Culture
Multicultural Concerns
The purpose of family therapy is to equip families with the tools needed to overcome difficulties with interpersonal relationships. The many issues the African-American culture face are more unstable and aggressive than those of other cultures. Therefore, without acquiring the skills needed; for instance, effective communication skills and problem-solving techniques, most African-American relationships normally end in divorce.
According to a recent article published by Divorce360, 32% of African American couples ends in divorce (Moore, 2013). The reason the divorce rate is high is because most African Americans do not seek the therapeutic help they need to resolve problems within their relationship. The reason most African American do not seek outside help is because they are raised to believe outside help is not needed, or they have limited access to care, unable to pay for services, distrust of mental health professionals, or the anxiety associated with counseling. This paper will address, what led to the lack of trust and understanding involved in psychotherapy and why most African-American people do not seek therapeutic help
The first premise of why African Americans do not seek therapeutic help is because they are raised to believe outside help is not needed. Reason being, the African-American population do not trust the medical or mental health community. African Americans are extremely careful about seeking help for mental health. Generally, because when mental health services were obtained in the past African Americans were given large amounts of medication, hospitalized rather than provided with outpatient treatment, and exposed to insensitive doctors or therapists who lacked the understanding of how treatment could benefit African Americans. For example, at the age of ten-years-old my mother had a nervous breakdown and was hospitalized for several months. When she was released the doctor gave her a medication to take three
The purpose of family therapy is to equip families with the tools needed to overcome difficulties with interpersonal relationships. The many issues the African-American culture face are more unstable and aggressive than those of other cultures. Therefore, without acquiring the skills needed; for instance, effective communication skills and problem-solving techniques, most African-American relationships normally end in divorce.
According to a recent article published by Divorce360, 32% of African American couples ends in divorce (Moore, 2013). The reason the divorce rate is high is because most African Americans do not seek the therapeutic help they need to resolve problems within their relationship. The reason most African American do not seek outside help is because they are raised to believe outside help is not needed, or they have limited access to care, unable to pay for services, distrust of mental health professionals, or the anxiety associated with counseling. This paper will address, what led to the lack of trust and understanding involved in psychotherapy and why most African-American people do not seek therapeutic help
The first premise of why African Americans do not seek therapeutic help is because they are raised to believe outside help is not needed. Reason being, the African-American population do not trust the medical or mental health community. African Americans are extremely careful about seeking help for mental health. Generally, because when mental health services were obtained in the past African Americans were given large amounts of medication, hospitalized rather than provided with outpatient treatment, and exposed to insensitive doctors or therapists who lacked the understanding of how treatment could benefit African Americans. For example, at the age of ten-years-old my mother had a nervous breakdown and was hospitalized for several months. When she was released the doctor gave her a medication to take three
References: Fraser, J. S., & Solovey, A. D. (2007). Second order change in psychotherapy. Arlington, VA: American Psychological Association. Gladding, S. T. (2007). Family therapy history, theory, and practice. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education, Inc. Gray, F. D. (1998). The Tuskegee Syphilis. Retrieved from http://www.history.ucsb.edu Moore, D. (2013). African Americans are less likely to marry and more likely to divorce, study show. Retrieved from http://www.divorce360.com Vetere, A. (2001). Structural family therapy. Child & Adolescence Mental Health, 6(3), 134. doi:10441453