Overview
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Upon reading chapter 12 of the Gehart text, Narrative therapy and cultural humility are two concepts that have a strong connection with my experiences. I would encourage families to talk about their own stories and to investigate how experiences influenced who they were and who they are, and how that all intertwines. Supporting families to externalize their problems and open up a safe space where patients can re-tell their stories in a manner that fosters a sense of resilience and connectedness is a part of the person-centered care that I have been trained to utilize in my career thus far (Gehart, 2023). Narrative concept not only confirms their journey and experience, it also enables patients to look at their experiences from a different perspective, which, by default, leads to change (Gehart, 2023).
It is important to have cultural humility when serving diverse populations. It emphasizes the need to understand and respect family members' cultural background (Gehart, 2023). This concept reminded me of why it is imperative that, as a clinician, it is essential to be culturally competent. I have worked with children and families from various walks of life, and when reading about this concept, I realized this is being taught in the trainings I attend in my work setting.
When engaging with patients, I would strive to establish a culturally informed therapeutic relationship that intends to understand and validate each family member’s experiences and beliefs, acknowledging that their cultural background is the foundation of their family dynamics. As a clinician, I would implement this by asking open-ended questions which will help family members to communicate values and traditions, and a sense of belonging, free of judgement and bias.
Reference
Gehart, D. (2023). Mastering competencies in family therapy: A practical approach to theory and clinical case documentation (4th ed.). Cengage Learning.