Trainee Integrative Therapists’ Experiences of the Role of Culture in Therapy: An Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis

By the rise of multiculturalism in contemporary societies, there is a growing body of research on issues of culture in therapy. In this context it has been acknowledged that the clients’ and therapists’ intersecting identities interact influencing the course of therapy. At the same time, there is strong criticism of traditional approaches and, consequently on the integrative movement, claiming their lack of cultural awareness and applicability on diverse clients. As the importance of training has been highlighted in assisting trainees’ awareness, knowledge and reflection, the current study acknowledging the importance of the integrative trainee therapists’ views and reflection on relevant issues aimed at investigating their experiences concerning the role of culture in psychotherapy, using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis. Through the data analysis three Group Experiential Themes emerged. The first one concerned the experience of the therapists’ being in therapy that concerned their views on the need for exclusion of their culture, the parts of its intrusion and their emotional reactions to work with diverse to them clients. The second theme contained their views and experiences of their interaction with diverse to them clients and contained their views on the role of the clients’ culture, the different implications of cultural similarity or diversity between them, and the importance and obstacles of therapeutic relationship. The last theme, managing diversity, concerned the challenges they faced when working with diverse clients, the way they approach such work, the resources they use and their limitations. The study findings highlighted the importance of culturally-aware training to support therapists in their work with diversity, the need for reflection and cultivation of cultural competence and humility and the pervasive role of culture in therapy as experienced by the therapists themselves. Keywords: Multicultural Psychotherapy, Greek Psychotherapists, Cultural Diversity, Cultural Competence, Integrative Multicultural Therapy