Towards "cultural competence' from a Jewish perspective: An Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis of the lived experience of Jewish mothers living in North West London.

Much research recognises the clinical value of considering clients' cultural context.
'Cultural competence' may be considered the balance between sensitive practice and
an awareness about particular cultural groups. 'Jewishness' is a powerful influence on
the majority of Jewish people, regardless of religiosity. Jewishness incorporates more
than Judaism, for example, it includes Jewish history, ethnicity and culture. This
research aims to help therapists work with Jewish families by familiarising them with
aspects of Jewishness, in order to gain insight to the 'lived experience' of
contemporary, British, Jewish families, so as to consider the potential clinical
implications of Jewishness and develop cultural competence.
Semi-structured interviews were conducted with eight British-born, culturally, rather
than religiously, Jewish mothers aged between 30 and 39. The interview transcripts
were analysed using an Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis methodology. Ten
themes (^entity', Tradition and Culture', 'Characteristics', 'Family', 'Community',
'Continuity', 'Difference and Similarity', 'Fear', 'Feelings' and 'Services') were derived
from the analysis and considered in terms of clinical implications. For example, the
women spoke about a (sometimes) inexplicable 'bicultural' identity and the significant
impact of Jewish history. These issues may inhibit Jewish clients from speaking about
the relevance of their Jewishness with non-Jewish therapists.
Suggestions were made for developing a Jewish cultural, historical and political
perspective, so that beliefs, behaviours and characteristics are not misinterpreted and
'therapeutic safety' for Jewish clients is maximised. Other recommendations included
using cultural consultants and adopting a systemic framework. Issues that may be
particularly difficult for Jewish families were discussed and recommendations for future
research made.

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