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Is it weird to want to seek therapy but from a therapist that is of my own race?
While the specialty should be quite important.. I’m concerned that I will face a disconnect from a therapist of a different race or culture due to cultural differences. I know there are some great mental health providers despite race, however I’m a little bit nervous coming from a mental health background and sitting alongside many of my clinical peers in classes that teach about cultural sensitivity. I’ve been blown away by some of their responses after they heard certain scenarios. More so frustrated that their seemed to be a disconnect in interpretation which led to not the best responses to resolve the issues.
Somebody tell me I’m crazy..or not?!
...not at all... you are the consumer when it comes to hiring a therapist, purchase what you want...and leave any guilt you may have about your lack of 'cultural sensitivity' out in the hall...
I don’t have a lack of cultural diversity nor sensitivity. However I have witnessed some of peers in action that meets this deficit. My concern is sharing something personal with a therapist that has no understanding of cultural verbiage or expression and then boom the police are at my house... thanks for the feedback.
I don’t have a lack of cultural diversity nor sensitivity. However I have witnessed some of peers in action that meets this deficit. My concern is sharing something personal with a therapist that has no understanding of cultural verbiage or expression and then boom the police are at my house... thanks for the feedback.
I think it's totally fine. I have an Indian friend and I wish he could find an Indian therapist because for SOME issues I think a similar background could help the understanding of or the basis for it. And sometimes the remedy might be different as well.
The funny thing is that on the flip side of my fears.. I admire the way that some other cultures deal with certain things. Makes me wish I had some of their upbringing especially for my foreign friends; family and honor seem to be staples in their upbringings!
I think a therapist with an understanding of perspective can be very helpful. I had a comfortable life growing up, but my roots (and many of my relatives) are blue collar. I know what it took to get my generation into the middle class. I had a therapist who came from money once, and she was absolutely clueless about the issues faced by average people. She told me, for example, that if I really loved my ex, I would go be with him in the rural town where he lived, even if I had to work in a diner as a waitress. It was EASY, she said. There were no jobs in the area for someone with my professional background, and I'm sorry, but I REALLY like having health insurance, which has always been a priority as I've seen how the lack of it can ruin lives. There were any number of things she could have said that would have made sense to me, but this was just ridiculous. Um, no, if I get sick my parents won't be able to float my hospital bills and if I upend my life to follow a guy, I will suffer a major financial setback that could require years to recover from.
I don't think wanting a therapist of the same race is a big issue when all sorts of cultural gaps could really have an impact on the outcomes. I don't like to give advice on here without knowing the cultural background of the poster because it helps me to know how I should frame things.
I don't know why the police would show up at your house over a cultural misunderstanding with a therapist.
Nothing wrong with wanting a therapist who understands your culture. I'll say for myself, though, that I'm white and much prefer Indian doctors and therapists. In my experience, they treat the whole person and care more about me as a human than others who only treat symptoms or don't listen or care more about what the insurance says. I don't feel patronized, I guess is the main thing and I feel listened to and heard and treated with kindness. There's always an exception here and there, but overall, I prefer Indian doctors and therapists for these reasons.
Is it weird to want to seek therapy but from a therapist that is of my own race?
While the specialty should be quite important.. I’m concerned that I will face a disconnect from a therapist of a different race or culture due to cultural differences. I know there are some great mental health providers despite race, however I’m a little bit nervous coming from a mental health background and sitting alongside many of my clinical peers in classes that teach about cultural sensitivity. I’ve been blown away by some of their responses after they heard certain scenarios. More so frustrated that their seemed to be a disconnect in interpretation which led to not the best responses to resolve the issues.
Somebody tell me I’m crazy..or not?!
Question is whether a component of the mental illness in question is social difficulties. If it is a therapist an important consideration is some familiarity with the relevant culture.
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