Culturally competent therapy
Finding a therapist who understands you is important. A big part of feeling understood means finding someone familiar with your culture.
Cultural competence in therapy means the therapist recognizes and respects a patient’s beliefs, perspectives, and values based on their race, ethnicity, or region. That’s important because patients who don’t feel as though their therapist understands them are more likely to drop out of treatment early.
You might assume that all mental health providers understand different cultural perspectives, but that’s not always the case. Therapists receive different training depending on where they attended college or what type of degree they hold. Each college, degree, and licensing board sets its own standards for the amount of training needed in working with people from different backgrounds.
A culturally competent therapist should be comfortable addressing things like:
Age
Developmental disabilities
Disabilities that develop later in life
Indigenous heritage
National origin
Racial identity
Ethnic identity
Gender
Socioeconomic status
Sexual orientation
A therapist should understand their patient’s cultural background well enough to tailor their approach accordingly. Finding the right therapist may take some extra effort, but it’s worth the work. When you find someone who understands you, you’ll be much more likely to make progress in treatment.
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