Cultural Formulation Assignment Guidelines

A Cultural Formulation is an essential component of a case conceptualization.  It describes the impact of culture on a person and answers the question: What role does culture play in a person’s presenting issues? (Sperry & Sperry, 2012). A detailed lecture, discussion and practice using this model will be provided to students prior to submitting assignments.

This is a scholarly assignment meaning that it needs to follow APA style, formatting and references. The paper should be approximately 4 pages (maximum).  You will receive a case study from your instructor from which you need to write a paper that will include the following elements:

1.     Introduction- Brief explain of cultural formulation and introduction to paper.

2.     Elements of a Cultural Formulation (based up Sperry & Sperry, 2012 model)

a.     Cultural identity—Client’s sense of belonging to a particular group or groups.

b.     Acculturation and acculturative stress—Level of adaptation to dominant culture and stress from acculturation which will include psychosocial difficulties.

c.     Cultural explanation/explanatory model –What are the person’s beliefs regarding the cause of their issues, condition or impairment?

d.     Culture vs. personality—Identify the extent of the impact of cultural dynamics and/or personality dynamics on the presenting issues in the case.

3.     Culturally sensitive treatment: List two interventions would you implement with this client that would demonstrate cultural sensitivity and competence?

4.     Conclusion/Summary

Sample of Cultural Formulation from Sperry & Sperry:

            Geri identifies herself as a middle class African American but has little interest and no involvement with the African American community (cultural identity). She is highly acculturated, as are her parents, and there is no obvious acculturative stress (culture-acculturation).  She believes that her depression is the result of stress at work and a “chemical imbalance” in her brain (cultural explanation). There are no obvious cultural factors that are operative. Instead, it appears that Geri’s personality dynamics are significantly operative in her current clinical presentation (culture v. personality).

For the purposes of this assignment, you will explain these factors in greater depth, creating at least 1 paragraph per element (a-d).  Please use headings to identify each section and subsection of the paper.

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