Cultural Sensitivity in Clinical Psychology

The State of Israel is characterized by social and cultural heterogeneity. This includes a number of large minority groups: Bedouins & Arabs, ultra-Orthodox Jews (haredim), new Olim from Ethiopia and others. Due to lack of awareness, these sectors. traditionally, do not use mental services and actually are highly under-represented among the entities providing mental health services in general, and among clinical psychologists in particular.

In order to provide a response to this dual national need, a Cultural Sensitivity Psychology Clinic is being established at the college, a clinic which will serve, both, the regional mental health growing needs, as well as, the academic practice requests of those who study Cultural Sensitivity in Clinical Psychology (M.A.).

More on the program:

While the Arab population, for example, accounts for more than 1.8 million people (20% of the population of Israel), the number of Arab clinical psychologists is approx. 60 (2% of the total number of clinical psychologists). The situation is no less serious for the haredi and Ethiopian sectors. The therapeutic work of the clinical psychologist requires familiarity with the special cultural characteristics of the patient, but due to the lack of clinical psychologists from these sectors (language, familiarity with social and cultural norms, the ability to communicate, etc), most members of these communities do not receive appropriate psychological care.