Lambers Fisher – Multicultural Awareness & Diversity: Powerful Strategies to Advance Client Rapport & Cultural Competence

Outline

Cultural Competencies in Mental Health

• Client-centered approach to cultural competence
• Trends in cultural identity development
• Acknowledge cultural differences: terms of reference, racism and stereotypes
• Improve client rapport
  • Make cultural connections
  • Acquire knowledge & skills
  • View behavior within a cultural context
• Exercise: Cultural Self-Assessment

Ethics & the DSM-5®: Guidelines for the Integration of Cultural Competencies

• Cross-cultural variations in presentations
• Cultural genograms
• Assessments and diagnostic protocols
• DSM-5® Cultural Formulation
• Ethical standards for culturally competent practice
  • Cultural perspectives on therapeutic authority
  • Referring without abandoning
  • Effective self-disclosure
  • Advocacy and social justice
• Exercise: Cultural Formulation Interview

Overcome Dilemmas in Practice

• Working with limited English proficiency and bi/multilingual clients
• When to use an interpreter
• Strategies for working with cultural transference and counter transference
• Avoiding and addressing unintentional cultural offenses toward clients
• Empathizing with victims as well as accused perpetrators of social injustice

Interventions & Strategies for Specific Populations

• Understand client experiences of sexual identity and gender fluidity
• Strategies for supporting clients when therapist’s and client’s religious beliefs conflict
• Methods for building rapport with clients with various disabilities
• Adapting therapeutic style to client’s cultural presentation
• Case Examples: Cultural experiences therapists often misunderstand

Overcome Limitations of the Research & Potential Risks

• Limited empirical models
• Lack of professional awareness & confidence
• Changing cultural values, needs & expressions
• Incomplete scope: clients, counselors, supervisors, colleagues & community