ABSTRACT
Systems theory would appear to make it obvious that different cultural systems will have an impact on what is relevant, what is acceptable and what is effective within family therapy. Yet, it was not until the 1980s that family therapists began to discuss these issues (McGoldrick et al. 1982). Initially, debates centred around the question of `what did the therapist need to ``know'' when working with diverse groups?' This implied that a working knowledge of every culture that a therapist encountered was important (McGoldrick et al. 1996). Later, understandings about the nature of racism (sexism and hetero-sexism also) helped family therapists recognise that, despite the rhetoric of equality, social constructions of power meant that therapy with ethnic minority families had to be different from therapy with other families. In the 1990s, more and more analysis was undertaken to equip family therapists with both the theoretical and re¯exive skills needed to work with families from diverse groupings such as minority ethnic families, gay and lesbian families and different cultural groups. This has given rise to the concept of `cultural competency', which is now an essential element of family therapy practice. O'Hagan (2001) de®nes this as:
. . . the ability to maximise sensitivity and minimise insensitivity in the service of culturally diverse communities. This requires knowledge, values and skills . . . the workers need not be . . . highly knowledgeable about the cultures of the people they serve, but they must approach culturally different people with openness and respect ± a willingness to learn. Self-awareness is the most important component in the knowledge base of culturally competent practice.
