The development of cultural competence is central to the therapeutic alliance with clients from diverse backgrounds. Given that the majority of Australia’s population growth is due to migration, mental health practitioner construing of non-White and White people has a significant role and impact on client engagement. To examine the impact of mental health practitioner construing on their strategies for cultural competence and the therapeutic alliance, 20 White and non-White mental health practitioners and trainees providing mental health services were purposively sampled and interviewed face-to-face or via videoconferencing. Data was analysed thematically and the impact of construing on practitioner cultural competence and the therapeutic alliance were interpreted using Personal Construct Psychology. Practitioners demonstrated cultural competence in their acknowledgement of the impact of negative construing of ethnic, cultural, religious, social, racial and linguistic diversity on client wellbeing. Practitioners sought to address these negative impacts on clients by drawing on the client-practitioner relationship to improve the therapeutic alliance. The results reinforce the need for mental health care workers to develop cultural competence with a focus on developing awareness of the impact of frameworks of Whiteness on the experiences of non-White people. This is central to the development of a therapeutic alliance where clients feel understood and assured that their mental health concerns will not be constructed (and treated) through a framework that constrains both White and non-White people’s opportunities for improved mental health and wellbeing.

中文翻译：

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澳大利亚精神卫生保健从业者对非白人和白人的理解：对文化能力和治疗联盟的影响

文化能力的发展对于与来自不同背景的客户建立治疗联盟至关重要。鉴于澳大利亚人口的大部分增长是由于移民造成的，因此非白人和白人的心理健康从业者解释对客户的参与度起着重要的作用和影响。为了考察精神卫生从业人员对其文化能力和治疗联盟战略的影响，我们有针对性地对20名提供精神卫生服务的白人和非白人精神卫生从业人员和学员进行了抽样调查，并进行了面对面或通过视频会议进行了采访。对数据进行了主题分析，并使用个人建构心理学解释了解释对从业者文化能力和治疗联盟的影响。从业者在承认种族，文化，宗教，社会，种族和语言多样性的负面解释对服务对象福祉的影响时表现出文化能力。从业者试图通过利用客户与从业者的关系来改善治疗联盟，从而解决对客户的不利影响。结果加强了精神卫生保健工作者发展文化能力的需要，重点是提高对白人框架对非白人经历的影响的认识。