Cultural Humility Engaging Diverse Identities in Therapy

by Hook, Joshua N.; Davis, Don; Owen, Jesse; DeBlaere, Cirleen

• ISBN13: 9781433842863
• ISBN10: 1433842866
• eBook ISBN(s): 9781433842870
• Edition: 2nd
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2025-06-17
• Publisher: American Psychological Association

Summary

Cultural Humility offers a practical approach for meaningfully engaging cultural identities in therapy, to promote connection and growth in work with clients from a variety of backgrounds.

Aligns with APA Divisions 38 and 50.

The authors provide a therapeutic framework that integrates and contextualizes clinical training with the cultural issues and dynamics that arise in therapy. This fully updated second edition incorporates updated theory and research, and provides additional recommendations for how therapists from marginalized groups can navigate issues related to culture in the therapy room. The authors offer new resources to demonstrate how cultural humility and a multicultural orientation (MCO) can help therapists pinpoint and address the systemic and structural issues that can make therapy a difficult experience for many clients. Newly updated and enhanced case examples and activities are included throughout.

The MCO framework involves three components—cultural humility, cultural opportunities, and cultural comfort—which together enable mental health providers to integrate culture into the therapeutic process. The first part of the book introduces the MCO framework, and outlines strategies for working to improve one’s level of cultural humility and comfort in working with diverse clients, as well as the ability to recognize and engage cultural opportunities in therapy. The second part of the book illustrates the integration of the MCO model with key therapeutic processes, including developing a strong working alliance, navigating value differences, repairing the relationship after cultural ruptures, and working within one’s limitations. Supplemental content to support instructor teaching is also available on the book’s website, including companion exercises and resources, lecture slides, a sample syllabus, and glossary of key terms.

 

Author Biography

Joshua N. Hook, PhD, received his doctorate in counseling psychology from Virginia Commonwealth University. He is a professor of psychology at the University of North Texas and is also a licensed clinical psychologist in the state of Texas. His professional interests include humility, religion/spirituality, and multicultural counseling. He has published more than 300 journal articles and scholarly book chapters as well as several books. In his free time, he enjoys running, practicing karate, and cheering on the Chicago Bears. He lives in Dallas, TX, with his wife and two children.

Don (Donnie) Davis Jr., PhD, is a professor of psychology at Georgia State University. He received his doctorate at Virginia Commonwealth University and is licensed in the state of Georgia. Dr. Davis is a member of the Ken Matheny Center for the Study of Stress, Trauma, and Resilience and cofounded the Good Life Research Network. His work focuses on humility and virtues like forgiveness and gratitude, and the role of religion/spirituality in character development. He has published more than 300 articles or chapters in addition to books and is associate editor of the Journal of Positive Psychology. He is married to Cirleen DeBlaere and has three children.

Jesse Owen, PhD, is a professor and distinguished scholar in the counseling psychology department at the University of Denver. He is a licensed psychologist and holds various positions including lead psychologist at Lifelong, Inc., research director for CelestHealth, senior research advisor for SonderMind, senior research advisor for OrgVitals, and editor for Psychotherapy. Dr. Owen has coauthored three books and has over 250 publications. His research focuses on process and outcomes of psychotherapy with a focus on therapist expertise, multicultural orientation, and couple interventions, and he is cofounder of the Multicultural Orientation (MCO) Framework. His research has been supported by foundations, federal agencies, and private companies.

Cirleen DeBlaere, PhD, is an associate professor of counseling psychology at Georgia State University in Atlanta.

Her research and professional interests focus on examining the experiences of individuals with marginalized identities. Her research has been published in premier journals in her field, such as the Journal of Counseling Psychology, The Counseling Psychologist, and Psychology of Women Quarterly.

She has been recognized with several national awards, including the 2011 Outstanding TCP [The Counseling Psychologist] Major Contribution Award, 2012 Research on Psychotherapy With Women Award, 2012 Women of Color Psychologies Award, and 2018 Evelyn Hooker Award for Distinguished Contribution by an Ally.

Dr. DeBlaere is invested in teaching, training, and service activities that manifest her investment in diversity and social justice issues. For instance, she currently serves as the vice president for diversity and public interest for APA Division 17 (Society of Counseling Psychology). Recently, she was awarded the Outstanding Early Career Professional Supervisor/Trainer Award from the Society of Counseling Psychology’s Supervision and Training Section in recognition of her contributions to supervision and training.

Dr. DeBlaere also cofounded and is the inaugural cochair of the Division on Asian Americans With Multiple Heritages of the Asian American Psychological Association. She serves or has served on multiple editorial boards as a member, including the Journal of Counseling Psychology and Psychology of Women Quarterly; and as an associate editor, including The Counseling Psychologist, Psychology of Sexual Orientation and Gender Diversity, and Sex Roles: A Journal of Research.
 

Table of Contents

Dedication
Preface  
Introduction 
I. Theoretical Foundation and Self-Awareness  
1.  Developing a Multicultural Orientation 
2.  Exploring Your Cultural Identity 
3.  Reducing Cultural Biases and Working Toward Social Justice 
II. Cultural Humility in the Therapy Context  
4.  Cultural Humility and the Process of Psychotherapy 
5.  Strengthening the Working Alliance 
6.  Navigating Value Differences  
7.   Repairing the Relationship After Identifying Cultural Ruptures  
8.  Working Within Your Limits 
9.  Continuing the Journey of Cultural Humility 
References  
Index  
About the Authors