Beyond Western Paradigms: A Culturally Grounded Approach to Psychotherapy With Chaldean Americans

摘要

There is a growing need for research on culturally responsive psychotherapy to serve the diverse population of clients seeking mental health services. This study reviews the scarce research on Middle Eastern Americans, focusing specifically on Chaldean American culture. Although Chaldean Americans originate from a very traditional collectivistic culture, their culture is evolving as part of their acculturation process in America. This study presents a culturally grounded psychotherapeutic approach for working with Chaldean Americans by integrating PurneU's Model of Cultural Competency, the Cultural Interviews from the 5th edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual for Psychological Disorders (American Psychiatric Association, 2013), and the cultural and historical contexts of Chaldean Americans. The resulting framework includes cultural considerations specific to Chaldean Americans that can be applied from the beginning of the clinical process until termination. The purpose of this article is to discuss the importance of culture as an integral part of psychotherapy and to encourage future research to better understand people of unique cultural groups.