Massage Therapy Journal Summer 2025

52 • Massage Therapy Journal

manner. This includes pre- and post-massage assessments, when delivering massage or massage-related services, when suggesting self-care, when making referrals, and when integrating this information into the session plan. • Cultural encounter is the process of engaging in face-to-face interactions with people from culturally diverse backgrounds. This can potentially modify existing beliefs about a cultural group and prevent possible bias and stereotyping. Cultural encounters are often the foundation and source of energy of one’s own personal (rather than professional) journey toward cultural competence. • Cultural desire is the motivation to become culturally competent. It is “I want to” become more culturally aware, culturally knowledgeable, and culturally skillful

FREE practice exams and study resources accessible via computer or mobile app MBLEx Study Guide and seek cultural encounters instead of “I have to.” Campinha-Bacote’s framework 16 is a useful tool for developing cultural competence because it allows for prioritizing client outcomes while becoming more empathetic and culturally sensitive. This framework provides a progression that begins with awareness and ends with skill, but is fueled by the desire to become more culturally competent and improve the quality of client care. Keep in mind that no one can ever be fully culturally competent because culture is complex and constantly changing. The term cultural humility has been introduced to describe the idea that cultural competence is a lifelong process of self-reflection, critical self critique and being open about one’s own lack of knowledge.

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