The Use of the Wright–Constantine Structured Cultural Interview (WCSCI) in Culturally Responsive Clinical Practice: A Qualitative Study of Clinician Experience

Although multicultural counseling competencies and social justice are emerging cornerstones of psychological assessment and interventions, there are few structured clinical tools to help clinicians develop these competencies. Understanding clients’ cultural contexts and lived experiences with privilege and oppression is necessary to contextualize their psychological functioning and conceptualize their cases through a holistic and culturally sensitive approach. The Wright–Constantine Structured Cultural Interview (WCSCI) is a semistructured interview that helps clinicians better identify and understand a client’s experiences with their cultural identities. Using thematic analysis methodology, this study explored the impact of the WCSCI on trainee clinicians’ multicultural and social justice competencies throughout assessment and therapy processes. Fourteen trainee clinicians were interviewed using a semistructured interview guide about their experience using the WCSCI and its impact on their multicultural counseling competencies. Analysis of transcripts was conducted using a thematic analysis approach. Participants reported that the WCSCI helped in developing their multicultural counseling competencies, specifically in (a) promoting self-awareness and reflection about their own identities, (b) understanding nuances in the client’s worldview, (c) fine-tuning case conceptualization using this information, (d) strengthening the therapeutic relationship, and (e) tailoring psychological interventions and recommendations. The WCSCI is a clinical tool that can facilitate meaningful integration of clients’ cultural identities in assessment and therapy processes. In the future, training programs may use the WCSCI with trainees to teach and evaluate multicultural competencies and multicultural case conceptualization skills.