Therapy cannot be effective unless the first session is a success. In this much-needed new book, Janis Sanchez-Hucles gives clinicians-no matter what their race or ethnic background-a key resource for learning the special information, skills, and techniques they need to provide culturally competent care to African American clients ...in a single session.Based on the author's more than twenty years experience working with African American clients and filled with illustrative clinical examples, The First Session with African Americans offers an in-depth understanding of the specific techniques that are most effective for establishing rapport, forming alliances, and intervening in a crisis. The book's proven strategies are custom-made for treating the issues most common to African American clients.

Table of Contents

Foreword; Preface; Introduction; Description of the Population and Mental Health Experiences; Racial Dynamics and Mental Health Problems; Establishing Rapport and Forming an Alliance; Assessment and Evaluation; Interviewing Strategies for First Sessions; Crisis Intervention Strategies; Managing Countertransference Issues; Self-Awareness and Cultural Competence; Managing Racial Concerns in Therapy: Mrs. Lucas Notes; References; The Author; Index.

Author Biography

JANIS SANCHEZ--HUCLES is professor of psychology at Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Virginia. In addition to her private practice, she teaches and lectures on African American mental health issues.