Reflect on Diversity in Couple and Sex Therapy

Reflecting on providing couple and sex therapy with diverse couples in advance gives you an opportunity to problem solve and plan to work with a couple who presents different than you. When you think about working with diverse couples, i.e. those who present different from you, how do you feel? For example, maybe you are a white, able body lesbian. What would it be like to do therapy with someone who identifies differently than you? What are your strengths that will help you work with diverse clients? What biases do you identify in yourself? How will you respond to these biases? How does your culture, sexual orientation, religious identity, age, etc. inform your work with couples? When you think about power or privilege in working with couples, how do you think this will differ with couples of different religions, cultures, backgrounds and how might you address it? In your reflection, please comment on different aspects of diversity, including but not limited to ethnicity, race, disability, sexual and gender orientation, age, abilities, etc. Be sure to support your reflections with specific references to the assigned readings (or additional peer-reviewed articles). Lastly, identify at least three resources you can use to work on developing cultural competency when working with couples specifically.