Until recently, the field of therapy has concentrated mostly on intrapsychic factors which influence the behavior of clients. Ethnic cultures have been studied in other countries most frequently from the point of view of sociology and anthropology, and mental health professionals in this country have finally realized that there is a wealth of diversity of cultures in the United States, each ethnic group having a profound influence on the values and beliefs of the individuals within the group. It is not possible to be an effective, ethical counselor to those of various ethnic groups without understanding the cultures. This paper summarizes the premise and contents of the book, Ethnicity and Family Therapy by McGoldrick, Pearce, and Giordano, and concludes with a personal response to the ideas presented by these authors.
The basic premise of the work is that therapy with an individual cannot take place within a vacuum, and it cannot always take place within the framework of white, middle class values, the values which have long dominated the mental health professions. Cultures found within the United States vary greatly on deeply-held beliefs concerning the nature and importance of time, human activity, human relationships, man's relationship with nature, and the basic nature of man (McGoldrick, Pearce, & Giordano, 1982). The authors of the work maintain that each ethnic group has its own ecology which becomes the human environment for the individual. These ecologies profoundly affect the perspective of the individual, and it is impossible to effectively intervene with assistance in problem-solving without some understanding of the nature of the particular ecology that is created by the culture.
The sensitive therapist will become acquainted with the subtleties of the cultures of the clients and support the strongest values of those cultures, while still remaining true to his or her own values and beliefs. Therapists who ign...