Working with Families in Uganda and the United States: Lessons in Cross-Cultural Professional Training

Abstract

The field of family therapy is becoming increasingly internationalized resulting in more opportunities for cross-cultural learning. While this is an exciting time, it is important to look at the ways we share knowledge across cultures, especially when there are power and resource differences between collaborators. We share our experience of collaborating across cultures in the development and delivery of a seven-day family therapy workshop in rural Uganda. We explore our process in preparing for this collaboration and offer a potential framework for transferring professional knowledge across cultures.There are growing opportunities for cross-cultural learning as the field of family therapy becomes increasingly internationalized (Fang, McDowell & Holland, 2006). Students from the United States (US) are engaging in international coursework to a greater extent and students from all over the world are studying family therapy

Up Close: Family Therapy Challenges and Innovations Around the World

“…With such a focus, counselors commonly talk about safer sex practices with couples and families and teens. Family therapy practitioners engage with issues of religion, spirituality, culture, values, politics, history, agriculture and economics to understand the problems that families encounter (McDowell, Brown, Kabura, Parker, & Alotaiby, ).…”

“…Some have been exploited while others have been forced into child labor under tough conditions. Regional conflicts and the plight of HIV have created new types of families, like child‐ and granny‐headed households, families with multiple wives/mothers, families living in war zones, and child soldiers (McDowell et al., ). The prevalence and predictors of violence in the aftermath of war have been well documented in a recent study that focused on couples in Northern Uganda (Saile, Neuner, Ertl, & Catani, ).…”

Critical Patriotism: Incorporating Nationality into MFT Education and Training

“…As McDowell et al. () noted, “while international work requires and promotes insight into each others' and our own cultures, it first and foremost relies on our abilities to connect as human beings across differences” (p. 59).…”

“…There is also a need for continued efforts aimed at insuring that the insights gained during immersion education experiences translate into improved clinical practice. As McDowell et al (2011) noted, "while international work requires and promotes insight into each others' and our own cultures, it first and foremost relies on our abilities to connect as human beings across differences" (p. 59).…”

“…A final recommendation is that MFT training programs consider creating additional opportunities for trainees to study outside their nation of origin. International immersion education is beginning to be recognized as an important training component within higher education (NAFSA‐Association of International Educators, ; Ogden, ) and within family therapy education (McDowell, Brown, Kabura, Parker & Alotaiby, ; McDowell, Goessling & Melendez, ; Platt, ). Some forms of knowledge are difficult to learn simply from textbooks.…”