Culturally-responsive client-centered therapy with a transgender Egyptian woman

Author's Department

Psychology Department

Second Author's Department

Psychology Department

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https://doi.org/10.1080/14779757.2025.2485117

All Authors

Hani M. Henry Khaled Salaheldin

Document Type

Research Article

Publication Title

Person Centered and Experiential Psychotherapies

Publication Date

1-1-2025

doi

10.1080/14779757.2025.2485117

Abstract

This case study explores the culturally responsive application of client-centered therapy in treating a transgender Egyptian-American client who experienced severe depression following a psychiatric hospitalization arranged by her parents in Egypt. It highlights how the core principles of client-centered therapy were enriched by a profound respect for the client’s cultural and religious context. The therapeutic approach was further guided by Kleinman’s cultural explanatory model of mental distress, which emphasizes the collective cultural patterns that shape the understanding of depression, the social processes influencing its development, and the unique ways clients express and communicate their suffering. By integrating client-centered humanistic principles with Kleinman’s model, the therapeutic process empowered the client to make critical decisions regarding her relationship with her parents, manage her depression, and cultivate self-compassion. Ultimately, this case study underscores the critical importance of cultural understanding, sensitivity, and humility when working with marginalized individuals in societies where transphobia and societal rejection of transgender people are widespread.

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