Culturally Competent Therapy: What it is and Why it Matters
What is Cultural Competence in Therapy?
No two people’s lived experience is going to be exactly the same. Each and every client brings along with them a richly complex background that has been shaped by their culture, their concept of their own identity, and everything that has ever happened to them. To become a more effective and inclusive therapist, one must understand the need to recognize and honor this in each of their clients. Culturally competent therapy happens when a safe space is created - one where they can feel seen, understood, and empowered to heal in ways that align with their own reality.
Understanding and respecting clients’ diverse backgrounds
The depth of the definition of what culturally competent therapy is should not be underestimated in one’s pursuit of being both knowledgeable and respectful towards the cultural background of any client that may come through their door. One’s cultural background might include race, ethnicity, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, socioeconomic status, and more. We are all shaped by more things than we could ever realize - and these specifics should be as honored as possible in the therapeutic practice of seeking healing.
Moving beyond “colorblind” approaches to truly inclusive care
While most mean well with a “colorblind” approach, there is potential harm that can be done in treating everyone “the same”. Ignoring cultural differences can lead to the invalidation of one’s experience, even if it’s not the goal to do so. Engaging with cultural dynamics and acknowledging the differences lays the foundation for true inclusivity. It’s not about erasing differences - it's about meeting people where they are, not where we perceive they should be based on our own understanding alone.
The Impact of Culture on Mental Health
How Culture Shapes Identity and Experience
How we see others, ourselves, and even our place in this world are just a few ways that culture shapes and molds not only who we are in many impactful ways, but our worldviews as well. How we interpret life experiences - such as our values, the ways in which we communicate, and how we relate to emotions as a whole - are all influenced by a sense of culture. For example, while one culture may promote stoicism as a sign of strength, another may view it as denial, or even avoidance.
One can listen to words being spoken, but it takes nuance and awareness to fully understand what a client may be trying to say. Mental health symptoms are often described differently across cultures. While some communities use the specific language of “anxiety” or “depression” to describe what they are feeling, others may have been raised to relate to those feelings more as general fatigue, unease, or headaches. If one is not readily aware of this, it could not only lead to misunderstandings, but potentially even a misdiagnosis.
Recognizing Systemic Barriers
When assessing a new client, it’s important to remember that many clients come into therapy carrying both their own individual pain as well as the weight of generational trauma. Systemic marginalization and racism may also be factors to consider. These possible aspects of one’s lived experience can deeply affect mental health and access to support. Stigmas around seeking mental health care can deeply affect a client if one comes from a community where people have experienced mistrust or harm with mental health systems due to past bias or neglect.
A culturally competent therapist does not shy away from these realities, even when they are uncomfortable - they lean into them. By doing so, they create a safe space to talk about all factors that contribute and/or detract from a client’s wellbeing. This type of honesty can lead to deeper healing and a restoration of trust in therapy practice.
Why Cultural Competence Improves Therapy Outcomes
Building Trust and Safety
When a client feels both seen and respected, they will naturally be encouraged to not only open up more with their therapist, but with themselves within that space as well. Having one’s experience validated is the cornerstone of effective therapy. When trust is fostered, growth follows. Removing the invisible barriers that might otherwise keep clients guarded is powerful. Feeling safe is the first step to true transformation.
Culturally competent therapy includes a sense of nuance alongside tailored assessments and approaches to treatment plans. A treatment plan can come up short or fall flat if symptoms and signs are misinterpreted.
Tailoring Approaches to Fit Cultural Contexts
A competent therapist understands that one single, uniform approach will not impact all of their clients the same, and therefore tailors their approaches to best fit the needs of their clients on an individual level. A culturally competent therapist realizes that their toolbox for connection has expanded only further in being able to use stories, examples, or analogies that align with a client’s cultural or spiritual background.
Adaptation and collaboration are skills that therapists are taught in their training, and being a culturally competent therapist is simply an expansion of skills that are already there. Recognizing that traditional therapy models and methods may not always resonate with every client allows the opportunity for one to grow in the skill of flexibility in seeking relevant and personalized care for each client.
How Therapists Can Develop Cultural Competence
Ongoing Education and Self-Reflection
It might be easy for one to see cultural competence as boxes to check off - but instead, it should be seen as a lifelong pursuit in the practice of understanding. Challenging one’s own biases, remaining open to new ideas and feedback, and seeking out further education are ways that a therapist’s practice can reflect that they understand that humility and curiosity are just as important as knowledge.
Continuing education is a part of nearly every therapist’s journey - so why not branch out and learn about different cultures and identities? Listening to voices through diverse and marginalized communities can be done through reading, attending training, or even listening to a podcast. Accountability matters - awareness alone is a start, but needs further action to be truly effective.
Collaborating with Clients
A client should be considered the expert of their own culture in a therapy setting and should be approached accordingly. Open to feedback, a culturally competent therapist asks respectful, open questions to allow for space for their client to share their own authentic part in the therapeutic process.
Listening, not assuming, is the key to respecting a client’s expertise on their own culture. Collaboration has little room for growth in a therapist/client relationship when imposition and narrow lenses are present in these interactions.
What Clients Can Expect from a Culturally Competent Therapist
A culturally competent therapist’s focus is on providing a welcoming and open space for a client to explore how their identity, lived experience, and community influences their mental health. A relationship between a client and therapist can and should be rooted in both respect and curiosity, reaching for true collaboration and understanding.
Final Thoughts: Moving Toward More Equitable Mental Health Care
Feeling fully seen and understood can make a world of difference in a client’s journey towards healing. Culturally competent practices in therapy are not just helpful - they are necessary.
Differences can be a beautiful thing if you allow them to be. While no therapist can know everything there is to know about every culture, a commitment to listening, learning, and showing up for a client in all the ways that matter can make all the difference.
When therapy can find ways to honor the fullness of humanity, it can change everything.