied
energies moved towards their full human potential. Maslow (1970) has also noted that
“creativity … seemed to be an epiphenomenon of … greater wholeness and integration”
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(p. 141). He writes that “ the extent that creativeness is constructive, synthesizing, unify-
ing, and integrative, … depends in part on the inner integration of the person” (p. 140).
Maria was no exception, as shown in her following reflection:
I feel like I was on hold for the past year. Waiting. Like my life was on hold. Not knowing
for what. Just having faith. I was busy, but I was questioning why I was doing the PhD.
And it felt like there was no clear path. Also in my personal life. Then things started to
develop when I started to look for clarity. Things started to unblock. The data came, my
personal life improved.
It’s incredible how much energy is consumed by doubts and feelings of sadness. How
much energy is consumed by being someone else. I want to be seen for who I am, not just
for who I’m expected to be. Now, I have more creative energy. It’s more “green ” to be
myself! I see the post-doc that I want. And I have the energy to grab it. And it feels excit-
ing and so much better.
Examples of other students’ release of blocked creative energy include one student
who had started psychos ynthesis counseling after being placed on probation due to
serious academic trouble. After finishing her meetings, she had become one of the
department’s high-flyers, organized an international conference, completed her PhD
early, and was granted a postdoctoral position. Another student came to counseling
depressed, lonely, and fearful of the town and his local environment. After 15 ses-
sions, he was making new friends, had been elected president of a student
association, and received two international a wards for his presentations and papers.
He said:
My work is going so well. I am producing so much more than last year, and I have more
concentration and energy. (Brazilian student)
Discussion
This study illustrates how two psychosynthesis techniques were applied to intervene,
relieve, and transform the effects of the ABC components of culture shock experienced
by student sojourners in the Netherlands. Students sought psychosynthesis counseling
as a result of the stress and anxiety triggered by their living in a foreign environment.
Through these stressful situations, their personal identity was challenged and forced to
develop and transform. With a new, more authentic identity, the students were then able
to direct their behavi or and successfully meet the challenges presented by the ABC
aspects of culture shock.
At the beginning of their counseling sessions, students were introduced to the
psychosynthesis self-identification exercise. This meditation exercise helped students to
identify and then dis-identify from their bo dy sensations, feelings, and thoughts which
were provoking their anxiety. By the end of six sessions, all students were better able
to manage stress. During subsequent sessions, the psychosynthesis subpersonality model
then allowed the students to explore their conflicted identity. By recogni zing and
becoming aware of the different roles the subpersonalities played, their individual
and contrasting wants and needs, and their origin, students learned how to coordinate
and integrate their subpersonalities into a new way of being. As observers of their
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diverse subpersonal ities, students learned how to direct and regulate their subpersonali-
ties and express their most appropr iate needs and goals. Through such practice, each
student’s new and more authentic identity was visibly expressed and hence the student’s
behavior changed. With the aid of psychosyn thesis techniques, the stude nt sojourners in
this study learned how to cope with stress, accepted and worked with subpersonalities
in more effective ways, came closer to healing childhood psychological wounds, and
developed deeper relationships with themselves. As a result, all were able to make
clearer decisions, become more creative, and successfully engage with others at home
and in the host country.
The findings in this research correspond to a major theme reported by Brown
(2009). She asserts that international stude nts who participated in an intensive one-year
master’s progra m reported a discovery of a new self that influenced both personal and
professional relationships and hence impacted on their everyday life. Wheth er the deci-
sion to move overseas was consciously executed to achieve personal growth, all stu-
dents in this study eventually longed to find meaning in the experience. Similarly,
Brown (2009) concluded that all student sojourners ’ in her study “underwent fundamen-
tal personal change [as] sojourners are faced with the … existential question about what
constitutes the self ” (p. 518). Psychosynthesis techniques, such as the self-identification
exercise and subper sonality model, can aid student sojourners to no t only manage the
ABCs of culture shock, but also to more easily and effectively discover new values,
identities, and behaviors as well as express them into life-enhancing and positive
change both abroad and at home.
Limitations
One limitation to this study is that the findings rest on the presumption that changes
seen in the clients’ ability to manage and intervene the ABCs of culture shock are the
direct effect of two psychosynthesis techniques. In addition, this small client sample
with its limited representation makes it difficult to move towards any general conclu-
sions. Similarly, the number of sessions (10–55) varied widely for each client, which
might have influenced the subpersonality integration and psychosynthesis process.
Finally, these interpretations warrant a second researcher’s analysis to ensure the rigor
and validity of the findings. However, the qualitative methodology as a psychosynthesis
counselor did allow for intimate conversations over many months which provided depth
and breadth to these findings and analysis.
Implications
This research indi cates that the psychosynthesis self-identification exercise and subper-
sonality model might provide an effective intervention for the ABCs of culture shock
for international students. As such, these tools could be offered as part of the larger
multicultural training program for both international students and university counselors
and staff. Establishing an acculturation program for student sojourners does not only
entail constructing a website that can instruct student sojourners on the academic
protocol, social conventions, and local services in their host country. As Brown and
Holloway (2008b) point out, we have a moral and educational duty to take international
students’ specific circumstances into account and provide them with long-term solutions.
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In their ethnographic study (2008a), they also conclude that, while it may be appropri-
ate at times for international students to focus on the acquisition of appropriate behavior
and skills, university counselors, and pastoral staff also need to better understand the
complexity of the adjustment process. With a more comprehensive perspective, support
personnel could then better consider each student’s individual needs and circumstances
when deciding how he or she might best be supported.
