I think, in psychological help, first I need to attend to the person I am helping, understand what s/he need in the first place, how his/her surrounding culture affect his/her feelings, cognitions and behaviors. Then I can emphatize and sense the suffering and the kind of help s/he need. For doing this I should nourish my soul and develop a positive attitude for human beings with different cultures.

Patients feel they are being heard, understood, validated.

Recommended book:

Marvin K Opler, CULTURE, PSYCHIATRY, AND HUMAN VALUES

Showing culturally competent compassion in practice would first and foremost depend on the cultural competences of the individual practitioner.

If they possess the right attributes and apply them respectfully and effectively in practice in a manner that recognises, affirms and values the worth of the individuals, families and/or communities, should be a great thing! Be culturally competent would empower that individual practitioner who can easily apply these skills in practice to benefit not only their patients and the families but most importantly their employing organisation as well. You might also wish to look at UK document mostly for nursing and midwifery via this link: http://www.england.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/compassion-in-practice.pdf.     

Thanks for the responses and links to resources. I will check them out.

Good luck and BW

Hi Nichole, this is an interesting question. There is considerable discussion about the notion of cultural competence moving it beyond a single achievable skill and challenging whether competence is even the appropriate descriptor. Cultural safety, security, humility provide a more nuanced understanding of the complexities involved. Melanie Tervalon's work on cultural humility from the USA is useful and interesting. Some of the work emerging from New Zealand and Australia is also helpful. Where I work, in a settler colonial setting, the importance of practitioners and services being culturally safe so that Indigenous peoples are able to experience culturally secure care is an increasing priority in health professional training at undergraduate and postgraduate levels. Compassion is one of the qualities we expect of effective practitioners irrespective of cultural context. For patients to feel heard, engaged, included, respected and to have their priorities met in health care encounters are important beginnings.