Understanding culture and mental illnessCulture is an aspect of everyone's life. It helps others understand another person's beliefs and actions. There are many cultures around the world that are against their own seeking help for mental illness. There are an infinite number of cultures represented in the United States. “Many cultural and religious teachings often influence beliefs about the origins and nature of mental illness and shape attitudes toward the mentally ill. » (1). A person's cultural beliefs may cause them to question whether or not they should seek help for a mental illness. Among cultures around the world, and particularly in the United States, many Asian cultures do not want community members to receive help for their mental illness. In these cultures, mental illness is considered shameful, because these cultures influence "compliance with norms, emotional self-control, and family recognition through achievement." (1). Many cultural factors play a role in a person's decision whether or not to receive therapy. These factors include: language, level of acculturation, age, gender, employment issues, family structure, religious beliefs, and traditional beliefs regarding mental health (2). Language limits access to therapy. If someone living in the United States doesn't speak English very well, this could cause them to not seek therapy. In many Asian cultures, the emphasis is on the "in-group/out-group", as everyone who is part of the family/community around them is part of the "in-group" and all others who are not like them are in the “in-group” and everyone who is not like them is in the “out-group”. Standard Asian American Cultural Expectations Many Asian American families have certain expectations based on their culture...... middle of article...... m et al.). Focusing on customer perceptions provides a better understanding of what needs to be done to gain more customers from an Asian culture. Jim's (2007) conclusions were: there were three different understandings; First, the therapist's ability or inability to understand the cultural context was very important to some; second, having the experience of being able to talk to someone without cultural constraints was helpful for some; and third, culture seemed to have infinitesimal value. Most, if not all, of the clients who participated in Jim's study had a major underlying theme in their responses: They appreciated being able to talk about their problems in a safe environment with someone they trusted. Therapists must understand both a client's culture, but also "the client's unique dilemmas and distress within the context of cultural values." (Jim, p..22).