Cultural Negotiation in Working Alliance Formation: A Qualitative Study of Chinese Counselors’ Experiences with the Differential Mode of Association (Chaxu Geju)

Working alliance is associated with counseling outcomes, yet its formation may be shaped by culturally embedded relational norms. This qualitative study explores Chinese counselors’ accounts of working alliance formation through the lens of the differential mode of association (Chaxu Geju), a distinctive relational pattern in Chinese culture. We recruited 11 Chinese counselors through purposive and maximum variation sampling under a qualitative research design. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews and analyzed using interpretive thematic analysis. Within this theoretically informed interview context, the analysis developed three themes linking cultural relational dynamics with counselors’ reported responses: role flexibility under authority expectations, relational integration within systemic involvement, and boundary wisdom within renqing-based relational negotiation. Counselors described negotiating expectations for guidance, family and social involvement, and expressions of reciprocity and care while attending to professional roles and boundaries. These accounts informed an interpretive framework that conceptualizes working alliance formation as a process of cultural negotiation. The framework draws attention to how counselors understand relational expectations and seek to balance cultural responsiveness with clients’ autonomy. The findings offer situated insights into reported counseling practices, providing a reference for psychological counseling practices within the Chinese cultural context.