2026-06-03
【NEWS】NCCU Counseling Program Partners with the University of Northern Iowa Advancing Cross Cultural Helping Education and Global Perspectives
Faculty members and graduate students from the Department of Family, Aging, and Counseling at the University of Northern Iowa (UNI) concluded their academic exchange visit to the Master’s Program of Counseling and Guidance at National Chengchi University (NCCU) on May 28, 2026. The delegation was led by Dr. William Henninger, Chair of the UNI Department of Family, Aging, and Counseling, together with Dr. Olivia Chen, and included seven graduate students. The visiting group was warmly welcomed by NCCU faculty and students, reflecting NCCU’s long-standing commitment to international collaboration and cross-cultural helping education.
During the exchange, UNI students and faculty participated in a variety of activities integrating professional practice, classroom interaction, and cultural experiences, fostering meaningful dialogue with NCCU students and faculty members. The program began at the Daxian Library, where Professor Trista Fu welcomed the UNI delegation and officially opened the exchange activities. The visitors also toured the NCCU campus and library spaces, gaining a deep appreciation for the university’s humanistic atmosphere and unique campus culture.
Professor Joy Hu, Director of the NCCU Counseling Program, also extended a warm welcome to the UNI delegation and introduced the program’s educational philosophy and professional training features, particularly its development in multicultural counseling, mental health, and helping-profession education. During the gathering, Professor Hu invited all faculty members and students to observe a one-minute moment of silence in honor of Mr. Samuel Yin, donor of the Daxian Library, creating an atmosphere that was both solemn and heartfelt.
UNI students additionally joined Professor Pei-Yu Wu’s “Group Counseling Research” course. Prior to the main activity, students from both universities participated in cultural self-awareness exercises, including “I-Statement” and “Cultural Genogram” activities. Through family genograms, cultural narratives, and personal storytelling, participants explored how different cultural backgrounds shape personal growth and helping values.
Professor Wu later facilitated a Psychodrama experience, with Dr. Olivia Chen assisting in the process. Among the many cultural family genograms shared, students collectively selected the story that resonated most deeply with the group, and UNI student Emily Forsyth served as the psychodrama protagonist. The session demonstrated profound group cohesion and intercultural understanding, creating an emotionally moving and powerful experience for everyone involved.
UNI students also participated in Professor Trista Fu’s “Seminar on Couples and Marriage Counseling” course, which concluded with reflections and discussions led jointly by Dr. William Henninger and Dr. Olivia Chen. Centered on the theme “Multicultural Counseling with Couples and Families in the AI Era,” the course integrated AI role-playing activities, multicultural couple case discussions, and group sharing, allowing Taiwanese and American students to collaboratively examine cultural issues and helping strategies in couples and family counseling.
During the class, students engaged in in-depth dialogue regarding the applications, limitations, and ethical considerations of AI in couples and family counseling. Drawing from diverse cultural and personal experiences, participants contributed multiple perspectives and reflections. Dr. Olivia Chen encouraged students to understand emotional expression within cultural contexts, emphasizing:
“The ways love and emotions are expressed can differ greatly across cultures. Counselors need the ability to translate and understand culture in order to truly grasp the relational meaning behind interpersonal interactions.”
She further reminded students that helping work involves not only understanding language itself, but also understanding the cultural and emotional contexts embedded within it.
Dr. William Henninger also shared reflections on emotional expression and cultural understanding within intimate relationships, stating:
“Love is an action. If the other person cannot understand or feel it, love loses its meaning. What matters is expressing love in ways that are meaningful to them.”
His reflections inspired students to think more deeply about intimate relationships, cultural differences, and emotional communication.
Through these classroom exchanges, students not only reconsidered the relationship between technology and the helping professions, but also became increasingly aware of the importance of interpersonal sensitivity, cultural understanding, and emotional attunement for future counselors and helping professionals.
During the visit, faculty members and students from both universities also gathered for a traditional Taiwanese stir-fry dinner, continuing their conversations and interactions through local food culture and creating warm and lasting memories together. Many students later shared that the exchange deepened their understanding of multicultural counseling while also helping them recognize how personal upbringing and cultural background influence helping perspectives and clinical judgment. Through sincere dialogue and shared experiences, participants reflected on the importance of cultural sensitivity, self-awareness, and global perspectives in future helping work.
At the conclusion of the program, Dr. William Henninger and Dr. Olivia Chen expressed heartfelt gratitude to the NCCU Counseling Program for its warm hospitality and thoughtful arrangements, specifically thanking Director Joy Hu, Professor Trista Fu, Professor Pei-Yu Wu, and all NCCU faculty members and students involved in the exchange.
This cross-cultural exchange not only provided students with valuable professional and intercultural learning experiences, but also further strengthened the meaningful academic partnership and friendship between the University of Northern Iowa and National Chengchi University. Both institutions expressed hopes for continued future collaboration and international exchange opportunities, allowing this cross-border friendship and professional connection in the helping professions to continue growing and deepening while cultivating globally minded and professionally competent helping professionals.
(Written by: 吳雨樵 Tina Wu)
