In the People’s Republic of China, telephone psychological counseling is a new phenomenon that appeared in the late 1980s, following a social transition toward a market economy. Such counseling by paraprofessionals often adopts a directive style in that the counselor gives direct advice pertaining to what the client should do on a particular issue. After a brief description of its features, this article examines factors of cultural traditions and transitions underlying the directive counseling and the interactive relationship between counseling and culture. Analysis is made regarding traditional and transitional values, social networks, and personality types. It is further argued that research and training in cross-cultural counseling should go beyond static cultural relativism and adopt an emic view of cultural change.
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