Mindfulness-Based Practices in Therapy: A Cultural Humility Approach

This book serves as a practical introduction to integrating mindfulness-based practices in therapy, with a focus on assessing whether it is appropriate to use or adapt mindfulness activities to the specific cultural identity or identities of clients.

Eastern spirituality has exerted considerable influence on the fields of counseling and psychology through the use of mindfulness-based practices. Interventions can be adapted to account for clients' religious/spiritual identity, gender norms, racial/ethnic background, community values and pressures, personality traits, unfamiliarity with mindfulness-based practices, cognitive flexibility, and individual life experiences.

The authors present an approach to integrating mindfulness in therapy that emphasizes cultural humility, which combines an accurate view of oneself (including limits in one's awareness, knowledge, and skills for working with individuals from diverse groups) with the ability to cultivate an "other-oriented" stance, thus enhancing one's ability to work with clients from a variety of cultural backgrounds. By incorporating this client-centered approach, therapists will be better able to align the therapy process with clients' values, narratives about change, and therapy goals.

Don Davis, PhD, is an assistant professor in the Department of Counseling and Psychological Services at Georgia State University. His teaching and research interests include positive psychology, humility and forgiveness, and spiritual issues in counseling. He lives in Atlanta, GA. 

Cirleen DeBlaere, PhD, is an associate professor in the Department of Counseling and Psychological Services at Georgia State University. Her research interests include multicultural issues in counseling and training, intersectionality, minority stress and its impact on the mental health of individuals with marginalized identities. She lives in Atlanta, Georgia.

Joshua N. Hook, PhD, is an associate professor in the Department of Psychology at the University of North Texas. His teaching and research interests include positive psychology, religion/spirituality, and multicultural counseling. He is the lead author of Cultural Humility: Engaging Diverse Identities in Therapy (coauthored by Drs. Davis, Owen, and DeBlaere). He lives in Dallas, Texas. Visit www.JoshuaNHook.com and follow @JoshHook.

Jesse Owen, PhD, is a professor in the Department of Counseling Psychology at the University of Denver. He studies psychotherapy processes and outcomes, with a particular interest in cultural dynamics in therapy, therapist expertise, and couples interventions. He has authored over 150 publications, including multiple coauthored books. He is the current Associate Editor and incoming Editor for the journal Psychotherapy. He lives in Denver, Colorado.