Theories and processes of psychology have largely been influenced by North American and European psychologists whose Western-oriented paradigms have not promoted inclusivity or recognized the strengths of ethnically diverse cultures. Western paradigms promote power, hierarchical order, and structural privilege to the detriment of the well-being and mental health of racially and ethnically diverse cultures (Goodman […]
According to the United States Census Bureau, 60.4% of the United States population consists of White persons not of Hispanic or Latino ethnicities, and 41.8% of the population consists of racial/ethnic groups identified as Black or African American, American Indian and Native Alaskan, Asian, Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander, Hispanic or Latino, or those […]
Arab Americans are not officially recognized by the United States government as a minority group, which has resulted in not only a failure to accurately document increasing occurrences of discrimination (Awad, 2010), but also in a lack of knowledge about this ethnic group. The juxtaposition of mounting negative media visibility with a general lack of […]
April 4, 2018, marked the 50th anniversary of the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., in Memphis, Tennessee. One of the nation’s most prominent civil rights advocates and leaders left a long-lasting impact on the world with his messages of civil disobedience and social change. His legacy prevails as society continues to strive towards […]
If, indeed, the personal is political and the political is personal, where does that leave psychotherapists—whose profession is intensely personal—when clients voice strong political views counter to ours or when their political stress resonates with our own sense of a rending of the civic and cultural fabric of the country? In the aftermath of one […]
Over the past several months I have started many times to write articles for the Bulletin, and each time my thoughts have been hijacked by yet another massive assault on the collective values of our profession. The preamble to the APA Ethics Code (2010, with amendments as of January 1, 2017) makes it clear that […]
Introduction In recent years, the importance of cultural training in the education of psychologists has been particularly emphasized (American Psychological Association, 2003). However, clear guidelines for cultural training have not been established. As a result, internship sites vary significantly in their notions of what makes cultural training effective (Brooks, Mintz, & Dobson, 2004; Constantine & […]
Stemming from an ever-growing focus on bolstering multicultural and social justice competencies within psychotherapy, many psychology and counseling programs continue to increase the incorporation of multicultural and social justice themes within the curriculum (Aldarondo, 2007). Generally, multiculturalism refers to the roles and perspectives of multiple distinct groups, whereas social justice is conceptualized as an intentional […]
Introduction As the people of the United States become even more culturally diverse, psychotherapists are required to develop their cultural competence. Health disparities persist with regard to many cultural identities including race, class, sexual orientation, and ability (Gehlert, Mininger, Sohmer & Berg, 2008; Smeldy, Stith, & Nelson, 2003; Sue & Dhindsa, 2006). Furthermore, treatment offered […]
In today’s rapidly growing multicultural society, psychotherapists are faced with the complex task of working effectively with clientele whose psychosocial dynamics include increasingly diverse cultural values, beliefs and attitudes that the psychotherapist is either not aware of or not prepared to engage as part of the therapy.