Culturally Safe Emotionally Focused Couple Therapy (EFCT) with Racialized Multi-barriered Newcomer Couples to Canada Where Depression is Present in One or Both Partners
Culturally Safe Emotionally Focused Couple Therapy (EFCT) with Racialized Multi-barriered Newcomer Couples to Canada Where Depression is Present in One or Both Partners
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Issue Date
2023-05
Authors
Bailey, Natasha
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Abstract
This Capstone explored how findings of relevant published literature could inform a culturally safe EFCT intervention with racialized multi-barriered newcomer couples to Canada experiencing depression that addresses settlement-related features and fosters mental health equity. In Canada, these newcomers are typically from African, Arab, Central Asian and Latin American countries with complex needs, including pre-arrival trauma. The researcher explored the effectiveness and limitations of EFCT with ethno-culturally diverse groups. The researcher also identified additional elements for an EFCT intervention that would adequately address identified needs, including the experiences of racism and discrimination, acculturative stress, and settlement-related issues. Key findings included: any pilot test of an EFCT intervention for racialized multi-barriered newcomers would need to involve them in an adaptation of the intervention in order to optimize cultural safety; make stress and emotional masking or reactivity due to oppression and settlement-related features explicit and reflected as part of the interactional cycle of the couple; make the assessment phase longer to take into account assessment of settlement barriers such as pre-migration trauma, loss of close networks, isolation, loneliness, low social support, language, employment difficulties and resulting financial stress, and provide a lengthier intervention to support needed psycho-education and to address trauma. Finally, cultural safety necessitates addressing the social determinants of health and power dynamics in the therapeutic interaction and mental health systems. Findings informed a framework for a culturally safe EFCT intervention with the target group as well as recommendations for the formulation of a pilot test of the framework.
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Keywords
cultural safety , emotionally-focused therapy , immigrants , racialized groups , multi-barriered , mental health , social determinants of health , settlement
License
Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 United States , openAccess