Creating Cultural Safety in Couple and Family Therapy

Book excerpt: This important resource offers theoretical and practical approaches to understanding and working with cultural realities in training and supervision, particularly in family therapy. Clinical wisdom, empirical findings, real-world examples, and hands-on suggestions demonstrate the vital role of building and sustaining cultural awareness, both in supervisory work with trainees and in therapists providing fair, effective, and relevant services to clients. In the book’s multiple perspectives on the complexities of cultural identity, the attainment of cultural safety is shown as an ongoing process, part of professional development as well as self-knowledge across the lifespan. Critical distinctions are also drawn between cultural safety and relatively static concepts within cross-cultural competencies. Included in the coverage: A framework for integrating an understanding of oppression dynamics in clinical work and supervision. Expanding conversations about cultural responsiveness in supervision. When dominant culture values meet diverse clinical settings: perspectives from an African American supervisor. Safety and social justice in the supervisory relationship. Towards safe and equitable relationships: sociocultural attunement in supervision. Comprehensive multicultural curriculum: self-awareness as process. Developing cultural awareness and sensitivity through simulation. Creating Cultural Safety in Couple and Family Therapy will enhance the work of social workers, mental health professionals, and practitioners working family therapy cases seeking perspectives on addressing diverse multicultural realities as they intersect with clinical supervision and training.