Multiculturalism

I'm so sick of reading about how I'm suppose to see people of "minority" races as a separate alien species. I put minority in quotes because minority can be relative to the environment you're in. I do think that a therapist should take into consideration the possibility that a person's race has had a significant impact on their development. My only issue is with assuming that a particular person's race MUST be significant. I would let the client take the lead on whether I need to consider their race, or better yet, HOW I need to consider their race. I don't believe every white or black person is the same or should be treated with a special sensitivity toward their race unless they require it because of their specific needs. And.. a black person growing up in a wealthy all-white community might have a different understanding of their race than a black person growing up in an all-black (and probably low-income) environment.

In short, clients should be given different treatment based on their specific needs, and not necessarily because they're from a different ethnic or cultural background.