Family therapists, like most social services providers, have been encouraged to become culturally competent about the populations they work with. Cultural competence has generally been defined as learning about the cultural values, beliefs and customs of various ethnic groups. Listing ethnic trait characteristics had the virtue of alerting therapists that mainstream euromerican approaches do not fit all. However, cultural competence presents a stereotypical view that does not account for cultural diversity within each group, does not address structural inequality and continues to see cultural groups as “other” with whiteness and structural stability as the norm.
This workshop rethinks cultural competence by presenting the latest practice and research informed developments of a Multidimensional, Ecological, Comparative Approach (MECA), that offers a systematic non-stereotyped framework for cultural diversity and power inequality in the practice encounter. While cultural competence focuses on Knowing About, MECA stresses Knowing With, a shared learning between clients and therapist that focuses on cultural diversity and contextual stressors, intersectionality, finding strengths and using MECA for therapist self-reflection and cultural humility. MECA templates, interview questions and illustrations of interventions with various sociocultural groups, family dislocation, generational conflicts and systemic violence will be offered.
Learning Objectives:
- To learn the non-stereotyped concepts and tools of a Multidimensional Ecological Comparative Approach (MECA) for assessment and treatment practices that are culturally responsive and socially just
- To use MECA to facilitate self-reflection and “cultural humility” on the part of the provider about personal and professional biases that may affect one’s work with mainstream and minoritized clients
- To learn specific issues and clinical practices for working with world views and value preferences, contextual stressors, family fragmentations and generational conflicts in various sociocultural groups
Presenter:
Celia Jaes Falicov, PhD is a renowned family therapy author and teacher, respected for her expertise on cultural diversity and her commitment to social and racial equity. She is the Director of Mental Health Services of the Student Run Free Clinics Project, Department of Family Medicine, University of California, San Diego where she developed a program of volunteer professionals in response to the needs of under resourced immigrants. She also designed “fireside chats” to sensitize medical students to cultural and social context. A past president of the American Family Therapy Academy, she pioneered writings for family therapy theory, practice and training on transitions, migration, culture, social and racial context, receiving awards for these contributions. Her books include Cultural Perspectives in Family Therapy; Family Transitions: Continuity and Change over the Life Cycle, and the widely praised Latino Families in Therapy (2nd Edition, 2014). She has co-authored the 2014 APA book Multiculturalism and Diversity in Clinical Supervision: A Competency-Based Approach. Dr. Falicov provides individual supervision and organizational programmatic consultation on socioculturally responsive practices.
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Rethinking Cultural Competence: A Framework for Culturally Attuned and Equitable Family Therapy
May 2, 2025
10:00 am - 4:00 pm
Celia Jaes Falicov, PhD
5 CE Contact Hours
In-Person at Ackerman Institute for the Family