NCJ Number
179327
Date Published
1999
Length
15 pages
Annotation
Culture-focused group therapy has been shown to be an effective way of engaging young people who may be reluctant to share personal information in a therapeutic setting, particularly young people involved in gangs.
Abstract
One of the assumptions of culture-focused group therapy, that everyone has something valuable to share when they are ready, bodes well for involving shy and introverted adolescents. Because the cultural focus draws on what young people already harbor as part of their life experiences, it does not require them to learn anything new or to take risks that may not have positive outcomes. Culture-focused group therapy has been beneficial as an adjunct to more traditional mental health approaches whose utility with minority adolescents is questionable at times. Culture-focused therapy creates opportunities for adolescents to connect with others by sharing personal dimensions of themselves that they may not have previously considered to be unique or special. If others in the group share in cultural beliefs and practices, then bonds of similarity are created. If differences exist among group members, then learning about others occurs. In either situation, group members can better understand their world may become a catalyst for psychological connection to others. This is a valuable lesson in the area of socialization and a maturational milestone that may open the door for exploration in private mental health work and in relationships outside the therapeutic community. 36 references