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What is cultural humility?

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Our country is full of racial, ethnic, religious, and cultural diversity. Therefore, it is important that cisgender heterosexual providers reflect on their own privileges, educate themselves on LGBTQ+ people's health disparities and individual experiences, and engage in lifelong learning, which includes self-reflection and openness to challenging one's own implicit bias. Developed by Drs. Melanie Tervalon and Maria Murray-Garcia, the cultural humility framework challenges one to engage in continuous self-reflection and lifelong learning. Unlike the cultural competency framework, which stresses "knowing" rather than "lifelong learning," the cultural humility framework encourages providers to say what they do not know rather than what they do know, allows the client to lead the conversation, addresses power imbalances, and develops equal partnerships with communities to advocate for individuals and underprivileged populations (Tervalon & Murray-Garcia, 1998). Watch the video below to see more about cultural humility and engagement. 

This video describes the difference between cultural humility and cultural competency and gives suggestions for how one can engage in culturally humble approaches. 

Paper Heart

The four components of cultural humility

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Underwater Scuba Diving

Let's take a deeper look...

Cultural humility is for "Infinity & Beyond"...

(Quote credit: Disney's Toy Story, 1995)

It's a lifelong journey
 

Natalie Bembry, Ed.D., MA, MSW, LCSW, describes cultural humility as a lifelong journey.

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