Jiyoung Shin-Hwang1, Kun Wang1
Mapping the Landscape of Group Psychotherapy Training in East Asia
Jiyoung Shin-Hwang1, Kun Wang1
1Department of Psychological & Quantitative Foundations, University of Iowa
Abstract
Across East Asia, the practice and training of group psychotherapy have evolved alongside rapid developments in mental health professions. As the demand for effective, culturally attuned mental health services grows, many Asian countries have begun integrating group psychotherapy into graduate education, professional credentialing systems, and continuing education initiatives. Despite the highly varied training format across these regions, they commonly reflected the culturally specific elements that ties to sociocultural values emphasizing harmony, hierarchy, and collectivism. This article broadly reviews the training programs, credentialling processes, and the development of group psychotherapy practice in China, South Korea and Japan, contextualizing within the social and geographical efforts toward professionalization. Moreover, we note a few key challenges and propose future directions for continuously advancing group psychotherapy training and practice in the East Asian. We are hoping to provide examples that may inform and support international collaboration and development of group psychology and group psychotherapy.
Keywords: Group Psychology and Psychotherapy, East Asia, Training
Mapping the Landscape of Group Psychotherapy Training in East Asia
Global Benchmark: The Certified Group Psychotherapist (CGP)
The CGP credential serves as an international benchmark for professional group therapist training. Administered by the International Board for Certification of Group Psychotherapists, it requires at least 15 hours of didactic coursework, 300 hours of group therapy experience, and 75 hours of supervision (AGPA, 2025). These requirements underscore an integrated model emphasizing academic foundation, experiential learning, and supervised practice, a structure that provides a useful reference point for understanding the early stages of training development in East Asian countries. However, cultural considerations, such as deference to authority and avoidance of interpersonal conflict, often require approaches that align with local relational norms rather mirroring Western group practice training models.
Group Psychotherapy Training in China
In China, group counseling education has expanded notably in the past decade, though it remains in a formative stage. Undergraduate Applied Psychology programs (e.g., Beijing Normal University, Zhejiang University) provide introductory coursework, while more structured professional training occurs at the Master of Applied Psychology (MAP) level (Lin et al., 2016; Xiong & Yu, 2025).
Institutional Leadership
A pivotal role is played by the Division of Group Counseling and Group Therapy (DGCGT) under the Chinese Association for Mental Health, established in 2011. DGCGT has initiated efforts to develop a national certification system but currently relies heavily on partnerships with international programs. The Irvin Yalom Group Training Program, active since 2008, has conducted over 100 intensive courses, cultivating 7 nationally certified group supervisors and 21 certified counselors and therapists (DGCGT, 2023).
Training Modalities
Chinese programs employ hybrid learning models combining theory, case supervision, and experiential practice (CASSGO, 2021). Workshops such as the Group Relations Conference focus on authority and leadership in groups, while the Group Supervisor Training Course, featuring online supervision by AGPA certified group psychotherapists, exemplifies international collaboration.
Challenges
Key challenges include the scarcity of qualified supervisors, uneven curriculum quality, and the need for culturally relevant pedagogy. Group therapy often requires recalibration for Chinese cultural and relational norms, including the prioritization of interpersonal harmony, emotional restraint, indirect communication styles, deference to authority and hierarchy, concern for saving face, and the collectivistic emphasis on group cohesion over individual self-disclosure (Jim & Pistrang, 2007; Zhang & Good, 2022)) (Zhang et al., 2005).
Trajectory
Despite these barriers, China’s development of group psychotherapy reflects a blended approach that integrates internationally influenced psychotherapy training with culturally localized practices adapted to Chinese relational and social norms (Huang & Kirsner, 2020; Zhang, 2014). International collaborations, including Sino-German and Sino-Norwegian psychotherapy training programs, contributed substantially to the introduction of structured supervision, experiential learning, and contemporary psychotherapy practices in China (Huang & Kirsner, 2020; Varvin & Gerlach, 2014). At the same time, ongoing challenges remain regarding nationally consistent credentialing standards, supervision quality, and workforce development within psychotherapy and counseling professions (Qian et al., 2009). Future priorities include strengthening national credentialing frameworks and increasing the number of qualified supervisors.
Group Psychotherapy Training in South Korea
South Korea presents a standardized and institutionally supported training system for psychotherapy and group counseling training, integrating both graduate education and professional association-based certification And the structured supervision requirements administered through organizations such as the Korean Counseling Psychological Association (KCPA) and the Korean Counseling Association (KCA) (Ju et al., 2016; Seo et al., 2007). Training pathways typically include coursework, supervised practicum experiences, and continuing professional development opportunities within graduate programs and professional organizations.
Graduate Level Training
Most counseling psychology and clinical psychology graduate programs include coursework on group counseling theory and methods. For example, graduate programs in counseling and counseling psychology offer a 3-credit combined theory and practice course, requiring students to participate as both members and facilitators under supervision.
Professional Credentialing
Across Korea’s major professional associations, group counseling experience and coursework are formally recognized as integral components of counselor qualification and training. The Korean Counseling Association (KCA)’s Training Implementation Rules explicitly require 100 hours of group counseling, including 50 hours as a group member and 40 hours as a (co)leader, as part of the supervised training curriculum (KCA, 2021). Similarly, the Korean Counseling Psychological Association (KCPA) stipulates that Level 1 Certified Counseling Psychologists must demonstrate competency in both individual and group counseling. Its regulations require that counseling experience be obtained under the supervision of a Level 1 primary training supervisor and that all experience be recognized only after formal membership. Candidates for Level 1 Certified Counseling Psychologists are required to lead two groups totaling 30 hours under the supervision of a certified supervisor and participate in at least two groups, each comprising a minimum of 15 hours (for a total of 30 hours) of group counseling practice (KCPA, 2020). In the Youth Counselor Certification system in South Korea, coursework and practice in group counseling are formally recognized as part of the qualification process. The national examination includes Foundations of Group Counseling as a required subject for the Level-3 Youth Counselor and an elective for the Level-2 credential, and applicants must complete at least 24 hours of group counseling practice as part of their field experience requirements (Korean Counseling & Guidance Association, 2024).
