CROSS-CULTURAL ISSUES IN PSYCHOLOGY TRAINING-PROGRAMS - AN INVITATION FOR DISCUSSION

The American Psychological Association has, since 1973, formally supported the inclusion of cross-cultural training in accredited clinical psychology programs. However, in practice, such training has been slow in implementation at the departmental level. In this article, possible reasons are discussed for the resistance against including cross-cultural training in clinical programs, such as assumptions about the scope and importance of the courses. These resistances are placed within a framework of majority culture identity models (e.g., Ponterotto, 1988). The content of the cross-cultural course taught at Washington State University is described in detail. It is offered as a model for those interested in developing a similar course and also serves to inform those unaware of the contents of such courses. The authors hope to stimulate a dialogue about this important topic.