Couple and family therapy across the globe: Cultural adaptations

Abstract Couple and family therapy (CFT) is a relatively young mental health field that has been disseminated across the globe due to relevance of its systemic framework, and evidence that family relationships have major effects on the well-being of children and adults. This chapter describes historical development of CFT and pathways through which its models “migrated” internationally primarily from the United States and other Western English-speaking countries. Overall, models were adopted with minimal attention to adapting them explicitly to local values, and little research has been conducted on their effects in those contexts. Today there are professional associations and training programs in numerous countries. We describe cultural factors that influence family relationships and therapy across cultures, including views about causes of mental health problems, collectivist versus individualistic values, gender roles, indigenous and professional support systems, conceptions of the role of a therapist, communication styles, and ethical standards. We provide recommendations for standardizing training and for research on effects of culture on clinical practice.