Ethics and Multiculturalism: Advancing Cultural and Clinical Responsiveness
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FOCUS ON ETHICS Jeffrey E. Barnett, Editor Ethics and Multiculturalism: Advancing Cultural and Clinical Responsiveness Miguel E. Gallardo Josephine Johnson Pepperdine University Livonia, Michigan Thomas A. Parham Jean A. Carter University of California, Irvine Washington, D.C. The provision of ethical and responsive treatment to clients of diverse cultural backgrounds is expected of all practicing psychologists. While this is mandated by the American Psychological Association’s ethics code and is widely agreed upon as a laudable goal, achieving this mandate is often more challenging than it may seem. Integrating culturally responsive practices with more traditional models of psychotherapy into every practitioner’s repertoire is of paramount importance when considering the rapidly diversifying population we serve. Psychologists are challenged to reconsider their conceptualizations of culture and of culturally responsive practice, to grapple with inherent conflicts in traditional training models that may promote treatments that are not culturally responsive, and to consider the ethical implications of their current practices. Invited expert commentaries address how conflicts may arise between efforts to meet ethical standards and being culturally responsive, how the application of outdated theoretical constructs may result in harm to diverse clients, and how we must develop more culturally responsive views of client needs, of boundaries and multiple relationships, and of treatment interventions. This article provides addi- tional considerations for practicing psychologists as they attempt to navigate dimensions of culture and culturally responsive practice in psychology, while negotiating the ethical challenges presented in practice. Keywords: ethics, multicultural, psychotherapy, culture, cultural competency MIGUEL E. GALLARDO received his PsyD in clinical psychology from the Counseling and Health Services, as well as an adjunct faculty member, at California School of Professional Psychology, Los Angeles. He is associate the University of California, Irvine. His areas of research and practice professor of psychology at Pepperdine University Graduate School of include psychological nigrescence and racial identity development. He has Education and Psychology and maintains a part-time independent and been the author or co-author of four books on African-centered psychol- consultation practice. His areas of research and practice include culturally ogy. His most recent book, entitled Counseling Persons of African Descent, responsive practices with Latinos and multicultural and social justice was published in 2002. issues. He co-edited the book Intersections of Multiple Identities: A Case- JEAN A. CARTER received her PhD in counseling psychology from the book of Evidence-Based Practice with Diverse Populations in 2009. University of Maryland. She maintains a full-time independent practice JOSEPHINE JOHNSON received her PhD in clinical psychology from the in Washington, D.C., serves as adjunct faculty at the University of University of Detroit. She has a full-time independent practice in Livonia, Maryland, College Park, and is a 2009–2011 member of the American Michigan; is a consultant to community mental health and residential Psychological Association Board of Directors. Her interests include treatment facilities; and provides clinical supervision. Her professional professional practice issues, professional development, and ethical di- interests include cultural competency and business-of-practice issues. She lemmas. chaired the American Psychological Association Task Force on the Imple- CORRESPONDENCE CONCERNING THIS ARTICLE should be addressed to mentation of the Multicultural Guidelines. Miguel E. Gallardo, Pepperdine University, Graduate School of Psy- THOMAS A. PARHAM received his PhD in counseling psychology at South- chology, 18111 Von Karman Avenue, Suite 209, Irvine, CA 92612. ern Illinois University at Carbondale. He is Assistant Vice Chancellor for E-mail: [email protected] Professional Psychology: Research and Practice, 2009, Vol. 40, No. 5, 425–435 © 2009 American Psychological Association 0735-7028/09/$12.00 DOI: 10.1037/a0016871 425 426 FOCUS ON ETHICS Cultural Responsiveness Ethics and Multiculturalism: Where the Rubber The multicultural literature has been fueled by an increasingly Hits the Road diverse nation (U.S. Census Bureau, 2008) that has impacted the By Miguel E. Gallardo nature of how we assess, diagnose, and treat all individuals. Several authors have suggested that accounting for clients’ values, The first step in the evolution of ethics is a sense of solidarity with culture, and context is an ethical responsibility (Arredondo & other human beings.