ABSTRACT
The United States is a country of people with culturally and ethnically diverse backgrounds. As no two cultures or two individuals are quite alike, the cultural differences and potential incompatibilities that the interactants bring to a specific encounter can add complexity to the counseling experience. Therefore, service providers in cross-cultural encounters must be able to meet the challenges of divergent and unfamiliar cultural experiences, behaviors and identities to achieve successful treatment outcomes.
This paper explores the concept of culture competency in substance abuse counseling with women of color. The term cultural competence is defined here as a set of academic and interpersonal skills that allow individuals to increase their understanding and appreciation of cultural differences and similarities within, among and between groups.
Generalizations about cultural groups will be used to illustrate the importance of cultural sensitivity in counseling women of color. These generalizations are not intended to stereotype or to imply that all women from the same cultural group are identical or approachable in exactly the same way, but are an attempt to stimulate awareness of cultural differences.