Friday Lunchtime Program:Becoming a More Culturally Competent Therapist Presented by Victoria Herzog, LMFT

Friday March 14, 2014

Becoming a More Culturally Competent Therapist

Presented by Victoria Herzog, LMFT

Working with culturally diverse clients requires cultural sensitivity and competence in order for clients to feel truly heard and seen. Unfortunately, graduate programs and agencies tend to offer insufficient training in this area or training that too often perpetuates the "us versus them" paradigm. As a result, therapists often feel unprepared to work with clients who do not closely match their own cultural backgrounds and world views.Victoria Herzog believes it is possible to create an effective treatment alliance despite significant differences with clients.She believes that, if handled appropriately those very differences may enrich the process and lead to corrective experiences for clients and therapists. To get there, clinicians must first acknowledge external and internal biases. Her presentation includes both relevant information and experiential exercises to help therapists become more culturally competent, utilizing a focus on cultures other than white and heterosexual as a starting point.

Victoria Herzog, LMFT, is a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, clinical supervisor and trainer with experience working in English, Spanish, and Portuguese with clients of all ages. In her private practice in San Rafael, Victoria Herzog focuses on cross-cultural, sexual and gender issues, relationship difficulties, and depression and anxiety. Her clients include children, teens, and adults, couples and families. In addition to private practice and local community agencies, she has worked in schools and a reproductive clinic serving teens and young adults. As an immigrant with a multicultural background, Victoria Herzog has a particular interest in providing culturally inclusive therapy, supervision, and training. To learn more about her work visit www.victoriaherzog.com.