Culturally-Responsive Therapy

Who am I? Who and what shaped the person I've become? What are the cultural scripts that I've learned, that influence how I respond to others? How does my cultural identity impact my relationships, my work, my beliefs, and my daily choices—and my mental health?  

These are the kinds of questions we can help you explore in a culturally-responsive therapy setting. Our cultural backgrounds can have a big impact on our mental health, from our experiences with racism, assimilation, family dynamics, immigration status, to money and career choices. Having a therapist who is sensitive to your cultural background can provide the emotional safety to explore these issues with curiosity and compassion.

What is Culturally-Responsive Therapy?

Culturally responsive therapy is a therapeutic approach that recognizes and integrates clients' cultural identities, values, and experiences into the treatment process. It emphasizes understanding and respecting cultural nuances to provide personalized, effective care that fosters trust and connection between therapist and client.

Signs You May Benefit from Culturally-Responsive Therapy 

There are a few ways that cultural identity can impact mental health:

  • Stress, anxiety, and depression: experiences with acculturation, assimilation, discrimination, and marginalization can lead to adverse mental health symptoms. 

  • Stigma and shame: some cultures may view mental health issues as a source of weakness, discouraging individuals from seeking help. 

  • Coping mechanisms: cultural norms influence how people cope with stress, trauma, or emotional difficulties, such as reliance on family, religion, or alternative healing practices. Sometimes these cultural ways of coping can be positive, but sometimes they can be negative, such as substance abuse or disordered eating. 

  • Access to care: language barriers, systemic discrimination, or mistrust of healthcare systems can limit an individual's access to mental healthcare.

  • Expression of symptoms: cultural norms often shape how a person expresses mental health symptoms, which may lead to under diagnosis or misdiagnosis. 

How Therapy Helps with Cultural Identity

When feelings arise of being unable to fully express ourselves or be understood by others, it can cause acute distress. By working with a therapist to explore these experiences and understand how your cultural identity is impacting your mental health, you can find new ways of understanding yourself, expressing yourself, and defining your sense of self so that you feel at peace with who you are. 

At ECC Chicago, all of our therapists are committed to providing culturally-responsive care. We offer multilingual therapy in Spanish, Mandarin, and Korean, both in person and online. If you’re looking for culturally competent therapy near you, we’re here to help. 

Learn more about our approach to culturally-responsive therapy by reading our blog: 

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