Similarly, the Korea Institute for Clinical Psychoanalysis (ICP), established in 2008, requires completion of a 36-credit psychoanalytic training curriculum, at least 80 hours of group participation, and 40 hours of group supervision as part of its group psychoanalytic training program, and 40 hours of as part of its group psychoanalytic certification.
Practice and Challenges
Group psychotherapy is actively practiced across psychiatric hospitals, university counseling centers, and private clinics. However, a shortage of certified group supervisors and heavy emphasis on exam, based certification limit experiential depth (Kim & Lee, 2022). Nonetheless, South Korea’s structure, emphasizing experiential verification and institutional accountability, reflects its cultural values of collective responsibility and hierarchical mentorship.
Group Psychotherapy Training in Japan
Japan offers one of the longest traditions of group based interventions in East Asia, dating back to Morita therapy groups developed in the early 20th century (Kitanishi & Mori, 1995). Morita therapy, which has roots in Japanese philosophical and Zen-influenced traditions, emphasizes arugamama, a concept referring to accepting emotions and reality as they naturally occur while continuing engagement in purposeful action (Kitanishi & Mori, 1995). Although Japan has a longstanding history of group-oriented therapeutic approaches, formalized training systems in contemporary group psychotherapy remain comparatively fragmented across institutions and professional organizations.
Organizational Foundations
The Japanese Association of Group Psychotherapy (JAGP), founded in 1983, operates as an academic society bridging psychiatry, psychosomatic medicine, and psychology. While Japan lacks a standardized certification system, the JAGP’s Education and Training Committee organizes annual seminars during its national conferences. These include “Trial Group Courses,” “Case Study Courses,” and public “Introductory Courses” designed to broaden access to group work education.
Training Patterns
Training pathways in Japan often emerge from psychiatry or general clinical psychology programs, supplemented by ad hoc workshops. Supervision practices vary, and most clinical institutions prioritize individual psychotherapy, leaving group psychotherapy as a secondary modality (Ogawa et al., 2020).
Cultural Context
.Japanese psychotherapy traditions have historically emphasized empathy, modesty, emotional restraint, and sensitivity to interpersonal harmony, reflecting broader relational and cultural values embedded within approaches such as Morita therapy (Nakamura et al., 2023; Sugg et al., 2020). Morita therapy conceptualizes emotional experiences as natural phenomena and emphasizes acceptance and purposeful action rather than direct emotional control or confrontation (Nakamura et al., 2023). These relational and communication norms may differ from the more direct emotional expression often encouraged in Western group psychotherapy approaches. At the same time, such values may foster reflective practice, attentiveness to group dynamics, and sensitivity to interpersonal nuances, qualities that can support culturally responsive and inclusive group facilitation (Sugg et al., 2020).
Challenges and Emerging Innovations
1. Lack of Trainers and Supervisors
A major limitation across Asian countries is the shortage of certified supervisors capable of offering live feedback and experiential mentoring.
2. Curriculum Misalignment
Many graduate programs remain individual, therapy oriented, with group therapy offered as a short elective or theoretical module.
3. Cultural Stigma and Face Concerns
In several contexts, social stigma about emotional disclosure and “loss of face” deters participation in group settings, constraining training opportunities with real client populations (Zane & Yeh, 2002).
4. Limited Empirical Evidence
Most group psychotherapy training models are adapted from Western manuals. Few studies have examined their cultural applicability or training effectiveness within Asian contexts (Liu et al., 2020).
Regional and International Collaborations
Encouragingly, international collaborations have fostered innovation:
International Association for Group Psychotherapy and Group Processes (IAGP) has organized workshops and congresses across Asia, including the 2025 IAGP Congress in Sapporo, Japan, to facilitate cross-cultural dialogue, professional collaboration, experiential training, and international exchange among group psychotherapists and trainees. advancing supervisor training and networking
- The Sacramento Center for Psychotherapy and other institutions have conducted multi-countries group training programs in China, Singapore, Indonesia, and Japan, contributing to the expansion of group psychotherapy training opportunities across the region. .
- Technological advances have enabled online process groups and virtual supervision, connecting Asian trainees with international mentors, particularly following the COVID-19 (Ting et al., 2022).
Future Directions
To strengthen group psychotherapy training in East Asia:
1. Establishing national standards: Development of national certification and supervision guidelines is critical for consistency.
2. Expanding supervisor training: Universities and associations should prioritize “training the trainers.”
3. Promoting culturally responsive pedagogy: Training must integrate local communication styles, collectivist norms, and culturally specific group metaphors.
4. Increasing research and evaluation: Empirical validation of culturally adapted group models will enhance credibility and dissemination.
Conclusion
Group Psychotherapy training in East Asia is developing through strong associational initiatives aimed at building sustainable training infrastructures. While some countries have established clearer structures than others, these collective efforts lay an important foundation for advancing group psychotherapy across the region. Empirically based group psychotherapy and related research remained limited in these countries, though this challenge is shared globally. We hope to see continued growth in training and research focused on culturally informed group psychotherapy that contributes to the broader international development of group psychology and group psychotherapy.
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