Problem: How could you use this information to inform your counseling of this client?
Jardin et al. (2018) found that acculturative stress is connected to higher levels of anxiety, depression, and suicidal thoughts. Even though their study focused on Hispanic college students, the idea of acculturative stress can still apply to this client. He may be dealing with stress related to balancing different parts of his identity; being Hispanic, a father, a man expected to provide, and someone who has been incarcerated. If he feels like he is not living up to cultural expectations, especially around providing for his children, that could increase feelings of shame, anger, or hopelessness. As a counselor, I could explore how cultural values like family responsibility and masculinity might be impacting the way he sees himself. Understanding acculturative stress would also help me validate his experiences, explore whether discrimination or stigma is affecting him, and use his cultural strengths, like the importance of family, as motivation for treatment and safety planning.
First Intervention: Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
Culturally adapted CBT may lead to better treatment outcomes for Hispanic individuals. Narine et al. (2026) stated that non-culturally adapted CBT can result in poorer outcomes due to differences in cultural values. However, CBT is strongly supported for treating depression, PTSD, and substance use relapse prevention across cultures (Narine et al., 2026). Because of its effectiveness in addressing emotional disorders, it would be helpful in targeting the client's anger and shame.
Adapting CBT to align with his cultural values may also increase engagement, even though he already shows a willingness to participate in counseling. CBT would be used to identify and challenge his maladaptive thoughts and help shift his beliefs toward more balanced and culturally affirming perspectives. At the same time, I would incorporate techniques such as thought stopping and cognitive restructuring by identifying triggers, to help reduce his angry outbursts.
With this approach, the desired outcome would be improved emotion regulation and more positive beliefs about fatherhood and his abilities. Progress could be measured through his self-report of anger episodes between sessions, including what triggered them, the maladaptive thoughts he experienced, and how he responded. Changes in his reactions to triggers and thoughts over time would help demonstrate treatment effectiveness. Need Assignment Help?
Respond as a peer.