Cultural Psychotherapy

Book excerpt: Written by a leading expert in the field of culturally competent psychotherapeutic practice, this book presents an integrated psychotherapeutic framework designed to help students and practitioners understand, investigate and treat clients from diverse cultural backgrounds. La Roche introduces a logical theoretical model that takes into account the influence of sociopolitical, economic and cultural processes within the psychotherapeutic process. Using a three-phased psychotherapeutic model with specific clinical recommendations and suggestions for each phase, the book explores complex clinical cases that illustrate in detail each phase. Unique in its approach to and definition of the concept of cultural diversity, Cultural Psychotherapy expands the traditional ethnicity/race model to a model that examines individuals and groups according to a broader set of variables. In other words, the key to enhancing our understanding of our clients is to take into account the rich and dynamic context in which their lives develop and evolve.