THE MULTICULTURAL PERSPECTIVE IN THERAPY - A SOCIAL CONSTRUCTIONIST APPROACH

As the population of the United States becomes increasingly aware of its cultural diversity and the value of such, practitioners of all theoretical backgrounds will be pressed to make their work more germane to a multicultural clientele. This article presents the authors' collective experience of using the postmodern theory of social constructionism as a basis for counseling culturally different clients. First, the main points of both multiculturalism and social constructionism are summarized. Second, issues of mutual concern to both perspectives are examined. Third, applications to psychotherapy are explored. Finally, the challenges of applying the social constructionist approach to culturally competent counseling are discussed.