Multicultural Approach

[The world we live in today is made up of a variety of cultures, races, religions, sexual orientations, ethnicities, and disabilities. It is essential that therapists have an inclusive approach to therapy and acquire the awareness and skills necessary to provide culturally competent therapy to client’s that make up the diverse population that seeks treatment. There are two approaches that will be reviewed in this paper; a) systems theory and b) multicultural approach. Both will be defined and the two approaches will be compared for use in four case studies, with the value of both approaches explained.
[Systems Theory Defined [Systems theory explains human behavior in terms of complex systems (Simmons, 2014). Therefore, the system explains

Therapist who practice this approach are trained to define, identify, and understand multicultural issues in order to treat clients. When a professional counselor works with a client from a different cultural background, the counselor needs to define differences such as religion, gender, family, history, and sexual orientation between client and counselor. In addition, identifying differences require techniques including body language, eye contact, and open ended questions. In some cultures directness is considered impolite (Delaware University, 2014). Acknowledging and considering these differences is essential to establishing a trusting therapeutic relationship. Another technique used by clinicians is to show understanding and addressing issues is by acknowledging the differences. It is important that client’s believe that their counselor is able to offer help and potential solutions (Delaware University, 2014). By communicating a desire to learn about the client’s belief-system, worldview, and methods of problem solving it is possible to develop culturally-sensitive interventions (Delaware University,

In the systems theory the therapist can utilize the systems the client is associated with to define and identify issues the client is dealing with in a larger concept. In addition, the client can use these systems to support the client in problem solving. The multicultural approach allows the clinician to gain a rapport with the client by identifying differences in cultural, race, and other features. Since trust is an important part of the therapeutic relationship this approach is essential in gaining the client’s trust. Both of these theories can be a valuable part of a clinical relationship, based on the client’s need and