Liu Minxia

SPANISH psychologist David Blanco has recently moved to Shenzhen and set up his office in a city where experts say mental health professionals are needed.

Blanco, a 28-year-old psychotherapist who has four years of experience, is said to be the only foreign psychologist living and working in Shenzhen. He thinks many expatriates and Chinese migrants would benefit from psychological counseling.

"We face in Shenzhen the typical range of problems of a big migrant city," Blanco said. "Expats and Chinese migrants may find it difficult to adjust to the pace of life in Shenzhen. Sometimes the changes they have to go through have some costs on their personal and emotional life."

"People may feel lonely, far from their family and friends. They could easily find themselves under a lot of pressure at work, from their families or from the noisy and overcrowded city," Blanco explained. "Being stressed may result in insomnia, anxiety, loneliness or feeling sad."

Blanco said he has no difficulty understanding local conditions, even though he was a foreigner. "Here in China, some people associate going to see a psychologist to being psycho or crazy. But the truth is that the vast majority of the clients who benefit from psychotherapy services are normal people who face some difficult life events, such as work pressure, marriage crises or loosing a loved one. They need support, advice and training to cope with their circumstances," Blanco said.

Blanco received his master's degree in clinical psychology from the University of Santiago de Compostela, one of the oldest universities of Europe, and had previously worked mainly in European countries. But he was aware of how Shenzhen was a difficult place to work in.

"Half of my clients are Chinese. There are definitely some cultural differences that I need to take into account working with them. To mention a few, the structure of the family here, the education system or the fast changes this country is going through," Blanco said.

Blanco thinks there are some cases that are generally more prevalent in China than in Europe, like the high suicide rate among youngsters, the high rate of extramarital affairs and difficulties in the development of attachment between some mothers and their daughters due to cultural reasons.

Another reason why Blanco moved to China is because his girlfriend, Bai Wei, is of Chinese ancestry and is committed to developing a nonprofit organization here. Bai lived in the United States for 10 years, studying computer science at the University of Michigan and working in Silicon Valley.

David also has a certificate in yoga studies from Bihar Yoga University in India.

The psychology counselling session can be conducted in English and Spanish by David himself, or it may be conducted in Putonghua (Mandarin Chinese) with the help of an interpreter. Sessions are only conducted at the clinic, which is based in Futian District.

The fee for each personal session is 600 yuan (US$80) and the duration is 60 minutes with a 30-minute bonus. The fee for a couple or family session is 750 yuan, and the duration is 90 minutes. The clinic also offers courses in corporate training. The courses are "Improving your self-confidence," "Emotional Intelligence at work" and "Stress Management."

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深圳市福田区八卦一路鹏基商务时空1918

Pengji Shangwu ShiKong, Suite 1918, Bagua Yi Lu, Futian, Shenzhen

Tel: 139-2376-1230

E-mail: davidblancomail@gmail.com

Web site: www.dayabindu.com