Dr. Kuo discussed the core building blocks to developing cultural competency within the clinical setting. He highlighted that the aim of cultural competency is to develop “an ear and an eye” for recognizing how themes of culture and diversity influence clients, the clinician and the client-therapist relationship. Dr. Kuo emphasised that both the clinician and the client have their own culture, values, and upbringing and within session the two create their own shared “culture”. Further, all these overlapping cultures exist within the larger socio-political culture of power. He highlighted that while western interventions focus on universal dimensions, clinicians should take other individual and cultural dimensions into consideration as well. Dr. Kuo also discussed the importance of the therapist’s cultural awareness of the self (i.e., awareness of their own social position and biases) and their client (i.e., cultural themes and factors affecting clients concerns and therapy process such as issues around discrimination). He also highlighted the importance of cultural knowledge (i.e., understanding worldviews of culturally diverse clients such issues around immigration) and cultural skills (i.e., therapist capacity to develop skills such as working with an interpreter). Dr. Kuo also highlighted cultural humility as a key building block for cultural competency. He described cultural humility as an ability to take an interpersonal stance that is flexible, “other- oriented”, and willing to acknowledge what one does not know. Lastly, Dr. Kuo emphasised the importance of social justice within the clinical context. He reiterated that client issues exist within the broader socio-political context, and we are required to be both culturally and socially responsive. Culturally-informed therapy must address client’s “social locations” and their corresponding privileges or lack-thereof. Counselling from a social justice stance requires advocacy at institutional, organizational and policy levels (e.g., providing clients with immigration related resources).

You can learn more about our speaker and his work here:

 Dr. Ben Kuo, Ph.D., C. Psych

Now what? Being changemakers requires that we do something. Here are some suggestions on actionable items:

•  Create open communication regarding cultural differences between client and clinician

• Consider incorporating cultural diversity checklists in intake sessions

•   Engage in social justice work and consider the larger socio-political context of clients