Therapist Behavior as a Predictor of Black and White Caregiver Responsiveness in Multisystemic Therapy

Therapist Behavior as a Predictor of Black and White Caregiver Responsiveness in Multisystemic Therapy

In their 2009 paper entitled, “Therapist Behavior as a Predictor of Black and White Caregiver Responsiveness in Multisystemic Therapy,” and Foster and colleagues identify several areas in therapeutic research that have not been extensively explored.  While research has found Multisystemic Therapy to be and effective interventions with ethnic minority populations, few studies have examined the mechanisms by which this form of therapy promotes successful therapeutic outcomes. Foster and colleagues study sought to examine the behaviors that multisystemic therapist exhibit when working with caregiver of teens with substance abuse.  Additionally, they explore the extent to which therapists implement cultural specific interventions when working with Black clients.

The finding that I find the most interesting from their study was that cultural specific strategies for Black clients were not significantly related to better outcomes for them when compare to their white counterparts. These cultural specific strategies, which the others called instrumental support and strength focus, were effective for both Caucasian and Black clients. This finding further support the importance and benefit of having diverse therapeutic techniques that draw on the strengths and cultural ideology of diverse groups. It is important to empirically investigate culturally competent strategies for working with diverse population and explore how cultural specific strategies can be helpful for multiple groups. Additionally, it is important to provide training and consultation to therapist to support their ability to promote positive outcomes with their clients