Cultural Case Conceptualizations of Social Anxiety: Bridging Research and Practice With Multicultural Orientation

Abstract There are distinct differences in how people experience and express social anxiety across cultures and identities, and consideration of these factors is necessary within the practice and research of counseling psychology. This paper discusses a brief review of literature focusing on cultural identities, including ethnic/racial, gender, and disability identities, and explains how sociocultural factors such as independent/interdependent self-construal and gender role identification shape the experiences and expressions of social anxiety among various subpopulations. In addition to exploring the challenges and opportunities of treating diverse clients, we discuss the applications of the minority stress model and multicultural orientation to case conceptualizations in counseling. These approaches are important for helping counselors understand and integrate their clients’ cultural identities and values into the treatment of social anxiety.