ABSTRACT
Contemporary habits of travel and communication have placed much of the world's population in "complex connectedness." Paradigms of cultural competence based only on recognizing cultural difference are not sufficient to take into account the subtleties and importance of the cross-cultural interactions between refugees and mental health services. Cultural, religious, and ethnic differences must be recognized by caregivers, healers, and therapists as important elements in the assessment, prevention, and treatment of the psychological sequelae of trauma in general and terrorism in particular. Many clinicians consider it important to incorporate elements of traditional culture into the healing process through the development and usage of culturally appropriate therapies. Posttrauma healing may require restoring the cultural context as well as using culturally appropriate therapies. Understanding culture is integral to understanding the predicament of trauma survivors and their families, whether or not cultural identity played a role in their victimization.
