Cultural Humility: Engaging Diverse Identities in Therapy

This book describes how therapists can combine multicultural theory with their own lived experience to meaningfully engage clients in issues of culture. 

Many mental health practitioners (MHPs) today recognize and affirm the importance of cultural background—race, ethnicity, gender, sexuality, et al—in their clients’ lives.  But many MHPs struggle to address cultural issues in practice, whether because of unfamiliarity, or fear of giving offense, or because the presence of cultural differences or similarities between client and therapist that can make it difficult to view the client objectively.
 
The authors of this book recommend that MHPs focus not on what they have learned in previous clinical or educational settings, but on what they don’t know about the client who sits across from them. They discuss practical strategies for engaging with clients and their cultural identities, including repairing mistakes that threaten the therapeutic relationship. Through a wide range of case examples and hands-on exercises, the authors demonstrate how therapists can learn to acknowledge their limitations, and view them as opportunities to connect with clients at a deeper level.  
 

Joshua N. Hook, PhD, received his doctorate in counseling psychology from Virginia Commonwealth University. Currently, he is an associate professor of psychology at the University of North Texas, where he teaches the graduate multicultural counseling course. He is a licensed clinical psychologist in the state of Texas. His professional interests include humility, religion/spirituality, and multicultural counseling.

Don Davis, PhD, received his doctorate in counseling psychology from Virginia Commonwealth University. Currently, he is an assistant professor of counseling psychology and counselor education at Georgia State University. His professional interests include humility, forgiveness, and religion/spirituality. He teaches courses on group counseling as well as on measurement. He also teaches an advanced seminar on humility, drawing on contemplative spiritual practices in counseling.

Jesse Owen, PhD, received his doctorate in counseling psychology from the University of Denver (DU) in 2005. He is currently an associate professor and chair of the counseling psychology department at DU. He worked at Gannon University and the University of Louisville prior to joining the faculty at DU. He is a licensed psychologist and has had a private practice at times over the past decade. His research focuses on psychotherapy processes and outcomes as well as romantic relationships. More specifically, his work in psychotherapy focuses on therapists' multicultural orientation and expertise.

Cirleen DeBlaere, PhD, received her doctorate in counseling psychology from the University of Florida and is currently an assistant professor of counseling psychology at Georgia State University. Her professional interests include the identity and experiences of individuals with marginalized identities, particularly people with multiple marginalized identities (e.g., LGBTQ people of color, women of color), resilience, cultural humility, and multicultural counseling and supervision. She teaches graduate courses in multicultural issues, personality theory, and clinical supervision.