Culturagram Assignment

Reflect on the experience of completing the Understanding Your Own Problems worksheet. Did you find aspects challenging, helpful, enlightening?

Prior to completing the culturagram, I completed the cultural self assessment. Through completing the assessment I reflected and explored my cultural heritage, worldview orientation, and assessed aspects of my worldview that are not congruent with the dominate cultures’ worldview, those that are incongruent, and explored my self-identifications. The application of cultragrams in the therapeutic setting, when working with diverse clients, is valuable. This process enhanced my self-awareness and prepared me to openly consider the experiences of the person selected for the culturagram assignment.

I reflected the norms of the client’s culture as well as their experiences immigrating to the United States, becoming a citizen, and the transnational balance of her family. I considered the complete history of the person and their their present day experiences. I thought about the cultural oppression she faced and wondered if she received adequate medical treatment in the US for her mental health problems. Was she provided a translator and did her providers understand her health beliefs and honor them? The questions that arose would serve me well to consider, how can I provide treatment that honors the health beliefs of my clients. The cultragram could help answer some of those questions and provide a good platform for asking the client questions relating to their culture, remembering that I am coming from a position of not-knowing. This process also lead me to consider which theories would be helpful to adopt.

The experience of completing the Understanding Your Own Problems worksheet and assigned material was challenging. I didn’t anticipate I would be hesitant in acknowledging, identifying, and admitting my “moods”. It was helpful to understand how clients would feel when completing the work. It was a lesson in contemplating ways to be sensitive to the client throughout this process. It was incredible to see the interconnectedness of the environment, physical reactions, moods, behaviors, and thought in my personal life. It was an enlightening and empowering feeling to be in control of changing thought patterns and behaviors to alter moods and elicit happiness. I’m excited for clients to feel this way about their problems, and to work with them on their journey, knowing that everyone experiences negative moods is actually comforting, but even more thrilling is the potential to work towards creating more positive ones.