Practicing Socio-cultural Attunement: A Study of Couple Therapists

Pandit, Mayuri L.; ChenFeng, Jessica; Kang, Young Joo; Knudson‐Martin, Carmen; Huenergardt, Doug

doi:10.1007/s10591-014-9318-2

Cited by 12 publications

(13 citation statements)

References 26 publications

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“…This informs what therapists reflect and ask as they seek to resonate with client experience. When therapists in the study appeared to “get” sociocultural experience, “clients expanded their level of disclosure, showed more emotion, became more relational in conversation, and physically connected with therapists; i.e., nodding, maintaining eye contact” (Pandit, Kang, ChenFeng, Knudson‐Martin, & Huenergardt, , p. 524). For instance, when the therapist in our example reflected that Lynette felt guilty that she did not always behave “the way a mother should,” Lynette began to cry and spoke in detail about the pressure she felt to be a “good mother” and her fear that she would fail to live up to these internalized societal expectations.…”

Section: Anviet–guidelines For Socioculturally Attuned Practicementioning

confidence: 99%

From Knowing to Doing: Guidelines for Socioculturally Attuned Family Therapy

Knudson‐Martin

McDowell

Bermúdez³

2017

J Marital Family Therapy

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Family therapists know that clinical concerns are not separate from larger sociopolitical contexts. Attunement to clients' sociocultural experience is foundational to good practice, yet few guidelines integrate attention to the larger societal processes or address social equity. The purpose of this article is to help therapists move from knowing about sociocontextual issues to doing socioculturally attuned practice. We offer an overarching framework that returns to Bateson and the roots of family therapy through a call for third order transformation. The approach is responsive to societal context and an analysis of power while working through enduring concepts of major family therapy models. Transtheoretical guidelines that can be integrated across practice models to promote third order change are illustrated with case examples.

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Section: Anviet–guidelines For Socioculturally Attuned Practicementioning

confidence: 99%

From Knowing to Doing: Guidelines for Socioculturally Attuned Family Therapy

Knudson‐Martin

McDowell

Bermúdez³

2017

J Marital Family Therapy

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“…They invite therapists to consider how social messages get implemented in interactions and to look at how both dominance and subordination reinforce each other (Sutherland and Jeffrey 2016 ). Socio-cultural attunement is created when therapists explore with their clients how culture impacts their behavior (Pandit et al 2014 ). This involves therapists listening for social discourses and for opportunities to link the emotions of their clients to the larger social discourses, which then creates resonance between the therapist and the couple (Pandit et al 2014 ).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Socio-cultural attunement is created when therapists explore with their clients how culture impacts their behavior (Pandit et al 2014 ). This involves therapists listening for social discourses and for opportunities to link the emotions of their clients to the larger social discourses, which then creates resonance between the therapist and the couple (Pandit et al 2014 ).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Exploring the Relationship Balance Assessment

et al. 2017

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Assessments of power in couples’ relationships often only survey one partner, but they do not take into consideration both partners’ perceptions. Thus, many assumptions about power and equality in relationships have not been quantitatively tested due to a lack of dyadic measures of power. Therefore, the purpose of the Gender and Relationships Study was to develop and test a new scale of equality and relative power for couples, the Relationship Balance Assessment (RBA). The RBA may be useful for research and for clinical work with couples to help raise awareness of the balance of power in their relationship. A review of the literature has shown a shift away from focusing on monetary resources and decision-making dominance towards examining relationship processes and the connection between gender and power. This study prescreened a pool of process-oriented questions based on the qualitative literature. Then exploratory factor analysis of data from 268 individuals and 91 couples identified 12 consistent latent factors underlying relationship equality. These 12 subscales are summed up with the TREASURES acronym: Time Discretion, Relational Power, Emotional Power (Emotional Expression and Avoidance subscales), Accommodation, Spending and Saving subscales, Union or Sexual Dominance, Rational Power, Economic Role Power (Status and Childcare subscales), and Social Choices.

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“…The term cultural attunement is not widely used in the literature. We found it a useful orienting concept because it involves the therapist seeking to take in and, to the extent possible, feel or “get” to the client's socioemotional experience (Knudson‐Martin & Huenergardt, ; Pandit, Kang, ChenFeng, Knudson‐Martin, & Huenergardt, ). Cultural attunement as a described by Hoskins () and expanded upon by Oakes () served as a useful jumping off point.…”

Section: Multicultural Context Of Therapymentioning

confidence: 99%

Cultural Attunement in Therapy With Mexican‐Heritage Couples: A Grounded Theory Analysis of Client and Therapist Experience

Elias-Juarez

Knudson‐Martin

2016

J Marital Family Therapy

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There is a need for culturally attuned approaches for couple therapy with Mexican/Mexican-Americans. This qualitative grounded theory study utilized interviews with 11 client couples of Mexican heritage and 14 marital and family therapists to shed light on how Latino and non-Latino therapists co-construct positive experiences of cultural attunement with Mexican and Mexican-American couple clients. Analysis identified a model of cultural connection through personal engagement with four interrelated phases: (a) mutual invitation, (b) shared engagement, (c) expanding personal connection, and (d) creating cultural connections. Clients in this study valued professionalism and expertise of the therapist, but felt attuned to and respected when therapists demonstrated humility, shared personal stories and emotion, and engaged in a collaborative process.

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Practicing Socio-cultural Attunement: A Study of Couple Therapists

Cited by 12 publications

References 26 publications

From Knowing to Doing: Guidelines for Socioculturally Attuned Family Therapy

From Knowing to Doing: Guidelines for Socioculturally Attuned Family Therapy

Exploring the Relationship Balance Assessment

Cultural Attunement in Therapy With Mexican‐Heritage Couples: A Grounded Theory Analysis of Client and Therapist Experience

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