Family therapists face a dramatic increase in the cultural diversity of their clients. Multicultural competence will help family therapists meet the needs of their increasingly diverse clientele (Kocarek, Talbot, Batka, & Anderson, 2001). The measurement of multicultural competence is necessary in order to evaluate the outcomes of multicultural competence programs and the services that minority persons receive. This study reports the development of an instrument to assess clients' perceptions of their therapists' multicultural competence that can be used in individual and family therapy. This instrument was developed through three phases: item generation and theme development, client feedback and evaluation of interrater reliability, and pilot and validity testing. Winsteps (Linacre, 2001) software was used to scale the measurement data to the Rasch Rating Scale Model, and evaluate the dimensionality, rating scale use, item fit, person fit, reliability and precision, as well as to create norms for interpreting the measures. Preliminary support for the MTCI-CV suggests a fairly reliable and valid measure at this stage. Additionally, logistic ordinal regressions were conducted to determine whether MTCI-CV measures are associated with client satisfaction level and goal attainment level. We found that positive client perceptions of therapist cultural competence (on the MTCI-CV) significantly contribute to the probability of clients expressing satisfaction and goal attainment in therapy. / Ph. D.

As The United States population becomes more and more diverse, it is inevitable that clinicians will come across clients from a different culture. In this case study the researcher explores how cultural similarities and differences between the client and therapist affect the therapeutic relationship and clinical process. This is done by gathering data from 21 clinical sessions between the therapist who is Asian American and the client who is Samoan American. The result of this study shows that the client and therapist’s cultural similarities does not aid in the therapeutic alliance but the therapist’s racial visibility leads to a magnified projective identification from the client, which sets the course of their relationship. The art is used as a tool to diffuse the tension caused by the cultural proximity in the relationship and provides safety for the client to express himself rather than healing through the relationship with the therapist.

Text in Afrikaans / Die doel van hierdie ondersoek was om: 1. Die struikelblokke wat in terapie binne verskillende kulture voorkom, te ontleed. 2. Verskillende Westerse en nie-Westerse terapeutiese benaderings se toepassing op multikulturele terapie te ontleed. 3. Bestaande riglyne en modelle vir multikulturele terapie daar te stel, ten einde 'n model vir relasieterapie te ontwerp. 4. Ondersoek in te st el na die doeltreffendheid van relasieterapie op kliente uit verskillende kulture. Daar is 'n idiografiese model vir Opvoedkundige-Sielkundige terapie binne verskillende kulture ontwerp. Die model is enersyds gebaseer op 'n Iiteratuurstudie en andersyds op die beginsels van relasieterapie as Opvoedkundige-Sielkundige benadering. Die resultate het die volgende getoon: 1. Hindernisse in Opvoedkundige-Sielkundige terapie met persone uit verskillende kulture kan oorbrug word. 2. V erkryging van kulturele kennis oor die klient asook selfondersoek deur die terapeut vergemaklik multikulturele Opvoedkundige-Sielkundige terapie. 3. Aan die hand van die model vir relasieterapie binne verskillende kulture kan doeltreffende multikulturele terapie uitgevoer word. 4. Die model bied riglyne vir terapie binne verskillende kulture. / The purpose of this investigation was: 1. To analyse impediments appearing in therapy within different cultures. 2. To analyse the application of different Western and non-Western therapeutic approaches on multicultural therapy. 3. To bring about existing guidelines and models for multicultural therapy, in order to design a model for relation therapy. 4. To examine the effectiveness of relation therapy on clients from different cultures. A model was designed for multicultural Educational Psychological therapy. The model is based on a study of literature as well as the principles of relation therapy as an Educational Psychological perspective. The results have shown the following: 1. Obstacles in educational psychological therapy with persons from different cultures can be bridged. 2. Attainment of cultural knowledge of the client as well as introspection by the therapist facilitate multicultural educational psychological therapy. 3 . The model for relation therapy within different cultures can be utilised effectively for therapy 4. The model offers guidelines for multicultural therapy. / Psychology of Education / M. Ed. (Voorligting)

Text in Afrikaans / Die doel van hierdie ondersoek was om: 1. Die struikelblokke wat in terapie binne verskillende kulture voorkom, te ontleed. 2. Verskillende Westerse en nie-Westerse terapeutiese benaderings se toepassing op multikulturele terapie te ontleed. 3. Bestaande riglyne en modelle vir multikulturele terapie daar te stel, ten einde 'n model vir relasieterapie te ontwerp. 4. Ondersoek in te st el na die doeltreffendheid van relasieterapie op kliente uit verskillende kulture. Daar is 'n idiografiese model vir Opvoedkundige-Sielkundige terapie binne verskillende kulture ontwerp. Die model is enersyds gebaseer op 'n Iiteratuurstudie en andersyds op die beginsels van relasieterapie as Opvoedkundige-Sielkundige benadering. Die resultate het die volgende getoon: 1. Hindernisse in Opvoedkundige-Sielkundige terapie met persone uit verskillende kulture kan oorbrug word. 2. V erkryging van kulturele kennis oor die klient asook selfondersoek deur die terapeut vergemaklik multikulturele Opvoedkundige-Sielkundige terapie. 3. Aan die hand van die model vir relasieterapie binne verskillende kulture kan doeltreffende multikulturele terapie uitgevoer word. 4. Die model bied riglyne vir terapie binne verskillende kulture. / The purpose of this investigation was: 1. To analyse impediments appearing in therapy within different cultures. 2. To analyse the application of different Western and non-Western therapeutic approaches on multicultural therapy. 3. To bring about existing guidelines and models for multicultural therapy, in order to design a model for relation therapy. 4. To examine the effectiveness of relation therapy on clients from different cultures. A model was designed for multicultural Educational Psychological therapy. The model is based on a study of literature as well as the principles of relation therapy as an Educational Psychological perspective. The results have shown the following: 1. Obstacles in educational psychological therapy with persons from different cultures can be bridged. 2. Attainment of cultural knowledge of the client as well as introspection by the therapist facilitate multicultural educational psychological therapy. 3 . The model for relation therapy within different cultures can be utilised effectively for therapy 4. The model offers guidelines for multicultural therapy. / Psychology of Education / M. Ed. (Voorligting)