ore or deny their own cultural orientation, including prejudices cannot hope to be particularly effective with ethnic groups different from themselves (McGoldrick, Pearce, & Giordano, 1982, p. 47). The authors contend that there is a myth that this country has created a melting pot culture, a homogenized culture that fairly represents all the diverse backgrounds of the people that have come to the United States. This simply is not true, and those in the helping professions have come to recognize the importance of educating themselves regarding the viewpoints of the clients they serve.
A premise of the book is that the skilled therapist not only must be familiar with the values and beliefs of the cultures of their clients but also must develop creative, alternative ways to work with families and individuals that are in harmony with the culture. An interesting case history describes a family in which the teenaged daughter (Puerto Rican) had become depressed and started doing poorly in school work after the family moved into a mixed neighborhood. The father was completely focused on controlling all the daughter's activities so that she would not lose her virginity. The therapist recognized that this father needed to be acknowledged as head
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