How to work with clients with different beliefs
We live in a highly diverse society. Differences in religion, culture, and politics are on display more than ever before. At some point, a client who does not share your views will walk through your office door. What is a therapist to do? Should you try to convert them to your way of thinking? Ignore the differences? Kick them out of therapy? Here is what therapists can do to work effectively with clients who possess different beliefs.
Summary
- Therapists must prioritize empathy, active listening, and respect when working with clients from different cultural, religious, or political backgrounds. Download my list of therapeutic questions.
- Cultural competence involves recognizing your own biases, educating yourself about your client’s worldview, and adapting therapy approaches to better align with their values.
- If a therapist's personal feelings interfere with treatment, it's important to seek supervision—or, when necessary, refer the client to a more suitable provider.
- The success of therapy depends more on the therapeutic relationship than on shared beliefs or theoretical orientation, making trust and understanding essential.
- By leveraging an EHR like TheraPlatform for efficient documentation and claim submission, therapists can maintain accurate records.
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How to engage with clients with differing views
The following are the basic steps to work with clients of disparate beliefs:
Listen: Before you can help any client, you must find out about their presenting problem, mental health history, and background information. This requires active listening, not educating, giving advice, or espousing your views. You might be surprised how many therapists would rather talk than find out what is going on with their clients.
Empathize: Empathizing with your client is essential if you are to understand their values and provide therapy. This requires not just a fundamental comprehension of their issues, but a deeper experience of their emotions. Remember, empathy is the ability to put yourself in another person’s shoes. That means that therapists must be able to do more than just intellectualize their client’s experience.
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Educate yourself: Despite what some people may think, therapists don’t know everything. They are limited by their own educational, cultural, and religious environment. When encountering a person of a different background, therapists must attempt to educate themselves about that person’s beliefs.
One of the best ways to do so is to ask the client directly to tell you about their experience. Don’t worry about sounding naive. A client will appreciate that you are asking questions that further your understanding.
Questioning also helps clients think about their views and may spark a realization that evolves their thinking. When educating yourself, it is critical to remember that all people—including your clients—have many layers and aren’t just a stereotype.
Consult with colleagues/supervisor: Part of your education may include consulting with other professionals. Certain colleagues and/or supervisors may have experience with particular populations that can help assist you with your treatment. It is incredibly valuable to receive guidance from seasoned therapists, especially if you possess negative feelings or feel biased toward a particular perspective.
Be respectful: Therapists are human beings. Like anyone else, they may have negative preconceived notions about people of certain backgrounds. However, therapists must be respectful of their clients no matter their beliefs. Without mutual respect, the therapeutic relationship will fall apart. Therapists need to recognize that the therapeutic relationship is the most important variable in the success of therapy, more so than theoretical orientation or therapist skill. And respect and empathy are the cornerstones of that collaboration.
Do not try to convince clients they are wrong: As a therapist, it can be tempting to try to sway a client toward your way of thinking. This is especially true when a client’s values do not align with your own. Don’t do it. Your job is to help the client reach their goals, not indoctrinate them to agree with your point of view.
Note: If you are a CBT therapist, you may wonder, “Isn’t my job to challenge faulty beliefs?“ It is, but remember, your job is to challenge thoughts that are causing problems, not ones that you simply don’t agree with or understand.
Embrace cultural competence: Being a culturally competent therapist has two main components: 1) the ability to recognize one’s own culture and how it influences your relationship with a client and 2) understanding and responding to a person whose culture is different from your own.
It is considered a core competency for all therapists, including psychologists, social workers, and professional counselors, meaning that therapists are required to be sensitive to a client’s culture when performing therapy.
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Culturally sensitive therapy: The first thing that culturally competent therapists should do is acknowledge the elephant in the room, namely that their client comes from a different culture. This can provide an opportunity for clients to talk about their backgrounds and therapists can ask questions to educate themselves and clarify misconceptions. Addressing a client’s cultural differences early on shows the client that their culture is to be respected and helps build rapport.
Conducting culturally sensitive therapy means knowing what approach may be most effective with a client depending on their culture. For example, a therapist may want to disclose more personal information with a Latino client because their culture values connection over emotional distance.
Culturally adapted treatments: Another way that therapists attempt to be culturally competent is to adapt proven treatments to specific populations. Research suggests that therapies that are targeted toward a particular culture are up to four times more effective than those provided for a general population.
Cultural adaptations may address different values, use specific language, and recognize particular cultural attitudes toward mental illness. Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), for example, has been adapted for several cultures. Conducting CBT with Asian clients includes important facets of Asian culture, such as an emphasis on therapist credibility, recognizing the importance of community, and maintaining group harmony.
What do you do if you dislike your client?
Sometimes, a client’s differing values may cause a therapist to personally dislike them. For example, a gay therapist might struggle with a very religious Catholic client who has expressed a disdain for homosexuals. When that occurs, the therapist must assess whether their feelings will get in the way of effective treatment.
Karen Maroda, a psychologist who studies this phenomenon, suggests that a therapist won’t have enough empathy to be effective with a client they don’t like. Of course, the therapeutic relationship can change over time. Although a therapist might dislike a client initially, they might have a change of heart over the course of therapy.
Referrals
Due to financial reasons or fear of failure, certain therapists may be inclined to work with clients no matter how they feel about them. However, the best course may be to refer the client to another therapist who might be a more suitable match. As was mentioned earlier, the therapeutic relationship is tantamount to success and it is hard to have a meaningful collaboration when you don’t like your client. Therapists must be honest with themselves about their feelings and make decisions based on what is best for the individual’s mental health.
If you practice long enough, you will end up treating a client that has a different belief system than your own. It can be a very difficult situation, especially if the client brings up serious negative reactions. Therapists must find a way to do their best for every client, irrespective of their beliefs.
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Resources
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References
Baker, B. (2009). How to Deal with Clients You Don’t Like. Monitor on Psychology, 40 (2). https://www.apa.org/monitor/2009/02/clients#:~:text=Consult%20with%20colleagues.,understand%20the%20client's%20challenges%3F'
Calkins, H. (2020, Winter). American Psychological Association: Good Practice Magazine. How can you be more culturally competent?
Cunic, A. (2024, February 12). VeryWell Mind. Seven active listening techniques for better communication. https://www.verywellmind.com/what-is-active-listening-3024343
Griner, D., & Smith, T. B. (2006). Culturally adapted mental health intervention: A meta-analytic review. Psychotherapy (Chicago, Ill.), 43(4), 531–548. https://doi.org/10.1037/0033-3204.43.4.531
Nagayama Hall, G. C., Kim-Mozeleski, J. E., Zane, N. W., Sato, H., Huang, E. R., Tuan, M., & Ibaraki, A. Y. (2019). Cultural Adaptations of Psychotherapy: Therapists' Applications of Conceptual Models with Asians and Asian Americans. Asian American journal of psychology, 10(1), 68–78. https://doi.org/10.1037/aap0000122
Psychology Today. Culturally sensitive therapy. https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/therapy-types/culturally-sensitive-therapy
Stubbe D. E. (2018). The Therapeutic Alliance: The Fundamental Element of Psychotherapy. Focus (American Psychiatric Publishing), 16(4), 402–403. https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.focus.20180022
