Demystifying the concept of ethnicity for psychotherapy researchers

At a time when ethnic minority populations are increasing in the United States, few psychotherapy studies are including minorities in their samples. To include ethnic minorities in psychotherapy studies, the complex construct of ethnicity must be carefully measured. In this article, practical advice is offered for conceptualizing, measuring, and interpreting ethnic factors in psychotherapy studies. Also discussed are identifying pathways from ethnicity to psychotherapy outcomes. Pathways that may influence ethnic differences in psychotherapy outcome include cultural factors, minority status, socioeconomic status, acculturation, and immigration experiences.