—Albert Schweitzer Toporek, 2004; Fowers & Davidov, 2006; Trimble & Mohatt, The delivery of ethical and culturally consistent therapeutic 2002) and that an absence of these considerations within the approaches has continued to challenge practitioners today because therapeutic context results in cultural malpractice (Hall, 1997). Sue of demographic changes throughout the country, professional man- and Sue (1999) argued that many clinicians lack cultural compe- dates, and the complex manner in which culture is understood and tence; however, more recently, Worthington, Soth-McNett, and manifested therapeutically. In addition, applied psychology is still Moreno (2007) conducted a 20-year content analysis of the Mul- challenged in adequately translating our theories and discourse ticultural Competencies Research and found that there have been around multicultural issues into practice. Another systematic chal- increases in the number of articles published and research con- lenge in the profession is the lack of ethnic and racial students in ducted in these areas. While the results of the Worthington et al. the pipeline and psychologists in the field. There remains a gap study indicate that we have continued to make progress in our between the rapidly changing demographics and professional prac- understanding of multicultural counseling competencies, the gap titioners to meet the needs of these communities therapeutically. between theory, research, and application remains intact. In the Hence, the need for the profession to continue to evolve in our recently adopted Guidelines on Multicultural Education, Training, understanding of what is cultural and culturally responsive prac- Research, Practice and Organizational Change for Psychologists tice. As the profession continues to navigate culturally responsive (American Psychological Association, 2003), there is a call for the practices in ethical ways, it will be important that psychologists profession to reenvision our own conceptual models as a way to continue to expand the lens through which we understand, and begin to change the philosophical nature by which we educate, manifest, our roles as culturally responsive providers. This article train, and practice; additionally, Guideline 5 states, “This guideline addresses how practicing psychologists can continue to reexamine further suggests that regardless of their practice site and purview of the notion of culture and culturally responsive practice in psychol- practice, psychologists are responsive to the Ethics Code” (p. 390). ogy, while negotiating the ethical challenges presented in practice. So what is our current challenge as practicing psychologists? Ultimately, it is hoped that our continued evolution as applied One challenge that continues to surface in the profession today is psychologists will expand our possibilities in treating a demo- that while we have made, and continue to make, progress in our graphically diverse nation. harmonization of ethically and culturally responsive practice, there As we continue to modify, adapt, revise, and reconceptualize are some who continue to call into question cultural issues and ethical guidelines and codes for psychologists (American Psycho- cultural competence in the profession (Satel, 2000; Satel & For- logical Association, 1981, 1992, 2002), we must also reflect upon, ster, 1996), thereby placing more credibility on being clinically revise, and reconceptualize the philosophical underpinnings of responsive, sans cultural responsiveness. In essence, if the philo- psychology as a field. Historically, proponents of the multicultural sophical underpinnings of psychology, in both theory and practice, movement have highlighted some of the challenges that practitio- placed culturally responsive practice first and foremost, our dis- ners are faced with when addressing the needs of culturally diverse course, and continued debate in the interpretation and utilization of communities, while simultaneously attending to ethical guidelines the ethics codes, might look different. The ethics guidelines and and codes (American Psychological Association, 1982; Sue, Arre- codes do not need to be called into question when implementing dondo, & McDavis, 1992; Pedersen, 1989; Pedersen & Marsella, culturally responsive practices. While the dialogue about these two 1982). Some of these challenges have included negotiating bound- domains continues to evolve, much of our focus in applied psy- aries within the therapeutic context, advice giving and providing chology is to ensure that practitioners and trainees have a strong solutions, and struggling with internal personal values when these clinical foundation, “to do no harm” (American Psychological values may differ from those of culturally diverse clients (Sadeghi, Association,