Brief Dynamic Therapy (Theories of Psychotherapy) by Hanna Levenson

Author:Hanna Levenson
Language: eng
Format: mobi
ISBN: 9781433807565
Publisher: American Psychological Association
Published: 2012-05-24T21:00:00+00:00

Multicultural Aspects

Culture is shared learned behavior that is transmitted from one generation to another for purposes of human adjustment, adaptation, and growth. Culture has both internal and external referents. External referents include artifacts, roles, and institutions. Internal referents include attitudes, values, beliefs, expectations, epistemologies, and consciousness. (Marsella & Kameoka, 1989, p. 233)

Since TLDP acknowledges that both therapist and client bring their own personal qualities, history, and values to the therapeutic encounter, it can be sensitive to all the factors that are involved in making up one’s worldview (e.g., internalized working models). For understanding the clients’ CMPs, consideration of gender, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, age, disability status, and so on all potentially play a significant role. The TLDP therapist needs explicitly to consider the larger context in which any therapy takes place. For example, “it seems crucial to extend . . . [the notion] of transference to include the organizing principles and imagery crystallized out of the values, roles, beliefs, and history of the cultural environment” (LaRoche, 1999, p. 391, emphasis added). Thus, it is of paramount importance that the therapist be aware of and understand how cultural and worldview factors may be playing a role in the client’s lifelong patterns and in interpersonal difficulties, including those that might manifest between therapist and client.

From a relational point of view, the client’s interpersonal style inside and outside of the therapy office is an amalgamation of his or her unique adaptations within a sociocultural context. Given the impact of culture on one’s assumptive world, it would be expected that individuals from a similar background might manifest some analogous actions, thoughts, assumptions, and expectations, and invite back from people reactions based on these cultural, racial, personal, and demographic variables.5 For example, in our racist society, it is likely that an African-American child gets treated differently by white teachers (e.g., less positive academic attention) that in turn plays a role in lowering the child’s self-esteem and future academic performance. If a therapist does not consider these factors and the role they play in fostering certain cyclical dynamic patterns, important dimensions could be missed or misunderstood, thereby endangering the entire therapeutic process and outcome. Thus, the TLDP therapist must adopt the point of view that cultural parameters and interpersonal working models are inextricably linked.

As part of this understanding, the therapist should have some comprehension (based on the available clinical and empirical data in the literature) of normative interpersonal and intrapersonal behavior and expectations for people who come from the same culture or region, or who share certain physical and/or personal attributes. Obtaining appropriate consultation (or even referring to someone else) is mandatory when cultural knowledge is insufficient. Of course, clients can also provide invaluable information regarding the ways and extent to which culture plays a role. They may not be able to say directly, but asking exploratory questions such as the following can be helpful: “Would others [from your culture] interpret this as you do? Would others [from your culture] understand what you are going through?

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