Families are inextricably embedded within their larger sociopolitical contexts, an observation acknowledged by many theorists. The field of family therapy is working on its translation into comprehensive and effective approaches for helping families change. This article illustrates the use of the Cultural Context Model to help families change, guided by the linked foundational concepts of accountability, critical consciousness, and empowerment. The authors support their discussion of theory with examples illustrating the ways in which social patterns connected to race, gender, class, and sexual orientation shape the dilemmas that family members encounter, as well as their access to solutions.

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This study examines adaptive responses that mental health professionals of color use to cope with racial microaggressions in their professional lives. Twenty-four mental health professionals from diverse ethnic backgrounds in the United States and Canada participated in focus groups discussing their experiences with racial microagressions and how they cope with them. Results of the analysis indicated that 8 primary coping themes illustrated strategies used by the participants. These include: identifying key issues in responding to racial microaggressions, self-care, spirituality, confrontation, support, documentation, mentoring, and collective organizing. Suggestions for mentoring professionals of color are offered.

This article offers a brief analysis of heterosexual dominance within various cultures toward a larger understanding of domestic violence. It then describes the Cultural Context Model, developed over 15 years of experience treating domestic violence in its broader context, utilizing separate "culture circles" for men and women before and during couple therapy. It then identifies guidelines for assessment and intervention with a discussion of the special issues raised when substance abuse is involved.

This paper describes the efforts of the faculty of the Family Institute of New Jersey in recent years to develop a collaborative family training program that takes into account issues of gender, race, culture, class, and sexual orientation. We have come to realize how strongly traditional approaches have been skewed in the direction of the dominant culture--white, male, heterosexist, and prioritizing the needs and experience of the middle and upper classes. We have attempted to modify our teaching, supervision, reading lists, and overall training approach to challenge trainees and ourselves to move toward broader, strength-based, and equity-based multicultural perspectives in our training. We describe our vision, how we incorporate it into our program structure, and a few of our training initiatives.