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Summary: A Staple in Every Mental Health Professional's Book Shelf
Review: Sue and Sue’s third edition of "Counseling the Culturally Different" is an essential resource for all mental health practitioners. A required text in most multicultural counseling and therapy courses, this book illumines important sociopolitical and diversity issues related to the therapeutic process. The authors challenge counselors of all cultures to consider the impact that race and ethnicity can have on psychotherapy process and outcome. Readers may find themselves challenged as the authors unveil many of the ... pre-conceived notions that we as therapists hold, and ultimately bring to the counseling milieu.
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Summary: Don't throw out the baby with the bath water.
Review: The authors definately have their bias. But there's some important information here about cultural differences. They have definately done their homework and are considered the top authorities in their field. They've done their homework...but you need to read beyond the fact that they've got some strong bias. If you can keep from being offended by some of their insinuations, there's some very good information here. As one of my professors said about this book, you need to 'eat the meat and throw away the bones.' And it was excellent advice.
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Summary: This book doesn't address cultural overlap.
Review: This book has several flaws. First, it perpetuates stereotypes about minority groups. Second, the authors seem to believe there is only one White culture. Third, the catch phrase "culturally different" is problematic. Different from what? White culture? There is no one White culture. Everything that White American culture is draws from other cultures; African, Asian and European. The premise of understanding cultural biases is good, however, the authors fail to present anything other than a superficial, stereotypical analysis of cultural biases in counseling.
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Summary: Challenging enough to stimulate synthesis...........
Review: This book is an outstanding text. It is often challenging for my Euro-American graduate students to read, yet it stimulates intense debate. I balance the presentation with speakers, other books, and group processing. This book is cogent, concise, and has a marvellously succinct history of the politics and development of the concepts of multicultural and diversity counseling. You may not prefer it, but you MUST read it to be current in this field
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Summary: Racist
Review: this book is blatantly racist against my white culture. I know that it is politically correct to denounce whites, but I'm not politically correct. I'm proud to be white, I'm proud of my heritage and I'm proud of my country. Being proud does not make me racist, just proud. Do you honestly think that if I moved to China or Japan or Mexico and demanded that those cultures rethink themselves to suit my sensitivities they would? They would laugh in my face. I can just imagine myself moving to Mexico and demanding that the Mexicans stop being Mexican and rewrite, rethink, redefine, and therefore, denounce their culture to make me feel comfortable. You think they would? If my dominant culture is so heinous, then why are we the country that so many come to live in. It would stand to reason that if my people are so oppressive, then people would try to get out!!
I think we're pretty great. And I'm proud.
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Summary: Complete Liberal Tripe
Review: This book is far worse than you could possibly imagine. It's sad that in many universities (mine notwithstanding) this poor excuse for a textbook is required reading. The following passage found on page 39 indicates that the authors are not only ignorant on the subject of counseling, but also economics."By the time baby boomers retire, the majority of people contributing to the social security and pension plans will be racial/ethnic minorities. In other words those planning to retire (primarily White workers)must depend on their coworkers of color. If racial minorities continue to encounter the glass ceiling and to be the most undereducated, underemployed, underpaid, an unemployed, the economic security of retiring White workers looks grim." I am sorry to say that Amazon doesn't give me enough characters to respond to such a ridiculous, racist assertion
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Summary: Incredible resource for counselors in training
Review: This is a comprehensive and impressive book that I would recommend to anyone who cares about working with culturally diverse populations (counselors, teachers, etc.,). The book offers numerous case examples, diagrams, charts, references to help stimulate and challenge the reader. It is a wonderful resource.
Rating: 
Summary: a mixed bag
Review: This is a controversial and challenging book as the previous reviews attest to. In my opinion, the negative feedback can be partially attributed to the rather overt biases the authors obviously have (rather ironic given the topic of the book). However, for all the faults of the book, the authors do challenge one's beliefs- an important aspect given that the intent of the book is to made future counselors more culturally competant.
Perhaps the authors can eliminate some of the harsh reaction to the book by taking the following steps in preparing the next edition (provided that there is one):
*include other groups- Where is the discussion on individuals from the Indian sub-continent and the Middle East? They have apparently been lumped in with "Asians" though there are significant differences between an individual from Saudi Arabia and one from Taiwan. Given the increased discrimination and hostility towards these groups since 9/11, the silence from the authors is deafening. Also, their discussion of "women" and "gender issues" totally leaves out stereotypes of males. How can one have a dialogue on gender issues if one is only addressing one gender?
*address heterogeneity of African Americans- The authors are quick to note how heterogeneous the Asian American and American Indian/Native Alaskan population is but make no mention of the heterogeneity of African Americans. Why is this?
*avoid loaded language
*make sure that statements that appear as fact have sources and that they are used apporpriately- The lack of sources for bold/controversial statements of "fact" and improperly used sources hurt the credibility of the book (check at random for examples).
*show a little more respect for the heterogeneity and diversity of Euro-Americans- the authors justify this by asking the question: "If you want to understand oppression, should you ask the oppressor or the oppressed?" (p. 239). Hum. Well, OK but how does this perspective help one understand this group's heritage, beliefs, values, and the cultural influence they have? Assuming that the majority of the readers are Euro-American, how does labeling all Whites as racist help this group? Is the blatant disrespect shown this group a good model for how this group should respond to other groups? If individuals from this group are to work through their cultural identity, how does this perspective help them? I recommend that the authors have their Euro-American students read a draft of this chapter for the next edition and then reflectively consider the feedback rather than blowing it off as racism.
While I did feel challenged in some ways by this text, I failed to get what I truly longed for from it- A thoughtful and balanced look at the multicultural issues facing the U.S.
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Summary: Excellent Textbook
Review: This is an outstanding review of the cross-cultural literature. This book includes not only an excellent summary of major theoretical multicultural issues, but it also illustrates these issues with clinical examples which clinicians will find extremely useful in their applications of cultural variants across multicultural groups seen in mental health services.
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Summary: Too Bad There are No Good Texts on this Subject
Review: This text appears to be a must-read simply because no good text has been written yet on the subject. It purports to be a book by clinicians and practitioners for clinicians and practitioners, but there is nothing clinical about it. It is pure gut-reaction. Sterotypes are perpetuated, white culture is presented as a monolith, and everything is presented as dichotomous. Dominant culture is bad, other culture is good. It is a very "in-your-face" presentation. There is a lot of promise in conclusions that are drawn, but they are not supported--merely asserted. Here's hoping someone will rise to the challenge of writing a more balanced text on this important subject, so we won't HAVE to read this one.
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