In July 2022, Wang Xinmiao, using the online name "Donni", accused Li Songwei, a well-known Chinese psychological counselor, of having intimate contact with her during the counseling relationship, such as kissing and hugging; she then complained to the Ethics Committee of the Clinical Psychology Registration Working Committee of the Chinese Psychological Society (hereinafter referred to as the "Psychological Society Ethics Committee") under her real name, accusing Li Songwei of violating the professional ethics of psychological counseling, and the Ethics Committee of the Psychological Society accepted the complaint.
However, Li Songwei filed a civil lawsuit against Wang Xinmiao for infringement of his reputation rights. The first instance court ruled in favor of Li Songwei, and Wang Xinmiao subsequently appealed.
Because Li Songwei was once a guest on the reality show "Goodbye Lovers", the ethical relationship between counselors and clients has sparked heated debate in Chinese society.
From economic recession, intergenerational communication, emotional and interpersonal difficulties, to the strict lockdown measures during the pandemic, psychological stress in China has skyrocketed in recent years. According to data released by the World Health Organization, approximately 54 million Chinese citizens currently suffer from depression and 41 million suffer from anxiety disorders.
GA Donovan, a researcher at the Center for China Analysis at the Asia Society Policy Institute, a US think tank, recently stated at a seminar held by the Asia Society Policy Institute that in China, the well-being of the people is closely linked to the well-being of the country. However, in reality, people are autonomous and independent beings with their own values and feelings.
In China, various online and offline emotional catharsis and psychological support activities are becoming increasingly popular.
Huang Xuanying, an associate professor at Taiwan's Yang-Ming Chiao Tung University who has studied the surge in psychotherapy and training in Chinese cities since 2000, also known as the "psycho boom," said at a seminar hosted by the Asia Society Policy Institute, a US think tank, in April that China's psychological counseling industry is quite chaotic.
Chaos and challenges under rapid development
In March 2024, the "2023-2024 Mental Health and Industry Population Insights Report" jointly released by Jiandanxinli, a Chinese mental health service organization, and CBNData, a leading business data center for China Business Network, showed that the national depression risk detection rate was 10.6%, and the anxiety risk detection rate was 15.8%. This is also reflected in the public's demand for mental health services. For example, Jiandanxinli's free mental health hotline service, launched in 2016, saw an average annual increase in calls of 24.3% as of 2023.
Even though the Chinese government recognized the importance of mental health in the early 21st century and expanded its policies beyond serious mental illness to include those with sub-health conditions, experts point out that government policies and regulations remain at the slogan level, lacking sufficient and effective tools.
Unlike the systematic training paths in the United States and Europe, such as completing a specific degree and a certain number of hours of internship or clinical experience, in China, it is often necessary to take different courses on an individual basis and then obtain certification through exams.
"Then I hope I can become an excellent psychological counselor," said Huang Xuanying.
In 2002, China's Ministry of Labor and Social Security allowed the public to apply for psychological counselor certification. This allowed many people to become psychological counselors through commercial crash courses without formal higher education.
This system was abolished in 2017, replaced by industry associations issuing certifications that require professional background and practical experience. However, China has yet to develop a unified certification system; the Chinese Psychological Society and universities such as Beijing Normal University and Peking University each have their own registration and review models.
Sally, a Chinese student born in the 1990s, has received psychological counseling in both China and the United States. At Beijing Normal University, she participated in short-term couples counseling, with weekly sessions lasting two to three months. During her first two years in the United States, she also sought counseling to alleviate family trauma and social anxiety caused by language barriers, but the experience was very different.
Sally said: "It must be her (the counselor's) personal problem. She is very condescending and arrogant. She never answers your questions and never makes any empathetic comments."
Although psychological counseling in the United States has a more rigorous system, as Sally said, it is common to encounter some unreliable practitioners.
In China, psychological counseling is like a box of chocolates. You never know what flavor you’ll get next.
Compared to the regular conversations Sally received at Beijing Normal University, one of her friends participated in an intensive "camp-style" service that cost at least 15,000 yuan: 3 to 4 consecutive days of large-scale lectures, coupled with one-on-one intense and confrontational Q&A.
But not everyone can afford such services.
Experts on the Chinese government's promotion of a positive mindset: It remains just a slogan
As early as the end of 2004, Beijing invested 6.86 million RMB to build a massive database to register patients with severe mental illnesses. The government uses this system to track and manage patients and provide assistance such as medication.
In October 2017, the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China further proposed "strengthening the development of a social psychological service system and cultivating a social mentality of self-respect, self-confidence, rationality, peace, and positivity." Since then, the Chinese government has issued relevant work plans annually, primarily targeting grassroots organizations. In addition to promoting mental health knowledge through radio, television, and websites, districts and counties are also establishing psychological counseling rooms or social work clinics in villages and communities. In pilot areas, universities are staffed with full-time mental health teachers at a ratio of no less than 1:4,000. The coverage rate of psychological counseling rooms in primary and secondary schools is also set to exceed 50%.
By 2024, the government will also set up a new expert working group, whose term will last until 2027, to continue to provide technical support and advice for related work.
In a 2022 interview with Esquire, Zhang Li, professor of anthropology at the University of California, Davis, and author of "Anxious China," stated, "China is doing its best to intervene in emotions." However, the government, including within the public security sector and the military, is more inclined toward this kind of positive psychology, guiding employees to be more resilient, no matter what challenges they face.
However, experts say that in China, compulsory patriotism and an emphasis on national identity have blurred the line between national and individual well-being. This ambiguity also poses challenges for the government in formulating and promoting mental health policies.
Huang Xuanying said the Chinese government has emphasized optimism, hard work, and a positive attitude in many announcements and policy documents. But "the real challenge is how to achieve this?"
“It’s almost like telling people that as long as you follow the state’s ideology, you can do it,” Ms. Huang said.
John Osburg, assistant professor of anthropology at the University of Rochester in New York, emphasized at a recent conference held by the Asia Society Research Institute that "people may be happy that China is becoming stronger, but this ultimately does not solve their personal problems. When their businesses fail or their loved ones get sick, they will need other tools, including seeking religion, psychotherapy, or other types of healing activities and spiritual self-help."
