Introduction
Marriage and family therapists (MFTs) should employ a range of approaches when working with culturally and socially diverse clients. The primary reason for employing various methods is to help different clients feel comfortable and openly share their emotions, thereby facilitating the solution of specific problems (Rivera et al., 2021). In this paper, it is essential to discuss MFT’s approaches concerning cultural humility and specific scenarios.
MFT’s Approaches to Working with Diverse Clients
MFTs employ common therapeutic principles to support and assess their clients in practice. Thus, they draw on their knowledge of specific cultures and social aspects, research materials, and consult with colleagues (Northey & Gehart, 2020). Furthermore, MFTs also utilize the principles of cultural humility to achieve a more effective and comprehensive understanding of the unique contextual factors that influence a client’s behavior and relationships.
Definition of Cultural Humility
The concept of “cultural humility” applies to therapeutic principles, in which MFTs recognize that their particular ethical and professional beliefs may be limited, potentially provoking biases. Moreover, their understanding of other cultures may be inadequate. The therapist is then called upon to continually transform their biases and learn to appreciate the differences between various cultures (Grauf-Grounds et al., 2020). This enables therapists to support and understand clients from diverse cultural backgrounds more effectively.
Integration of the Cultural Humility Concept
One of the concepts of cultural humility that MFTs can integrate into their work is the understanding and acknowledgment that all people have equal rights to participate in the therapeutic process. Thus, the therapist should be willing to adapt the therapy process for all clients regardless of their cultural background (Grauf-Grounds et al., 2020). Therapists must understand that each client has a unique story, be willing to accept this, and continually work to improve their culturally-informed skills when working with diverse clients.
Scenario
As an MFT, it is possible to encounter a client who is an active member of the Church of Scientology. When the client comes to a therapist with family issues, one can find that the client’s belief system, based on Scientology, is very different from the therapist’s own beliefs and approach to therapy. Thus, Scientology has its belief system, which may include ideas unrelated to or even contradictory to theories and methods used in the world of psychotherapy. This can create tension between the therapist having other religious views and the client due to different views on the causes and treatment of family, social, and psychological problems. It is possible to feel a reaction to the client’s commitment to Scientology because it causes a clash between one’s professional beliefs and the client’s belief system, influencing the effectiveness of therapy. This may cause the specialist to be uncertain about their ability to help the client or fear that the client may reject the proposed treatments.
Reflection on the Scenario and Reactivity
To address the MFT’s reactivity, reflecting on feelings and determining what triggers a specific reaction is necessary. This approach can help understand biases and attitudes. The next step is to learn the aspects of Scientology to understand the client’s belief system and find common ground.
Furthermore, therapists need to learn how to manage their own feelings and reactions, utilizing techniques such as breathing exercises, meditation, or seeking support from fellow therapists (Grauf-Grounds et al., 2020). It is also important to develop cultural sensitivity, humility, and respect for the diversity of beliefs and understand that different cultural and religious systems have various ways of perceiving and treating psychological problems.
Conclusion
Generally, MFTs are required to practice cultural humility in order to effectively support and assess their clients. By understanding and acknowledging that each client has a unique story, therapists can provide more effective support and better understand clients from diverse cultural backgrounds. Therapists can provide more comprehensive and effective therapy services to their clients by continually developing their culturally informed skills. By following the scenario and proposed guidelines, therapists can cope with their reactivity and provide practical help to clients with different belief systems, including those practicing Scientology.
References
Grauf-Grounds, C., Sellers, T. S., Edwards, S. A., Cheon, H. S., MacDonald, D., Whitney, S., & Rivera, P. M. (Eds.). (2020). A practice beyond cultural humility: How clinicians can work more effectively in a diverse world. Routledge.
Northey, W. F., & Gehart, D. R. (2020). The condensed MFT core competencies: A streamlined approach for measuring student and supervisee learning using the MFT core competencies. Journal of Marital and Family Therapy, 46(1), 42-61. Web.
Rivera, P. M., Heiden-Rootes, K. M., Nguyen, H. N., & Iheanacho, E. C. (2021). Integrating a process-orientation into multicultural training for marriage and family therapists: A systematic review and critique. The American Journal of Family Therapy, 1-17. Web.