Cultural Effectiveness Training

This comprehensive model adopts a holistic perspective, aiming to foster cultural competence in therapy. Central to Cultural Effectiveness Training are several key concepts, including the five stages of nested development. These stages—Being, Survival, Psychology, Systems, and Soul—reflect the developmental journey of consciousness from conception to a state of profound interconnectedness. Additionally, CET explores concepts such as cultural desensitization, which signifies the transition of cultural stimuli from bodily sensitivity to cognitive awareness, and historical trauma, referring to collective emotional and psychological wounds transmitted across generations within communities. Throughout CET, mindfulness-meta processing emerges as a pivotal intervention, allowing clients to hold awareness of their mental processes while remaining attuned to bodily sensations. Grounded in mindfulness, CET aims to enhance clients’ ability to maintain dual awareness when faced with cultural stimuli tied to past events and to increase their present-moment awareness.

A detailed outline of the CET model is presented below.

Integrated Theories:

DBT – Mindfulness/Dialectic
Interpersonal Neurobiology – Attachment
Polyvagal – Vagus nerve
Trauma Theory – Historical Trauma
3rd wave feminism
Analytical Psychology

Assumptions:

The body has 3 brains: Cephalic (cranial/mind), Cardiac (heart/soul), Enteric (gut/body)
To be culturally competent you have to integrate the Cephalic and Enteric brain, which will result in the coherence of the Cardiac Brain.
The Cardiac Brain is what connects us to our environment.
Historical trauma hinders the integration of the Cephalic and Enteric brain by causing a person’s awareness to be past or future focused and not in the present moment.
Present moment is reality
Historical trauma is passed down generationally, through epigenetics, parenting practices, and cultural socialization, and reinforced by present day current events.
Through mindfulness interventions, a person can transcend the historical trauma they experience and connect beyond cultural differences.

Concepts:

CET serves as a meta-model, transcending conventional therapy approaches. This unique quality enables the integration of multiple therapeutic models, enhancing an individual’s capacity to navigate cultural issues arising from historical trauma.
In the CET model, consciousness unfolds as a developmental journey that initiates from conception and is intricately interwoven within the framework of parental consciousness development. The progression through the five stages of nested development includes:
- Being: This stage mirrors our earliest existence in the womb, characterized by a consciousness that is both simple and profound, centered on presence and trust in the inherent completeness of our being. It embodies a state akin to a beginner’s mind.
- Survival: Here, we experience a stage defined by our primal need for connection, as we forge bonds with our families, relying on them for our basic needs and a sense of security.
- Psychology: This pivotal stage marks the beginning of our journey towards self-awareness and the formation of identity. We start to recognize our individuality, distinct from others in our immediate surroundings.
- Systems: In this phase, our consciousness is heightened as we become acutely aware of our existence within the larger systems and structures that influence our lives. We gain insight into the social dynamics at play and their profound impact on our experiences.
- Soul: Finally, we reach a stage of profound interconnectedness, where we acknowledge the intricate web of relationships binding us to others and the world. It signifies a state of transcendence, characterized by the harmonious integration of self and collective consciousness.”
Sensitivity/Awareness:
- Awareness functions at a cognitive level, allowing individuals to consciously perceive thoughts or actions and analyze them with reason. On the other hand, sensitivity operates at an affective level, encompassing the underlying experiences of sensations, images, feelings, or thoughts within the body. Through the integration of both awareness and sensitivity, individuals can respond to cultural stimuli with delicacy and respectfulness.
Cultural Desensitization:
- is used to describe the process where cultural stimuli become desensitized from the Enteric brain (body) and primarily become a cognitive process led by the Cephalic brain (mind).
Historical Trauma:
- is a collective emotional and psychological damage that can be transmitted across generations within a community or population. It often stems from significant and traumatic events in a group’s history, such as colonization, forced displacement, genocide, slavery, or other forms of systemic oppression. The impact of historical trauma can manifest in various ways, including emotional distress, cultural disconnection, and challenges in mental health.
Soul:
- is often considered the eternal, immaterial essence or core of an individual that embodies their identity, consciousness, and innermost being. The soul is often associated with the enduring aspect of a person that goes beyond the physical body and is thought to persist beyond death.
Dialectic:
- refers to the integration of opposites or conflicting elements

Goals:

Increase peron’s ability to maintain dual awareness when presented with cultural stimuli associated with past events and remain in the present moment.
Increase peron’s ability to bring awareness to how their experiences being culturally desensitized influence their ability to navigate systems of oppression.
Increase persons’ ability to navigate cultural stimuli within interpersonal relationships.
Increase persons’ ability achieve coherence as they intergrate awareness and sensitivity.