Multicultural Competence and The Therapeutic Alliance Essay 2022

Running head: PSYCHOLOGY
MULTICULTURAL COMPETENCE AND THE THERAPEUTIC ALLIANCE
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MULTICULTURAL COMPETENCE AND THE THERAPEUTIC ALLIANCE1
Culture is complex and multidimensional. It is also an important factor that influences the
therapeutic alliance. Cultural knowledge has become an important part of practicing health care
and this includes mental health as well. The social structure and the cultural values are an
important guiding factor that plays a crucial role in determining personal beliefs and motivation.
The following essay explores the implication of multicultural competence and its relation with
therapeutic alliance.
The term therapeutic alliance refers to the relationship that exists between a patient and
their therapist. This correlation is an essential part of the treatment process and implicitly related
with the practice of cultural competence. When the therapist takes up a client they are required to
understand the client or patient's cultural background that may have influenced their current
state. Living in a heterogeneous society where there is confluence of various culture especially in
a country like Australia, a therapist needs to be culturally competent in their practice to ensure
they can help their patients within the framework of cultural practice (Lo et al, 2003). There are
several phases of psychotherapy which consists of the following phases that is pre-engagement,
engagement, assessment and feedback, treatment, and termination. These steps need to be carried
out so that a proper diagnosis and treatment plan can be achieved.
Culture influences our worldviews, behaviour and determines our general characteristics
(Lo et al, 2003). Culture is not merely representation of food, costume but a set of ideas that are
present in our guiding practices and influences our belief system and our perception. For
example, in certain cultures women have lesser roles as the society has a more patriarchal view
point as a result of which some clients may refuse a female therapist to help them. In other cases,
women may not feel comfortable talking about their issues with a male therapist owning to the
cultural beliefs that women should not interact with a man. These aspects are influenced by the

MULTICULTURAL COMPETENCE AND THE THERAPEUTIC ALLIANCE2
cultural structure that people have grown up with and find it difficult to let go and seek the help
they need. Furthermore, there are clients who want to seek help only from people of their
community someone who speaks their language and they can trust. Case in point the indigenous
people who have suffered from the effects of the stolen generation may distrust therapist who is
white because they associate their trauma and oppression with that culture and may want
someone who is indigenous. This is where the multicultural competence is an essential tool
which can enable a therapist to practice culturally competent treatment process. Assouad (2014)
studies show that when the patient is broached with the subject relating to his or her culture they
respond better to the treatment and it helps in therapeutic alliance. It is important to establish a
sense of trust and bond with the client, sometimes showing cultural naiveté allows the patient to
talk. Therapists will often use cultural analysis on patients which helps them to understand the
influence of culture on the patient, enables them to diagnose them better and helps them to create
a treatment plan that is relevant to the patient's cultural beliefs.
Therapeutic alliance needs to have the following three components that establishes a
clinician's credibility; they are working alliance, empathic resonance, and mutual affirmation.
Therapy is a process that needs the engagement of the patient considerably. When the patient is
unable to connect with their therapist they are not going to respond to the treatment procedure no
matter how good it is (Lo & Fung, 2003). Therapeutic alliance helps to set goals for the
assignment of tasks and the slow development of the bond. Therapist need to understand how
their client's feel and how the experience has effected them. Certain cases conventional method
of therapy may not be helpful for the patient such as open confrontation for an Asian client (Lo
& Fung, 2003). Thus when a therapist wants to implement this it may have adverse effect on the
client and they may want to terminate the treatment process. These kind of difference is common