Culturally syntonic family therapy for migrant Puerto Ricans

Abstract

Puerto Ricans and other Hispanics have traditionally used the nuclear and extended family as vital support systems to deal with stress. Some Puerto Rican migrant families living in the United States have been suspected of being at high risk for mental health problems precisely because they lack extended family supports. Working together as bilingual co-therapists, the authors found that a systems-oriented family therapy approach is effective and syntonic with the culture of Hispanic migrants. They provide a clinical vignette and warn therapists about the potential problems in differentiating dysfunctional family patterns from culturally sanctioned behaviors.