As an expat psychotherapist I strongly stand for a cultural diversity and I'm sure that the cross-cultural competence is a necessary skill for those who wish to help people with another cultural and social background. That's the main reason why I'm based my practice on the principles of a Culturally Sensitive Counseling.
Culturally Sensitive Counseling emphasizes the psychologist's understanding of a client's cultural background, ethnicity, traditions, and belief system. I incorporate cultural sensitivity into my work to accommodate and respect differences in opinions, values, and attitudes of various cultures and different types of people.
Cultural sensitivity also allows me, as an expat therapist, to gain and maintain cultural competence, which is my ability to first recognize and understand my own cultural background and how it influences my relationship with a client, then understand and respond to the culture that is different from my own.
I'm sure that Cultural sensitivity practices can be applied to any type of therapy. I widely use it in Cognitive Behavior Therapy and Art Therapy, and it has also become an essential part of my career counseling.
Why do I use these practices? They help my clients feel more comfortable, making the treatment more effective. Different studies show the positive effects of cultural sensitivity practices and has also outlined examples of how therapists can be more culturally competent in their interactions with clients of different backgrounds.