When Russians Come to Therapy

Annotated Bibliography

Leipzig, C. (2006). When Russians Come to Therapy. The American Journal of Family Therapy , 34:219–242.

Russian immigrants in the United States have varied experiences and knowledge that are influenced by their cultural background and social interactions in the United States. The study by Leipzig (2006) affirms that developing and implementing a flexible therapeutic method is essential for professionals when working with Russian clients. The immigrant Russian clients' needs require innovative therapeutic methods that are dynamic since their disorders are associated with social-cultural contexts. The study asserts that the therapeutic approaches used must be creative in design and daring in application to identify the best methods for them.

The study proves why it is important to understand the Russian client bearing in mind their social and cultural settings. Immigrant Russian clients face emotional and mental constraints that may prevent them from expressing themselves to their therapists in a transparent and honest manner. For instance, in a household of recent immigrants, only the children can communicate in English; thus, the adults may be embarrassed about their limited knowledge of the English language and fear looking "stupid" in the presence of their therapists. Therapy is considered as a last resort to help these clients resolve their issues. As a result, most of them will rely on emotional and physical support from family and friends. The therapist must expect the challenges associated with the social-cultural context of Russian clients. Therefore, they must establish a rapport with their patients which enables them to build trust and long-term therapeutic alliances.

The author concluded that for a therapist to help their Russian clients, it is essential to develop dynamic and innovative models that allow them to overcome the difficulties presented when interacting with these clients.