Doing Therapy with Intercultural Couples: A Pastoral Theological Study of Premarital Counseling - Paperback

by Sunita Noronha (Author), Emmanuel y. Lartey (Foreword by)

Marital concord between couples from different racial and ethnic backgrounds is an issue that needs serious attention to bridge the vast chasms. America welcomes people from all over the world. People of all religions and ethnic backgrounds come here to study and migrants arrive here to work. Interracial marriages are common but the radically different background of each couple can create discords and prove to be bumps on the highway of conjugal life. This can have serious repercussions on the offspring and on the couple and their lives as well. This book seeks to investigate how cultural realities can be addressed within intercultural premarital couples counseling. Using a cultural focus approach couples' stories around their particular culture and relationship were analyzed. Themes related to relationship, family and social ties, and parenting bi-cultural and bi-racial children were examined. Issues of religious and social influence, money, race, ethnicity, extended family, immigration, and biases in family of origin, are explored as are roles and responsibilities, communication, respect, trust, and gender-stereotyping. The book adopts a pastoral theological approach in working towards a deeper understanding of premarital relationships of partners who represent cultural difference and diversity. In conclusion recommendations to therapists and care givers for counseling intercultural couples are made.

Author Biography

Dr. Sunita Noronha is a graduate from Emory University, USA. Presently, she is the Assistant Professor and Dean of Christian Ministry Division at Union Biblical Seminary, Pune, India. Sunita has served as a theological educator, social activist, preacher, chaplain, ethnic counselor and psychotherapist. Her husband, Niranjan, has served as a pastor with the United Methodist Church and as chaplain with VITAS Hospice Care, Atlanta. They have two grown daughters, one son-in-law, and a grandson.