Developing a Culturally Sensitive Treatment Modality for Bilingual Spanish-Speaking Clients: Incorporating Language and Culture in Counseling

The article examines the role of language and culture in the mental health treatment of Hispanics. Although mental health practitioners and researchers have turned their attention to developing culturally sensitive therapeutic practices, an integrative framework is lacking. The proposed conceptual framework illustrates how the dimensions of acculturation, language dominance and preference, and cultural norms, values, and beliefs affect the assessment ofpsychological and physical health. Furthermore, a number of intervention strategies are described in a cultural context. This framework provides a meaningful method of developing an effective treatment program for the bilingual Spanish-speaking client.