Intercultural therapy is a form of talking therapy when cultural differences, such as race,beliefs, culture, ethnicity, religion, gender identification, disability, language, values and many other socio-economic factors can be addressed in a sensitive way.
People from minority groups can be affected by external factors such as racism, gender issues, poverty, unemployment, being a refugee etc. These can lead to a higher rate of mental health issues in minority groups but the same group of people may be under-represented in the counselling profession.
Intercultural therapy can provide an inclusive, safe environment where these issues can be discussed. An interculturally trained therapist can facilitate a therapeutic relationship in which the client’s and the therapist’s similarities and differences can be explored, acknowledged and openly discussed.
First, a strong therapeutic alliance is formed in which the client’s cultural perspectives and beliefs are understood. A trusting, respectful relationship is essential. The client will be acknowledged not only as a unique individual but also as part of a group and the client will also be invited to share his culture’s collective narrative to enable the counsellor to see the wider perspective.
As Jafar Kareem, the founder of the Nafsiyat Intercultural Therapy Centre in London, said: “taking into account the whole being of the client– not only the individual concepts and constructs as presented to the therapists – but also the client’s communal life experience in the world, both past and present. The very fact of being from another culture employs both conscious and unconscious assumptions – both in the client and in the therapist."
A similar concept was explored about the 3 interlocking circles, which was presented in 1982 by Cox, Speight, Myers and Highlen. According to this concept when working with a person in the therapeutic process three factors should be considered including the individual uniqueness, human universality and cultural specificity: “every person is like all persons, like some persons and like no other person”. To see the person as a whole all these factors need to be taken into consideration.
There are fundamental differences between European, African and Asian cultures. These can give counsellors some insight when working with clients from different cultural backgrounds.
Clients may suffer from effects of trauma, depression, poor self-image etc. The aim of intercultural therapy may be to establish a healthy ethnic and cultural identity, with increased self-acceptance and self-esteem. CPD is also crucial for counsellors, they might need to do some reading or training on the history or culture of specific countries or nationalities to understand the wider perspective. In this globalised world, where mass migration is part of our reality staying open-minded and curious about other people’s culture is crucial for mental health professionals.
Bibliography:
Intercultural therapy
https://www.counselling-directory.org.uk/intercultural-therapy.html
Why
we need to talk about race
Therapy Today, October 2018 Volume
29 Issue 8
https://www.bacp.co.uk/bacp-journals/therapy-today/2018/october-2018/why-we-need-to-talk-about-race/
Between
black and white
Therapy Today, April 2019 Volume 30 Issue 3
https://www.bacp.co.uk/bacp-journals/therapy-today/2019/april-2019/between-black-and-white/
‘I thought I was a lost cause’: How therapy is failing people of colour
What is intercultural therapy?
https://www.nafsiyat.org.uk/index.php/what-is-intercultural-therapy/
Becoming a Culturally Competent Counselor
https://counseling.education.wm.edu/blog/multicultural-counseling-competencies
Culturally Sensitive Therapy
https://www.psychologytoday.com/gb/therapy-types/culturally-sensitive-therapy
Does Race Affect Working Alliance?
https://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/does-race-affect-working-alliance-0111122/
Aisha Dupont Joshua, BAC Counselling Journal, Towards Healing the Split between Black and White People in Counselling, 1998
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