Mental Health Across Cultures: What Multicultural Counseling Teaches Us
At CARE Counseling, Inc., we believe that healing must make room for difference—especially when it comes to how cultures define, experience, and treat mental illness.
In a globalized world, one-size-fits-all therapy simply doesn’t work. Our clients come from a wide range of racial, ethnic, spiritual, and linguistic backgrounds. They bring unique stories—and equally unique ways of understanding pain, healing, and emotional expression.
This is why multicultural counseling matters.
Mental Illness Is Not Experienced the Same Everywhere
What’s considered a “mental health problem” in one culture might be interpreted as a spiritual crisis, a physical illness, or even a rite of passage in another. Even common terms like “depression,” “anxiety,” or “trauma” may not translate literally—or may not reflect how a person experiences distress at all.
For example:
In many East Asian cultures, mental health concerns may manifest as physical symptoms like headaches, fatigue, or digestive problems—a phenomenon known as somatization.
In some Latinx communities, distress may be described through spiritual or emotional idioms like “nervios” (nerves), “susto” (fright), or “ataque de nervios” (attack of nerves), often treated with family, prayer, or folk healing.
In certain African and Caribbean cultures, psychological issues may be interpreted as a disconnection from ancestors, or as social disharmony, rather than internal pathology.
Middle Eastern cultures may prioritize family reputation and privacy, meaning that seeking outside help is heavily stigmatized or avoided altogether.
These aren’t just linguistic differences—they’re cultural worldviews. Multicultural counseling doesn’t erase these differences; it honors and works with them.
Cultural Norms Shape Help-Seeking Behavior
People are more likely to seek therapy—and benefit from it—when the approach resonates with their values. Cultural norms influence:
What symptoms are expressed (emotional, physical, spiritual)
Who people turn to first (family, clergy, elders)
What healing looks like (silence vs. talking, independence vs. community)
How stigma operates (some cultures associate therapy with weakness, madness, or moral failure)
That’s why at CARE Counseling, Inc., we avoid assumptions. Instead, we ask:
“How does your culture understand what you’re going through?”
“Who do you normally turn to for support?”
“What does healing mean to you?”
“How do you understand your symptoms?”
What Research Tells Us
Contemporary psychological and anthropological research supports the need for culturally adapted mental health care:
A meta-analysis by Hall et al. (2016) found that culturally adapted interventions were significantly more effective than non-adapted ones across diverse populations.
Sue & Sue’s (2016) Multicultural Counseling Competency model emphasizes that effective therapists must develop cultural awareness, knowledge, and skills, not just clinical expertise.
Cross-cultural psychiatry has shown that Western biomedical models often overlook culturally specific syndromes like “kufungisisa” (Zimbabwe), “hwabyung” (Korea), or “taijin kyofusho” (Japan).
Cultural Misdiagnosis and Mistrust
When mental health providers fail to understand cultural norms:
Clients may be misdiagnosed (e.g., labeling grief, protest, or spiritual visions as pathology)
Providers may pathologize culturally normative behaviors
Clients may withdraw from therapy due to feeling misunderstood or judged
At CARE Counseling, Inc., we’re aware of this history and actively work to repair and rebuild trust through culturally responsive, trauma-informed, and identity-affirming care.
Multicultural Counseling in Practice
Our team is trained to explore and incorporate cultural frameworks into therapy. This may include:
Using cultural idioms of distress in assessment and treatment
Incorporating spiritual or communal healing practices (if appropriate)
Understanding the role of immigration, racism, colonization, and generational trauma
Acknowledging cultural strengths, such as collectivism, resilience, and community support
Holding space for code-switching, bicultural stress, or identity negotiation
Therapy should never ask you to leave your culture at the door.
Our Commitment at CARE Counseling, Inc.
Multicultural therapy isn’t just a box we check—it’s a central part of how we care.
We commit to:
Ongoing education in cross-cultural psychology and equity frameworks
Affirming all identities, languages, and family structures
Centering the lived experience of BIPOC, LGBTQ+, immigrant, and global-majority clients
Collaborating with clients to define healing on their terms
We Do Our Best to Make Sure You Don’t Have to Translate Yourself Here
We see you. We hear you. And we will meet you where you are—with compassion, curiosity, and respect for who you are and where you come from.
Healing looks different across the globe. Let’s find what it means for you.