Counseling the Culturally Different: Theory and Practice

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Summary: Therapy, finally, beginning to reach the rest of the world..
Review: An amazing textbook that you can read with interest from cover to cover, Counseling the Culturally Different (and it's updated version, Counseling the Culturally Diverse) will provide a basis for understanding how to reach out and provide effective therapy to those outside the European-American milieu. I've often complained to my brother Kent, a therapist, that so much of modern therapy is focused on European-American culture, and I find it difficult to relate to or come to understanding in my own therapy, as I come from a kinship society. Then I came upon this class, Counseling in Cross-Cultural Situations, in order to prepare for future counseling possibilities in Morocco, and read this book.

Too often therapy, for all it's benefits, is focused on one specific culture, and especially on the American psyche. Sue & Sue look at how one deals with other cultures, with many great short case studies that help the imagination as one contemplates therapeutic possibilities. Some of what they look at are shame vs. guilt cultures- how do you work with someone from a shame culture to instill in them a healthy sense of shame? Such an approach would of course be detrimental to someone from a guilt culture, like the U.S.- but it's equally detrimental to *not* pursue shame when working with a shame culture. Or how do you deal with someone coming from a culture where the group is more important than the individual? Modern psychotherapy which focuses on making one more of an individual needs to be substantially remodeled for this group, for making someone from a kinship society an individual only harms them. Not only does this book help me to better understand my own therapy process; it has given me invaluable tools for future counseling possibilities when working with those in the 2/3rds world.

Sue & Sue look at different specific populations as well- African-Americans, Latinos, Asian-Americans, Native-Americans, the elderly, and the handicapped. They provide invaluable processi by which every group can come to learn to appreciate the wider society that they're in, and how they can learn to adapt to the wider culture while fully appreciating their own. The one flaw I'd find in this edition- Sue & Sue's take on European-American psychological progression is only looking at coming to a place of understanding other cultures; there is no part there for learning to appreciate one's own (European-American) heritage, as there is for the other ethnic groups.

I'd highly recommend Augsburger's Pastoral Counseling Across Cultures as well- though a very thick and detailed book, it adds much more meat to the backbone of Sue & Sue. And B.J. Prashantham's Indian Case Studies in Therapeutic Counseling gives very basic ideas for those who don't have much background in therapy. B.J. uses his own experiences as an Indian therapist, relating to those within his culture or other cultures in India, providing a very emic perspective on these questions.

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Summary: A Staple in Every Mental Health Professional's Book Shelf
Review: Sue and Sue’s third edition of "Counseling the Culturally Different" is an essential resource for all mental health practitioners. A required text in most multicultural counseling and therapy courses, this book illumines important sociopolitical and diversity issues related to the therapeutic process. The authors challenge counselors of all cultures to consider the impact that race and ethnicity can have on psychotherapy process and outcome. Readers may find themselves challenged as the authors unveil many of the ... pre-conceived notions that we as therapists hold, and ultimately bring to the counseling milieu.

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Summary: Complete Liberal Tripe
Review: This book is far worse than you could possibly imagine. It's sad that in many universities (mine notwithstanding) this poor excuse for a textbook is required reading. The following passage found on page 39 indicates that the authors are not only ignorant on the subject of counseling, but also economics.

"By the time baby boomers retire, the majority of people contributing to the social security and pension plans will be racial/ethnic minorities. In other words those planning to retire (primarily White workers)must depend on their coworkers of color. If racial minorities continue to encounter the glass ceiling and to be the most undereducated, underemployed, underpaid, an unemployed, the economic security of retiring White workers looks grim."

I am sorry to say that Amazon doesn't give me enough characters to respond to such a ridiculous, racist assertion