ABSTRACT

The fact that clients often feel inferior to their counselors—especially clients from non-dominant societal groups—explains why most traditional therapies have had minimal success with such clients. Since SBT clinicians are mindful of inherent client–counselor power disparities, they approach clients from a position of cultural humility. More specifically, they view every client as a “culture of one” and every session as a cross-cultural exchange, involve clients in every aspect of their care, and focus on client strengths and resources. These SBT principles and practices serve as built-in safeguards for providing effective, culturally responsive services.