African American therapists' perceptions of working with African American families from a perspective of strength

This qualitative study explored the strengths of African American families from the perspectives of 30 African American therapists who use those strengths in the therapy setting. Therapists from the fields of marriage and family therapy, psychology, social work, and professional counseling were interviewed. The study explored whether African American therapists identify and use the five strengths of African American families as determined by Hill (1971, 1999) in the therapeutic setting. The study was designed to examine the extent to which and how intensely therapists in the therapeutic setting use these strengths. In addition, strategies African American therapists use to incorporate the strengths in therapy were identified. Finally, the study looked at the perceptions of African American therapists concerning the importance of using the five strengths on therapy outcomes.;Therapist participants were interviewed and audiotaped, and the tapes were transcribed. The participants were mailed the transcriptions to make corrections or comments. While the investigator read all the transcripts and coded for themes, four expert panel members also read three of the participants' transcripts each and coded them in order to determine whether the primary themes were similar.;The qualitative study used a phenomenological method. This method allowed rich meanings to be gathered and categorized into themes. Theoretical frameworks included ecological theory, historical and cultural perspectives, and a resilience framework in order to explore how African American therapists perceive families as being able to survive despite experiencing constant stressors. The primary themes that emerged indicated that therapists perceive spirituality, the extended kin network, adaptability, and high academic expectations to be effective in influencing family functioning and in bringing about a successful outcome to the therapeutic process, thus confirming that Hill's five strengths are effective in influencing the outcome of therapy.;There were differences, however, in terms of the level of importance and frequency of usage of two of those strengths when comparing them with strengths of African American families that were introduced by other researchers. Participants found the strengths legitimation of beingness, provision of a family code or guidelines for behaving in various situations, and elasticity of family boundaries (Nobles, 1997) to be more efficacious in influencing therapy outcomes than strong work orientation and strong achievement orientation (Hill, 1971).;The study also highlighted an emerging strength of African American families. Participants reported that more African Americans are willing to seek therapy now than in years past. Implications, recommendations for therapists, and future research were discussed.