A kaleidoscope model of cultural humility in a jail setting

Although cultural humility is considered a key element of culturally and structurally responsive psychotherapy, research on how therapists-in-training enact it, especially in jail settings, remains limited. Coleman et al. (2024) emphasized the need to examine how cultural humility might impact therapy outcomes in unexpected ways within this context. Building on this work, our study explored how therapists-in-training demonstrate cultural humility in their work with clients in jail. Using Stake's (2006) multiple case study design, we interviewed seven therapists who completed a practicum in a jail. A cross-case analysis revealed four main themes: critical self-awareness, attuning to cultural opportunities, embracing a relational approach, and contextual responsiveness. Although each theme was distinct, they overlapped, reflecting the dynamic interplay of mutually reinforcing processes. To reflect these complex interrelations among the themes, we propose a kaleidoscope model of cultural humility. This model provides a deeper understanding of how cultural humility is practiced in jail-based psychotherapy and underscores the need for further research on the contextual factors that shape this process. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2025 APA, all rights reserved).