A PSYCHOTHERAPEUTIC STUDY OF DANG-KI HEALING (TAIWANESE SHAMANISM): CROSS-CULTURAL IMPLICATIONS FOR PASTORAL COUNSELORS

Dang-ki healing (Taiwanese shamanism) and other forms of folk healing have regained their popularity in the midst of drastic social changes of modernization in Taiwan. Not only in the rural areas but also in the cities dang-ki healing plays an important role for many Taiwanese despite recent and steady increases in the numbers of medical doctors and modern counselors. This situation raises a series of research questions to be answered in this study. They are: What is dang-ki healing? What are the major factors enabling its effectiveness? Is it a model of folk psychotherapy? How does it compare with modern psychotherapy? What can pastoral counselors learn from it?; This thesis explores and analyzes dang-ki healing from the perspective of psychotherapy. Its methodology relies on library research and field study. In order to provide a comprehensive and systematic study, the research proceeds along three related lines. Since a study of dang-ki healing must begin by putting it in a Taiwanese context, cultural, religious, historical and mental health backgrounds of dang-ki healing are first reviewed in Part One. Part Two presents a general description of the content of dang-ki healing. It discusses how a dang-ki is chosen and trained, the dang-ki's clients and the methods of dang-ki treatment. This section is highlighted by case studies in order to provide analysis and evaluations of the dang-ki's psychotherapeutic functions. Finally, in Part Three are listed the specific and applicable implications of dang-ki healing for the pastoral counselor. The implications urge counselors, especially those in a more pluralistic society, to look carefuly from a cross-cultural perspective at the clinical realities in their own culture and sub-cultures. This brings to Taiwanese pastoral counselors a great challenging task of developing their indigenous counseling approach.; Based upon the materials presented in this thesis it is concluded that in many cases dang-kis are effective psychotherapists. This study provides a new appreciation of the universal components of effective psychotherapy and that they are present in both modern and traditional forms of therapy. It encourages Taiwanese pastoral counselors to investigate the possibilities and prospects for creative cooperation and/or coexistence with dang-kis and other folk healers.