Multiculturalism and the Therapeutic Process [Hardcover]

Judith Marks Mishne DSW (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 3, 2002 | ISBN-10: 1572307757 | ISBN-13: 978-1572307759 | Edition: 1

Clients in psychodynamic therapy come from all ethnic and cultural backgrounds, as do therapists, yet cross-cultural issues are often oversimplified or ignored in clinical practice and training.This volume helps therapists incorporate awareness of diversity into all phases of treatment, from referral and assessment to working through and termination. Using extensive case material, Judith Mishne illuminates the ways that differences in ethnicity, national origin, religion, gender, class background, and age enter into both the personal identity of client and therapist and the moment-to-moment process of therapy. She offers clear guidance for understanding and navigating the intersubjective issues that arise, drawing from the literatures of multicultural therapy, self psychology, and object relations. Demonstrating how to build and sustain a strong, empathic treatment alliance--one based on openness, self-awareness, curiosity, and specific cultural knowledge--this book is a vital resource for contemporary clinicians.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Mishne's book makes a rich contribution to our thinking about qualities of the clinical encounter with clients of different ethnic and cultural backgrounds. She demonstrates how increased awareness of our own culturally inflected ways of being and doing, as well as openness to those of clients, can help us meet the challenges of multicultural work. Case examples featuring a true diversity of clients will be invaluable in teaching and learning the importance of this component of clinical social work practice. The book will also be useful in psychoanalytic training programs, which now unequivocally recognize the need for attention to the sociocultural surround."--Jean B. Sanville, MSW, PhD, Supervising and Training Analyst, The Los Angeles Institute and Society for Psychoanalytic Studies

"Judith Mishne's timely and well-written work will be an especially welcome addition to the emerging interdisciplinary literature on multicultural treatment. It is enriched by detailed expositions of the psychoanalytic literature and by richly developed clinical illustrations of multicultural treatment involving children, adolescents, and adults. Among the book's many strengths is the author's revealing commentary on the clinical process in each case, through which a variety of important issues--such as resistance, the transference-countertransference matrix, and working through--are presented and explored. Mishne has performed a valuable service to both students and more experienced clinicians with this notable contribution to the field of multicultural practice."--Jerry Brandell, PhD, School of Social Work, Wayne State University; author of Of Mice and Metaphors; founding editor, Psychoanalytic Social Work

"This book moves forward the development of culturally responsive psychotherapy. By carefully examining the therapeutic relationship, Judith Mishne offers a lucid and powerful analysis of the role of culture in psychotherapy. I highly recommend this book to everyone interested in multicultural clinical practice. It is a welcome addition for beginners as well as seasoned clinicians."--Lillian Comas-Díaz, PhD, Director, Transcultural Mental Health Institute, Washington, DC

"This fundamental book provides valuable theoretical and practical concepts for understanding and addressing the psychological needs of culturally diverse patients. Judith Mishne's rich, clear, and detailed clinical studies elucidate several approaches for understanding this complex process in the therapeutic setting. Her emphasis on object relations, defenses, and the intersubjective exchange brings fresh insight into enhancing, informing, and stimulating the reader's thinking. This book is a 'must' for all practitioners interested in alleviating the suffering of culturally disenfranchised people."--Purnima Mehta, MD

About the Author

Judith Mishne, DSW, is a Full Professor at the Shirley M. Ehrenkranz School of Social Work, New York University, where she has been since 1979. The author or editor of numerous books and articles, she has presented at over 100 professional conferences. Dr. Mishne serves as consulting editor on the [i]Journal of Analytic Social Work[/i] and the [i]Child and Adolescent Social Work Journal.[/i] She has been a Visiting Scholar at the Bar Ilan University School of Social Work and at the University of Haifa School of Social Work, both in Israel. She also maintains a private practice.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 268 pages
• Publisher: The Guilford Press; 1 edition (July 3, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1572307757
• ISBN-13: 978-1572307759
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.3 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #611,460 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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