Ethnicity and Modern Therapy - Essay Example

Ethni and Modern Therapy In modern conceptions cultural identity has a profound impact on social well being. Factors such as social religion, migration, geography, gender oppression, racism and sexual orientation influence to a greater extend on the physical and mental health. This essay compares and contrasts the first chapter “Overview: Ethnicity and Family Therapy” and the handout entitled “Concepts in Existential Psychotherapy”. First chapter “Overview: Ethnicity and Family Therapy” The first chapter of the book Ethnicity and Family Therapy by Monica McGoldrick gives an overview and provides insights on various aspects of culture and how it is linked to the human well being. It emphasizes on the fact that while clinicians take the biological aspects of an individual to trace the ailments, it becomes equally essential to trace the cultural and ethnic backgrounds to complete the therapy. This is a new field of cultural competence in the health care to meet the culturally unique needs. The authors emphasis on the fact that ethnicity is a continuous evolution and we are all in the process of changing ethnic identities, incorporating ancestral influences while forging new and emerging group identities, in a complex interplay of members’ relationships with each other and with outsiders. Since each and every individual is unique and from unique backgrounds it is essential to find a balance that allow us to validate the differences between individuals and help to appreciate the commonalities. Besides, ethnically respectful clinical work aid people to evolve a sense of belongingness and also help them to clarify and cope with their self-identities in relation to family, community, and their ancestors and move forward in life. The first chapter also includes descriptions of family structure and relationships, gender role expectations, religious beliefs, and values related to work and education. For the benefit of a family therapist audience, authors described clinical implications, including what issues would bring a family to therapy, how to bond with these families, when to expect resistance, and what approaches to use or avoid. Case examples presented in this chapter demonstrate cultural uniqueness or successful therapeutic strategies. The first chapter provides an excellent overview of the complete text. In it, the authors explain the importance of the topic, compare and contrast a variety of ethnic beliefs and values, and discuss controversial issues such as racism, class, migration experiences, and intermarriage. The first lines in Chapter 1 remind readers how tightly ethnicity and family are intertwined: "Ethnicity refers to a common ancestry through which individuals have evolved shared values and customs. It is deeply tied to the family, through which it is transmitted." The authors emphasize that ethnicity should not be treated as a "special issue," but should be a part of the mainstream syllabus when training professionals to communicate with families and individuals. The authors in an attempt to provide understanding of the influence of ethnicity on family therapy processes, have written about the characteristics, values, and strengths of different cultural groups and also note that an understanding of cultural similarities and differences between the family and therapist is helpful. It also demonstrates how ethnocultural factors may influence the assumptions of both clients and therapists, the issues people bring to the clinical context, and their resources for coping and problem solving. Important themes resonate throughout, including the ways that religious and spiritual beliefs, historical circumstances, immigration histories, and experiences of racism and prejudice influence contemporary families strengths and struggles. And also emphasize that our understanding of these cultural patterns must incorporate not only ethnicity, but also gender, socioeconomic status, geography, religion, race, and politics, among other factors. There are several immigrants who have undergone harsh circumstances and the painful, traumatic, history they have left behind. As a result many of them ignore or deny their ethnicity by changing their names and rejecting their families and social backgrounds. The chapter points out that this is a serious problem and may lead to several psychological problems. Those who try to assimilate at the price of forgetting their connections to their heritage are likely to have more problems than those who maintain their heritage. However, if people receive negative or distorted images of their ethnic group, they often develop a sense of inferiority complex, self-hate that can lead to aggressive behavior and discrimination towards others. The first chapter in general gave a brief overview on the changing face of ethnicity particularly in United States, factors influencing ethnicity such as gender, sexual orientation, class race, religion, migration, politics and its impact on families. It also compared migration at different phases of life cycle and discussed how it can influence the social well being. Impact of cultural and racial intermarriage is also discussed in brief. And finally the authors have lucidly linked it to family therapy and emphasized the need that clinicians need to acknowledge these ethnic differences while adopting therapies. Handout : “Concepts in Existential Psychotherapy” In the handout the ideas of existential therapy is emphasized. Existential therapy began as a reaction by therapists who observed that patients were being fit into their therapist’s own perceptions and preconceptions without looking into their personal experiences. The main objective of existential therapy is to understand the life history of patient as modifications of his being-in-the-world, not as the idiosyncratic pathology of a specific theory. There are several views of existential psychologist presented in the handout to bring out the clarity in the subject. Specifically, these concepts are used to define anxiety, hostility and aggression and psychotherapy is a constructive way to confront these problems. The hand out also gives a brief outline on what is meant by non-being, neurosis and how it is viewed by society today, the concept of transference and how therapist can use it, problems of repression and anxiety-guilt. In the hand out existential psychologist Rollo May also gives six principles of the existing person. Of which the first four are of biological levels which are shared between all living beings and emphasize that the elimination of any of the six principles leaves less than what is a human being. May also give a brief overview on how the therapist needs to handle the patient and also how a patient needs to approach a situation. May says that for effective therapy the patient must make a decisive attitude towards commitment, and towards existence. Existential approach is not a how to method for doing therapy but a means to see, interact with and relate with human beings as something more than a biological mechanism. It emphasizes to view human beings as a part of the society and culture that in some way or the other has become the root cause for several problems. Though both the first chapter “Overview: Ethnicity and Family Therapy” and the handout “Concepts in Existential Psychotherapy” talks about approach a clinician or a therapist need to take, the former one talks more about ethnicity and its impact while the handout mostly talks about the existential therapy. Both places equal importance on the history of patient and how it can aggravate a problem and the knowledge of which can help the therapy. Read More