Cultural Competence In Psychology

Words: 654
Pages: 3

Our country is comprised of different belief systems on the quality of healthcare. In psychology, we deal with a lot of cultural discrepancies, which is why cultural competence is highly necessary. In my practice of psychology, I want to understand diverse cultures because it allows me to perceive what health service meets my client’s standards. The level of respect that I give my clients might not show respect, but be an insult that will make them uncomfortable. My goals in psychology are to make my client feel comfortable so they will essentially want to keep coming back for more sessions. Cultural competence will help me be more knowledgeable with different cultural backgrounds that I don’t have any experience in, and allow me to meet the …show more content…
Greenman, & Xie found in Milton Gordon’s (1964) Assimilation in American Life that when immigrants study American habits, their next generation would later begin to develop a taste for the culture (Greenman, & Xie, 2008). I could learn a new language; I will be able to reach out and connect with my clients who speak the language, and all in which will make me more acculturated. Why?because learning a new language will also provide me a link to the culture. Language is associated with culturally appropriate behavior. From my experience, the French language is related to culturally appropriate behavior in the formal pronoun "vous" (you) and the informal "tu". A person uses the word "vous", he/ or she is speaking to someone he/ or she doesn't know and to someone with a formal name, and when a person uses "tu", he/ or she is talking to someone closer to them. If I were to use the wrong pronoun, I might show them that I don’t respect them. I will need to develop a taste for my clients' culture to acquire trust from my …show more content…
Learning about a culture happens when I effectively Berno & Ward found in P. L. Pearce et al. (1998) that host experience acculturation, and what comes with it; stress (Berno & Ward, 2005). By focusing on acculturation, the host will learn new cultural skills. I could also open myself up to the countries ways of thinking and its concepts. When I travel, I will immerse myself in the culture by acting accordingly. I could research the local customs and etiquette of that culture because there will be a chance I could offend someone if I don’t know. What's considered offensive in the country’s language, clothing style, and eating habits are different from the U.S. In the end, I hope not to treat all my clients the same, but accordingly to their