Multicultural competence and strengths-based approaches are both theoretically foundational elements of contemporary counseling psychology. However, very few studies have examined how these two copestones of the field intersect in practice, despite the promise they both have empirically demonstrated in enhancing treatment. There is a particular dearth of data on the technical aspect of multicultural competence. Those studies that do exist overwhelmingly rely on clinician-side perspectives or solicit client input in delimited quantitative formats.

The purpose of the present study is to better understand client perceptions of multicultural competence in the context of a strengths-based approach to cross-racial/ethnic therapy. Fourteen college students were recruited to participate in an in-person semi-structured interview that asked them to reflect on their positive and negative experiences in therapy with White clinicians, with a focus on the ways that their personal and cultural strengths were or were not incorporated into treatment. Participants were prompted during the interview to reflect on their cultural strengths and provide feedback about their experience of this intervention and their recommendations for how cultural strengths could be effectively explored and utilized in therapy. Participants all identified as a racial and/or ethnic minority and had participated in therapy with a white clinician during the past two years.

Consensual Qualitative Research methodology was used to identify emergent themes in the participant’s responses. Participants reported widely varying experiences regarding the multicultural competence of their White clinicians. Two of the participants reported that cultural strengths had been explored in therapy, and the majority of the remainder indicated that they would have liked to do so. None of the participants indicated that they would prefer not to explore cultural strengths, and the majority expressed a belief that it would be a positive contribution to the therapy experience, particularly with respect to improving client self-knowledge and therapist understanding of client. Feedback regarding phrasing and delivery of the intervention included the importance of acknowledging cultural vulnerabilities alongside strengths and incorporating the exploration of cultural strengths into broader discussions of client culture as a whole.

These findings are important because they may provide new interventional avenues for enhancing the delivery of multiculturally competent strengths-based cross-racial/ethnic psychotherapy. Specifically, the findings contribute further to our understanding of how exploring cultural strengths can benefit clients, and how best to implement interventions that utilize cultural strengths in a multiculturally competent manner.

Two studies examined the relationship between positive emotions and relational processes in a Latinx sample. Study 1 utilized an exploratory, descriptive design to investigate the relationship between positive emotions and the relational processes of trust in others and felt sense of closeness to others. Participants were recruited to complete a survey through Amazon Mechanical Turk (mTurk), an online research platform. One-hundred participants completed the survey. All participants identified as Latinx or Hispanic. Seventy percent of the sample self- identified as men and thirty percent self-identified as women. The average participant age was 32.47 years. Correlation analyses revealed a significant positive association between positive emotion and trust in others. Correlation analyses also revealed a significant positive association between positive emotion and felt sense of closeness to others. Moderation analyses revealed that levels of relational interdependence did not moderate these relationships. However, in the case of closeness to others, entering relational interdependence into the regression cause the relationship between positive emotion and closeness to others to become non-significant. The results suggest that positive emotion may covary with trust in the Latinx community, across a diverse range of levels of relational interdependence. Results also suggest that closeness to others may be a more stable construct than trust in others. Clinical and research implications are discussed.

Study 2 utilized an experimental design to investigate the ability of two different interventions, Gratitude and Self-Affirmation, to induce positive emotion in a Latinx sample for the purpose of increasing trust in others when compared to a Control condition. Participants were recruited to complete a survey that included a manipulation through mTurk. Two-hundred and thirty-seven participants participated in the experiment. All participants identified as Latinx or Hispanic. Sixty-five percent of the sample self-identified as men, 33 percent self-identified as women, and .4 percent self-identified as agender. The average participant age was 31.07 years. Multivariate analyses of variance revealed that both Gratitude and Self-Affirmation were effective in significantly increasing positive emotion when compared to the Control condition. Interestingly, the Gratitude condition significantly increased trust in others while the self-affirmation condition did not. Multiple regression analyses revealed that positive emotion partially mediated this relationship. Clinical and research implications are discussed.

This study explored the following question: How do experiences of positive affect and social support influence an individual's posttraumatic growth? The following variables were measured: positive affect (pre- and post-PTE), perceived social support (pre- and post-PTE), rumination, and posttraumatic growth. Utilizing a descriptive field design, all participants were contacted through email to complete an online web-based survey. One hundred and twenty-seven individuals participated in this study. Seventy-four percent were female, the average age was 20.27 years (SD = 2.53), and participants were predominantly Caucasian (32.3%), Latino/a/Chicano/a (21.3%), and Asian (20.5%). Regression analyses revealed that perceived social support after a potentially traumatic event was significantly predictive of an individual's posttraumatic growth. Results of path analyses before and after a potentially traumatic event (PTE) show significant indirect and direct effects for the variables of positive affect and perceived social support. These results suggest the usefulness of focusing on increasing positive affect and perceived social support when designing interventions for survivors of potentially traumatic events. A model of influence was tested that examined the direct and indirect role of rumination in the hypothesized influence of positive affect upon posttraumatic growth, revealing that rumination, as well as the subscales of brooding and depression, significantly increased posttraumatic growth. These results suggest a need for future research to examine the varied role rumination has in relation to posttraumatic growth.

Therapeutic Processes in Equine Assisted Psychotherapy: An exploratory qualitative study

Equine Assisted Psychotherapy (EAP) is an innovative approach in the field of alternative psychotherapies that has been gaining recognition for the last decade. Nevertheless, the research on EAP processes is sparse and not well understood. Furthermore, based on the elements of mindfulness described in the literature, a therapeutic synergy may exist between mindfulness and EAP. This study explored clients’ perceptions of their feelings, sensations, and changes experienced during and as a result of mindfulness-based EAP in order to gain a deeper understanding of therapeutic processes involved. The study utilized qualitative interviews with nine military veterans, six women and three men, who participated in mindfulness-based EAP. They had a mean age of 56 (range 31-86). Eight self-identified as Caucasian, and one self-identified as African American. The study utilized methodology based on Consensual Qualitative Research (CQR) approach. Four domains emerged from the data revealing effects of the EAP interventions, the horses’ actions and the participants’ interpretation of the horses’ actions, participants’ level of satisfaction with EAP, and the factors that were perceived as challenging in EAP. The most important findings consisted of rich and in-depth information about the effects of EAP interventions as experienced by the participants and the role mindfulness factors played in their experience. The study also illuminated psychological flexibility outcomes of EAP, the influence of the horses, as well as participants’ satisfaction with EAP. Limitations and implications for research and clinical practice are discussed.