Psychosynthesis counseling and training focuses on such challenges by aiding
students’ with their individual needs, helping them to acquire appropriate behavior and
skills, and dealing with the complexity of the adjustment process through various tech-
niques and models. Psychosynthesis can also enable student sojourners to come closer
to their own personal consciousness and will and, consequently, more easily in touch
with their own wants, needs, emotions, intuitions, and imagination. Gradually, student
sojourners can become directors of their diverse subpersonalities and more freely and
consciously choose and execute their daily actions. This is the real goal of any accultur-
ation project – to learn how to maintain one’s identity, self-esteem, and psycholo gical
well-being while at the same time interacti ng in a constructive way within a society that
maintains a world view different from one’s own.
Future research
With only a handful of published papers on psychosynthesis methodology and tech-
niques, there remains no doubt that more research is needed. To better understand the
effectiveness of the self-identification exercise in helping student sojourners deal with
stress, more empirical data need to be collected. A small number of researchers have
attempted to develop standardized measures of adjustment strain on international stu-
dents (Crano & Crano, 1993; Pedersen, Neighbors, Larimer & Lee, 2011). One possible
project would involve comparing Sojourner Adjustment Measures before and after the
administration of the self-identification exercise to empirically determine how much and
for how long such a meditation might reduce anxiety and facilitate coping in the foreign
country.
Future research might also investigate the effectiveness of the subper sonality model
in rebuilding identity – not just for clients experiencing culture shock, but for anyone
suffering from identity conflict. Life narrative theory and methodology are approaches
that mig ht be aptly suited to explore sojourners’ experience of culture shock and accul-
turation through the subpersonality model (Kenyon, Bohlmeijer & Ran dall, 2011). Life
narrative theory compliments and augments psychosynthesis techniques which employ
daily self-reflection and the identification and dis-identification of body, feelings, mind,
and subpersonalities. Nevertheless, despite its potential, life narrative has rarely been
applied as a strategy for acculturation stress. Taloyan, Johansson, Saleh-Stattin, and
Al-Windi (2011) have approached migration stress among ten Kurdish men in Sweden
based on narrative methodology. Their findings showed that the narrative process
enabled participants to begin to re-story and reconstruct their lives and critically reflect
on the conditions that constrained their actions and created difficulties. Sears’ (2011)
study of young students in an international school has suggested that narrative serves to
integrate the multiple aspects of participants’ identities.
Finally, of particular interest in this study is the fact that all the international
students who sought psychosynthesis counseling were experiencing culture shock after
Counselling Psychology Quarterly 195
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living abroad for two or more years. Popadiuk and Arthur (2004) also state that
“cross-cultural transitions unfold over time, and student issues may fluctuate as new
demands are perceived and others are managed” (p. 131). These findings point to Ward
et al.’s(2001) assertion that the frequently cited U-curve of adjustment (i.e. the
honeymoon period, followed by crisis, recovery, and adjustment) during cross-cultural
adaptation may “offer a convenient, common sense heuristic … but not an altogether
accurate one” (p. 82). This study supports their call for further longitudinal research
into culture shock in order to produce a critical and credible mass of findings that
consistently support an alternative theory to the U-curve hypothesis.
Conclusion
The aim of this study was to ascertain if two psychosynthesis techniques – the
self-identification exercise and the subpersonality model – might help international
students in the Netherlands to inte rvene and manage the ABCs of culture shock. The
self-identification exercise allowed students to deal with the affect component of culture
shock, namely stress and anxiety. During subsequent sessions, students were then guided
to integrate their subpersonalities and hence manage identity conflicts (the cognitive
component of ABC). As students were able to feel calmer and grow in awareness with
regard to their subpersonalities, in psychosynthesis terms, each student began to synthe-
size into a more authentic personality. As a result of this personal synthesis, their behav-
ior (the second ABC component) changed and new creative energies were released.
Ultimately, this study illustrates the effective results of psychosynthesis and, in
particular, the self-identification exercise and subpersonality process when applied to
student sojourners and their experience of culture shock. Most international students
have particularly intense emotional experiences at the start of their studies as they must
adapt, not only to a new environment, but also to unfamiliar academic protocol and
procedures (Brown, 2009). But at the same time, these young students also have a pow-
erful opportunity for transformation, a chance to glimpse and grasp their full potential,
and search for deeper meaning in their lives (Anderson, 1994; Lombard, 2012). Those
who have accepted, integrated, and ultimately synthesized the challenges posed by
adapting to a foreign culture inevitably deepen and broaden their relationship with
themselves and, consequently, are more able to engage fruitfully with others who hold
different world views. Psychosynthesis concepts and techniques are not only potentially
effective and inclusive tools for adapting to a host country, but also viable methodolo-
gies for anyone searching to synthesize a new personal and social identity.
Acknowledgements
I would like to thank all participants in this study, and especially Maria, for sharing their life
stories, drawings, and perceptions. Also special thanks to Dr Barbara C.N. Müller for her
suggestions for improving this manuscript.
Notes
1. In this study, mother refers to anyone acting as the infant/child’s primary caretaker.
2. This client’s name is a pseudonym.
196 C.A. Lombard
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Notes on contributor
Catherine Ann Lombard is a psychosynthesis psychologist and counselor in private practice,
primarily working with expatriates living in the Netherlands. She is an independent scholar
currently working in collaboration with the University of Twente researching how psychosynth-
esis and narrative methodologies can help sojourners manage culture shock and transform their
experience into personal and spiritual growth. She is passionate about guiding international
students to their higher creative potential. She has published a dozen articles and conference
presentations in the psychosynthesis literature.
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