Ethnicity and psychotherapy. A component in the treatment of cocaine addiction in African Americans.

With a focus on the use of psychotherapy as a component in the comprehensive treatment of African Americans addicted to cocaine, this article reviews the literature on ethnicity and psychotherapy and discusses the main problems relevant to the planning of mental health and substance abuse services to minority populations in the United States. Some of the more salient areas are the relationship of cultural factors and substance abuse, the culturally determined possibilities and constraints in the treatment of substance abuse, the establishment of a culturally responsive psychotherapeutic approach that takes into account notions such as ethnic consciousness and self-esteem, and the therapist's effects on the proximal treatment situation. Research issues also are discussed, among them therapist-matching strategies, therapist's clinical skills, culturally responsive adaptations of psychotherapeutic frames and processes, and their effect on outcome.