The following is the abstract of the research that I have carried out in Hong Kong in last years. A few words to sum up a long and complex work. An appetizer.
The research concerns the fact that psychoanalysis is quite marginal in Hong Kong; not only in the consultation room, but it remains unknown to the majority of people. Why? How can Hong Kong be so indifferent to psychoanalysis? A long journey has started from such questions...
Abstract
While psychoanalysis has raised much
interest in Mainland China and Taiwan, it remains marginally relevant in Hong
Kong as evidenced by the paucity of literature available. This study aims to
explore what hinders the reception and practice of psychoanalysis in the
context of Hong Kong, and how local counselors listen to their clients. It was not
assumed in this study that psychoanalysis is simply missing from Hong Kong. On
the contrary, some aspects of psychoanalysis are considered to be embedded in
the attitude of the local counselors, even if they do not expressly refer to
psychoanalysis.
For the purpose of this study, psychoanalysis
has been reconsidered and operationalized in terms of a distinctive kind of
listening. It is proposed that psychoanalytic listening is what best describes the essence of psychoanalysis. At
the same time, because this refers to a practice rather than a theoretical
definition, it is inclusive of the different orientations and schools in
psychoanalysis and is capable of being distinguished from other counseling
orientations. Furthermore, investigating the listening, rather than remaining
at the theoretical level, allows one to investigate and compare different
realities in which the psychoanalytic theory is absent. Indeed, psychoanalytic
listening seems the most flexible yet comprehensive concept. 
The main research tool for this study is a
177-item questionnaire, developed and validated by the researcher. A total of
four scales were developed. The psychoanalytic listening scale, and counseling
listening scale, consisting of 4 subscales each, measured the listening
profiles of counselors. A third scale, called Combining Theories, was developed
for assessing the counselors’ attitude toward eclecticism and integration.
Finally, a fourth scale with 6 sub-dimensions, called Criticalities against
psychoanalysis, was developed for assessing the factors which hinder the
development of psychoanalysis in Hong Kong. 
Given the low popularity of psychoanalytic
theory among Hong Kong counselors, it was expected their listening attitude would
be largely inclined toward counseling listening. On the contrary, results
showed a mixed listening profile, not completely distant from a psychoanalytic
attitude. In particular, dimensions of transference
and the floating attention emerged. Thus, it cannot be concluded that psychoanalysis
is completely missing from Hong Kong. Instead, what is lacking is a conception
of the unconscious. This is apparently the greatest limitation for the
understanding and the reception of psychoanalysis in Hong Kong today. Indeed,
the unconscious is a difficult concept to render in Chinese culture and
language. Such difficulties in translating (or re-inventing) the unconscious in
Chinese may indicate that the unconscious is perceived as something intangible,
and impractical. 
The results of this study suggest there is
at least an openness to and significant interest towards psychoanalytic theory.
It was demonstrated that counselors do not perceive it as less effective or
less developed than other approaches. Rather counselors considered it as a
complex theory, requiring lengthy training. However, because psychoanalysis
training opportunities are currently lacking, counselors are reluctant to adopt
it. If given the opportunity, counselors would pursue further training. Chinese
culture and values were not perceived to hinder the adoption of psychoanalysis.
A strong attitude toward eclecticism is what influences how theories are
understood and received by the Chinese, which is argued to be one factor
affecting the reception of psychoanalysis.
Another finding from this study is that
while European and American cultures are more speaking oriented, Hong Kong
Chinese culture is more listening oriented. This has important consequences not
only for understanding ways to bring the practice of psychoanalysis to greater
prominence in Hong Kong, but may also promote reinvention of psychoanalysis in
the West.
