Too often, cultural competence training has led to the inadvertent marginalization of some individuals and groups and the reinforcement of existing stereotypes. This text explores the concept of cultural humility, which offers an exciting way forward for those engaged in the helping professions. In contrast to cultural competence, cultural humility challenges individuals to embark on a lifelong course of self-examination and transformational learning that will enable them to engage more authentically with clients, patients, colleagues, and others. The book traces our understanding of and responses to diversity and inclusion over time with a focus on the United States.

Topics explored include:

Us and Them: The Construction of Categories

Cultural Competence as an Approach to Understanding Difference

Transformational Learning Through Cultural Humility

Fostering Cultural Humility in the Institutional/Organizational Context

Cultural Humility and the Helping Professional

The book presents examples that illustrate how the concept of cultural humility can be implemented on an institutional level and in the context of individual-level interactions, such as those between a healthcare provider or therapist and a client.

Diversity, Cultural Humility, and the Helping Professions: Building Bridges Across Difference is essential reading for the health professions (nursing, medicine), social work, psychology, art therapy, and other helping professions.