Cultural competence and cultural humility: What therapists need to know

Written by therapist.com with Review and Commentary by Sonja Sutherland, PhD, LPC, BC-TMH, ACS

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therapist.com team

Last updated: 12/23/2025

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Why the cultural competence model needs to evolve

The idea behind cultural competence is simple: learn about your clients’ cultures so you can provide better care. This approach has helped many therapists connect with clients from different backgrounds.

But there are problems with thinking we can become “competent” in someone else’s culture. Research has shown that the competence model, while useful, can sometimes contribute to stereotyping or othering of patients.¹ When we think we know a culture, we might make assumptions about clients based on our interpretation of it alone.

The competence model also suggests that culture is somehow fixed, or experienced in a uniform way. But in reality, culture is always changing. It’s shaped by many factors, including where someone lives, their family history, and their personal viewpoint. No two people from the same cultural group are exactly alike.

Another issue is power dynamics. Cultural competence places therapists in the expert role. This can create problems if the therapist claims knowledge of a client’s cultural experience and the client doesn’t feel empowered to contradict them.

The shift toward cultural humility

Cultural humility offers a different approach. Instead of pressure to become “competent” in other cultures, it asks therapists to stay curious, humble, and open to learning.

The concept was first introduced by doctors Melanie Tervalon and Jann Murray-García in 1998.² They defined cultural humility as “a lifelong commitment to self-evaluation and critique, to redressing power imbalances … and to developing mutually beneficial partnerships with communities.”

Cultural humility is built around several core themes:

• Lifelong learning: You never stop learning about culture and diversity
• Self-reflection: You regularly examine your own biases and assumptions
• Power balance: You work to reduce power imbalances in therapy
• Client expertise: You recognize that clients are experts on their own lives

This approach adds nuance to how we think about the therapist-client relationship. Instead of the therapist being cast as a cultural expert, the client becomes the teacher about their own experience.

Cultural competence vs. cultural humility: Key differences

While these two concepts have different focuses, they actually work well together. Here’s how they compare:

Cultural competence:

• Focuses on gaining knowledge about different cultures
• Emphasizes skills and training
• Provides important foundational knowledge

Cultural humility:

• Focuses on attitude and approach to learning
• Emphasizes ongoing self-reflection
• Represents a lifelong process with no endpoint
• Addresses power dynamics

The key insight from recent research is that we need both.³ Cultural competence provides the “what”—the knowledge and skills we need. Cultural humility provides the “how”—the right mindset and approach to use that knowledge respectfully and effectively.

Some experts now use the term “competemility”—combining competence and humility.⁴ This recognizes that effective cross-cultural therapy requires competence and humility be used in tandem, rather than viewing them in competition to each other.

Why cultural humility matters for therapists

Cultural humility improves therapy in several ways:

• It builds stronger therapeutic relationships through curiosity
• It helps therapists recognize and address implicit bias
• It creates “cultural safety” where clients feel respected
• It leads to better understanding and stronger alliances

Beyond individual practice

Cultural humility isn’t just about individual therapists—it’s also about the organizations where we work. Mental health agencies, clinics, and hospitals must also practice institutional humility. This means examining policies, hiring practices, and service delivery models.

The National Association of Social Workers (NASW) recommends organizations create “culturally competent services and programs” and maintain “meaningful inclusion of clients and community members representing relevant cultural groups in decision-making.”⁵ When both individual therapists and their organizations embrace cultural competence and humility, it creates a more supportive environment for culturally responsive care.

Putting cultural humility into practice

Cultural humility isn’t just a nice idea to incorporate on occasion; it’s something therapists can practice every day. Here are some concrete ways to build cultural humility:

Start with self-reflection. Journal about interactions with clients in which you felt out of your depth or learned something new about their culture. Did you leave enough space to understand their perspective? Is there something you would have done differently?

Admit what you might be missing. If you’re worried you’re missing context, ask for clarity. This can be as simple as saying “It feels like there’s more layers to what you’re telling me. Can you help me understand everything going on in this moment?”

Address power imbalances. Be honest about the power dynamics in the therapy room. Acknowledge to clients that you don’t know all, and empower them to tell you when you’ve misinterpreted.

Seek continuing education. Take courses, attend workshops, and read about different cultures and communities. But remember that learning never ends.

Use supervision and consultation. Seek out peers and mentors with perspectives and backgrounds different from yours. Ask for feedback on how you’re handling cultural differences in therapy.

Practice cultural safety: Make your office welcoming to all clients. Use inclusive language. Have materials that represent different communities.

Moving forward

The shift from cultural competence to cultural humility isn’t about abandoning knowledge—it’s about approaching cross-cultural work with curiosity and respect. Cultural competence gives us knowledge. Cultural humility gives us wisdom. Together, they help us provide respectful, effective therapy.

The goal isn’t perfection. It’s about staying curious, keeping our clients’ experiences at the center, and viewing cultural learning as a lifelong journey.

Dr. Sonja Sutherland, PhD, LPC, BC-TMH, ACS has provided individual, group, and family therapeutic services for adolescents and adults for more than 20 years. She is a core faculty member at Adams State University and the founder and CEO of Legacy Changers Worldwide, an organization dedicated to providing family education and resources for mental and emotional wellness. She provides continuing education workshops in the areas of racial trauma, cultural competence development, the provision of culturally responsive clinical intervention and supervision, and social justice advocacy.

Disclosures: Dr. Sutherland receives a speaking honorarium and recording royalties from PESI, Inc., the parent company of therapist.com.