Diversity in Clinical Practice - by Lambers Fisher (Paperback)

About the Book

Too often, therapists and other helping professionals feel paralyzed by the fear that they don't know enough about other cultural groups to counsel clients different than themselves. In his debut book, Diversity in Clinical Practice, Lambers Fisher sets out to mitigate these fears by providing a framework for professionals to better understand the experiences of cultural groups with whom they are not personally or professionally familiar. With his encouraging and non-shaming approach, Lambers will challenge you to learn more about other cultures, accept what you do not yet know in the process, and utilize strategies that can help you become an increasingly culturally competent professional. Beyond ethnicity, you will explore issues of age, gender, sexuality, religion, acculturation, and social justice, as well as identify opportunities to strengthen your own cultural self-awareness. Applicable for a wide range of professionals - including counselors, religious leaders, occupational therapists, educators, coaches, physical therapists, and nurses - the practical and impactful strategies in this book will allow you to: - Journal about your cultural competency journey - Reduce cultural offenses and repair damaged relationships - Avoid ethical dilemmas - Build rapport with diverse clients - Understand various experiences of diverse people through case examples - Help clients of any culture make meaningful life changes

Book Synopsis

Too often, therapists and other helping professionals feel paralyzed by the fear that they don't know enough about other cultural groups to counsel clients different than themselves. In his debut book, Diversity in Clinical Practice, Lambers Fisher sets out to mitigate these fears by providing a framework for professionals to better understand the experiences of cultural groups with whom they are not personally or professionally familiar.

With his encouraging and non-shaming approach, Lambers will challenge you to learn more about other cultures, accept what you do not yet know in the process, and utilize strategies that can help you become an increasingly culturally competent professional. Beyond ethnicity, you will explore issues of age, gender, sexuality, religion, acculturation, and social justice, as well as identify opportunities to strengthen your own cultural self-awareness.

Applicable for a wide range of professionals―including counselors, religious leaders, occupational therapists, educators, coaches, physical therapists, and nurses―the practical and impactful strategies in this book will allow you to:

Journal about your cultural competency journey

Reduce cultural offenses and repair damaged relationships

Avoid ethical dilemmas

Build rapport with diverse clients

Understand various experiences of diverse people through case examples

Help clients of any culture make meaningful life changes

Review Quotes

In this work, Lambers brilliantly weaves through complex topics such as race relations, culture, social justice, and critical elements of developing trusting therapeutic relationships with diverse groups of clients. More importantly, perhaps, he offers the reader refreshingly optimistic, encouraging, and easily accessible insights and guidance regarding how to navigate such complexities in a respectful, thoughtful, humanistic, and uplifting way that validates all life stories and experiences.

Sean M. Reardon, PhD, LP, Director of Outpatient Behavioral Health, Park Nicollet Clinic

Lambers delivers exactly what the title promises: a shame-free approach to increasing multicultural competency. He emphasizes competence as a journey of learning and growth with relatable anecdotes and thoughtful questions for ongoing reflection. This book was an incredibly easy read, especially for such challenging and often emotionally charged areas of consideration. If you've been confused or even offended by training efforts in diversity awareness in the past, consider this a breath of fresh air. Lambers makes clear the goal of meeting clients with empathy and respect rather than furthering polarization - and all while validating that multicultural competence is a journey, not a destination. This is a must-read for any helping professional wanting to grow in their understanding and effectiveness, and I will be recommending it to my non-professional friends as well.

Jenny Beall, MA, LPCC, Threads of Hope Counseling

You won't find a more balanced and better written primer on multicultural awareness and diversity. Lambers Fisher writes like an engaging therapist who combines challenge, acceptance, and love.

William J. Doherty, PhD, Professor and Director of the Citizen Professional Center at the University of Minnesota

About the Author

Lambers Fisher, MS, LMFT, MDiv, received his professional training at Fuller Theological Seminary and is dedicated to providing support both in the psychology field and in church environments. Over the past 19 years, Lambers has had the pleasure of providing counseling services to diverse clients in a variety of settings, including urban and suburban environments, non-profit and for-profit organizations, small group practices and large mental health agencies, and secular and Christian environments. He currently supervises aspiring therapists, is an adjunct instructor, and provides trainings for mental health professionals across the country.