Working with Cross-Cultural Couples
In the United States, 1 in 6 new marriages is interethnic or interracial. Today’s therapists need to be equipped to help cross-cultural couples not only navigate the usual intimacy and communication concerns, but also address issues of identity, privilege and cultural differences, which are often ignored in traditional couples therapy. To do this well, and enhance our therapeutic effectiveness, we must examine our own blind spots and biases around race and culture. In this workshop, you’ll explore:
- The issues most often encountered with cross-cultural couples, such as an uneven awareness of privilege and the hidden relational impact of cultural assumptions and values
- How to help couples name and navigate their differences by exploring conflicting cultural norms around gender roles and couple formation
- Interventions designed specifically to treat cross-cultural couples, including attending to pacing to ensure full language comprehension, and validating the partner’s more marginalized experiences of racism