Culture and clinical practice:: Recommendations for working with Puerto Ricans and other Latinas(os) in the United States

Much has been written concerning ethno-cultural constructs and their application to the behavioral health treatment of Latinas(os). Perhaps because of the inherent complexity of attempting to describe ethno-cultural beliefs and treatment implications while avoiding stereotyping and overgeneralizing, writings in this area often begin with brief descriptions of select cultural values. Often what follow are treatment implications and recommendations, embedded in a broader theoretical discussion. This article builds upon this work by placing cultural concepts in ecological perspective and offering practice recommendations that follow from specific cultural beliefs. Although not exhaustive, these recommendations are intended to offer concrete approaches to care that are consistent with a contextual understanding of individuals of Hispanic heritage, particularly of individuals of Puerto Rican ethnicity living in an urban setting.