Ethnic minority cultural adaptations of cognitive behavioral therapy.

Abstract

Ethnic Minority Cultural Adaptations of Cognitive Behavioral TherapyA little over 20 years ago, during the "second wave" of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), when prominent cognitive and behavior therapists were embracing the merging of the two approaches into a comprehensive CBT, I was a new psychologist interested in the role of ethnicity in therapy. During that time, I commented on the lack of inclusion of ethnicity as an integral component of behavior therapy and discussed why it was important to include discussions of cultural diversity in treatment and research, including positive implications for making such a commitment (Iwamasa, 1996(Iwamasa, , 1997(Iwamasa, , 1999Iwamasa & Smith, 1996). Fast forward to the end of 2018 as I write this chapter, and the CBT literature reflects that some CBT researchers, scholars, and practitioners have committed to ensuring the applicability of CBT for people of color.Currently, there exist several books (including a new one from this author referenced later in this chapter), chapters, and empirical articles that focus on cultural adaptations of CBT for various ethnic minority populations. It is beyond the scope of this chapter to succinctly summarize this entire literature. Instead, this chapter highlights the overarching issue of adapting CBT for ethnic minority populations including the ethics of being culturally competent, summarizes the types of cultural adaptations to CBT, includes recent references for readers to consult regarding CBT with specific ethnic minority populations in the United States, and finally suggests areas of exploration for future work on adapting CBT for ethnic minority populations.

Ethical considerations of theory-driven and disorder-driven practice.

“…Although developments in CBT in recent years have incorporated culture and ethnicity in the framework of the models (Hall & Ibaraki, 2016;Iwamasa, 2021), a tension remains between theory adherence to structured treatments and the diversification necessary for cultural responsiveness (Gallardo et al, 2009). Among the challenges with ethical implications are (a) a dearth of research that identifies cultural and ethnic groups sufficiently for treatment efficacy studies, (b) a focus on patient change per protocols without inclusion of environmental and contextual factors, and (c) adequate assessment of the clinician' s cultural and ethnic identify in impact on the patient.…”

The experiences of non-indigenous ethnic minority psychotherapists residing and practicing in Aotearoa New Zealand

“…Ethnic and cultural diversity are increasingly recognised as important variables in psychotherapy research. Nevertheless, the majority of research in this area focuses on the ethnicity of the client and the challenges of adapting mainstream therapeutic modalities for culturally diverse clientssee, for example, Atkinson et al (1989), Comas-Diaz and Griffith (1998), Barletta (2007), Nagayama Hall et al (2016), and Iwamasa (2021). There is a dearth of research exploring the lived experiences of ethnic minority therapists; what literature exists, indicates that being an ethnic minority therapist can be a rewarding yet challenging experience (Rastogi & Weiling, 2005).…”