On Diversity

On Diversity

A major challenge faced by therapists in Sydney today is to understand the complexity of cultural diversity. Imagine a psychotherapist trying to undertake grief counselling, for example, without an understanding of how the grieving process works in their client’s culture.

Almost 30% of Australia’s population was born overseas – the figure for Sydney is even higher – and that can create issues of adaptation. Meanwhile, those born in Australia, but to overseas parents, can face a different but related issue – that of feeling caught between two identities: their Australian identity, and the identity of their parents’ culture.

I myself am the product of two different cultures, so I do feel that my heightened sensitivity to cultural issues should grant me some competence. But there are numerous cultural groups to which I have not had significant exposure in a therapy context, including Indigenous Australians.

The truth is, it’s impossible for a therapist to be intimately familiar with every culture. Indeed, culture can vary wildly even within the same ethnic group.

Plus, culture goes a lot deeper than just ethnicity. For example, professions tend to have their own culture. Then there are sub-cultures, such as people who follow a particular lifestyle, or who like a particular type of music or fashion.

In short, it’s impossible to acquire an understanding of every culture. The best approach is to acknowledge what we don’t know, and adopt a 100% non-judgmental attitude.

I’m non-judgmental and egalitarian by nature - it’s a core part of who I am - but to earn the trust of culturally diverse clients, whose backgrounds I may have much to learn about, all I can do is try to demonstrate a humble curiosity, and show that I respect them and empathise with them.