What’s The Difference Between Culturally And Non-Culturally
Conscious Therapy?
You’ve heard the saying, “It takes a village to raise a child.” At times, it also takes a team to heal from past wounds and create new possibilities. One of the most potent ways you can heal yourself is through therapy. But not all types of therapy are created equal—there’s a significant difference between culturally conscious and non-culturally conscious therapy.
If you’re wondering what that means, I’ve got you covered! This guide will compare and contrast both types of therapy, so you know the difference, helping you determine which form would be best for your unique situation.
What is culturally conscious therapy?
Culturally conscious therapy is a form of therapy that takes into account a client’s cultural identity, including:
What events in the past have shaped and impacted their present life? How can their culture trigger responses to those events? How did their past experiences influence their future beliefs, thoughts, and behaviors? Is there trauma from the past that you might unintentionally pass on to the next generation because of patterns and cycles of abuse that go back generations?
Just because we hit rock bottom doesn’t mean it’s the end of our story. In life, the best lessons come in challenging packages. The trick is to recognize a chance to learn and take advantage of it to grow as a person.
What is non-culturally conscious therapy?
Non-culturally conscious therapy is a type of therapy that does not consider the client’s culture. For example, if a client has the bad luck to work with a therapist who isn't culturally aware, it's likely that the cultural part of their personality will be missed, misunderstood, or judged.
Addressing cultural issues can be extremely difficult for culturally unconscious therapists because they will struggle to relate to the person’s cultural background. A therapist must rely on the client to explain every cultural difference, and the therapist will give them generalised treatment instead of culturally conscious treatment.
In culturally conscious therapy, the client is treated as an individual, but the therapist also knows much about the client’s culture and how it affects their life.
Non-culturally conscious therapy is about treating the client as a generic person without knowing their background.
Culturally conscious therapy focuses on individuals’ unique beliefs, values, and customs to help them feel fulfilled. Non-culturally conscious therapy places them in general white western cultural norms before they are diagnosed and treated.
Culturally conscious therapists see each client as a whole person who reflects their cultural heritage and identity.
Non-culturally conscious therapists see clients as people who have lived in a specific location and belong to a particular social class. This paints a partial picture of what it means to be a human.
Bottom Line
The critical thing to remember is that both culturally conscious and non-culturally conscious therapy can be successful. It all depends on your needs, comfort level, and goals for the future. For detailed information on the subject, visit Bempong Talking Therapy.
