Uncharted Waters: Guidelines for Working with Recent Immigrant Families

Excerpt As faculty and graduates of the COAMFTE-accredited family therapy programs at Nova Southeastern University, we have had a unique opportunity to experience the applicability of family therapy to the dilemmas of immigrant families. In the multicultural context of Broward County, where our program is located, an estimated 25 percent of the total population was born outside the United States. An additional 42 percent are second generation, with at least one parent born outside of the U.S. (Census.org). In addition, the students in our family therapy program are often themselves first or second generation immigrants. (Monnay was born in Haiti; Bello in Colombia; and Palmer’s mother was born in the Dominican Republic.) We concur with family therapists who have stated that the systemic, relational stance of family therapy is uniquely suited to work with those who find themselves living in multiple cultural contexts (Mirkin, 1998). While we have no easy answers, we can suggest a few guidelines, honed from our own experiences, both professional and personal