My work has as one of its key features the principle of being mindful of the context of the clients’ life. In the paper, ‘Learning as a context for differences and differences as a context for learning’, Burnham, Palma and Whitehouse write of the various differences that ought to be taken into account when practicing psychotherapy, namely the GRRAACCEESS’, which stands for; Gender, Race, Religion, Age, Ability, Class, Culture, Ethnicity, Education, Sexuality and Spirituality.
And what can happen when these factors are ignored or not taken sufficiently serious?
In her piece for The Guardian psychiatrist Suman Fernando argues that in making NHS mental health making policy the government has not taken into account ethnicity and race and despite years of lobbying various governments to accept the facts they have ignored them and allowed there to be disproportionately poor outcomes for people whose ethnic background is black and minority ethnic groups.
And….. what of those other substantial factors that are part and parcel of social living? They too are frequently ignored or not given their appropriate attention and here I am talking of; Gender, Race, Religion, Age, Ability, Class, Culture, Ethnicity, Education, Sexuality and Spirituality
Further reading click the Guardian
