Cultural Competence and Master Therapists: An Inextricable Relationship

Striving for cultural competence and developing expertise are both highly desirable objectives in the field of mental health counseling. That the two concepts have been investigated rather independently of each other is surprising. The importance of and rationale for combining two scientific knowledge bases of cultural competence and research about expertise in mental health counseling are the focus of this article. The case for a more deliberate juxtaposing of the two research areas of cultural competence and expertise in mental health counseling is made by highlighting the interrelatedness of cultural competence and master therapist research, the diversity of mental health consumers, the requirements of ethical practice, and the need to reduce bias in how mental health research is conducted.