Racial and Ethnic Diversities in Psychotherapy

Throughout the history of psychotherapy a panoply of treatment options have been available for clinicians, from psychodynamic treatments to cognitive-behavioral therapy; interpersonal, dialectical, and transference-focused psychotherapy; and supportive therapies, to name a few. Although the treatment options are rich and varied, mental health clinicians have paid less attention to the cultural, ethnic, and racial variables of their patients as essential to clinical understanding and therapeutic success. (A list of those who have written from various disciplines can be found throughout this section). It is as if one psychotherapeutic treatment is applicable to a specific generic population without regard to the cultural, ethnic, and racial makeup of the patient. However, clinicians should be asking several questions related to the diversity of their patients. How do patients from marginalized or nonmajority populations experience mental health care? How can clinicians address differences in the patient populations they treat? Individuals who decide to train to become psychiatrists, psychologists, social workers, and mental health professionals should be aware of the impacts that cultural, ethnic, and racial sensitivity on the part of the clinician can have on the patient’s inclination to pursue and participate in mental health treatment. The therapeutic fit between patient and clinician is potentially affected by the cultural, ethnic, and racial identities of the participants. This section is an attempt to articulate and integrate cultural and ethnic diversities into the psychotherapeutic milieu.