Multicultural Consultation Team
A community of clinicians dedicated to fostering an intentionally inclusive space designed to focus on discussing and respecting multicultural values in a clinical setting
What is Multicultural Consultation Team (MCT)?
We are a community of mental health clinicians dedicated to fostering an intentionally inclusive space designed to focus on discussing and respecting multicultural values in a clinical setting.
We value each individual’s perspective and hope to cultivate an opportunity for learning through respectfully challenging and growing with one another. We are committed to providing high-quality mental health care that is multiculturally conscious and responsive.
MCT was initially developed at Duke University by Dr. Gaby Nagy, PhD in 2016. Click here to read a peer-reviewed paper on the development of the team and how being a part of MCT resulted in improving the clinician-client relationship and clients’ treatment adherence.
When and Where Does The MCT Meet?
Zoom virtual monthly lunch meetings on the 2nd Friday of each month 12:00-1:00PM. Commitment is a valued element in joining this team.
What Is The Purpose of The MCT?
Our mission is to cultivate a community of providers who are passionate about providing mental health care that ensures multicultural respect and maintains standards of excellence.
Multicultural peer-consultation meetings address the clinical consultation needs of team members. Team members provide validation, resources, alternative perspectives, and problem-solving, as needed.
Who Facilitates MCT?
The goal of our MCT is to emphasize the team leadership present, which means that all members of MCT are generally consulted in decision making.
There are facilitators who assist in guiding this process and currently, ChangeWell’s Multicultral Consutlation Team is facilitated by Aliya Saulson, LCSW and Emily Soukhanouvong, PsyD.
Principles and Guidelines for MCT
Here is a list of principles/guidelines that guide our MCT discussion and team. These agreements were agreed upon by our MCT at our September 2022 conception meeting.
1. Dialectical Agreement
We agree to balance being gentle with ourselves and colleagues, while also helping each other identify uninformed areas. We agree to not hold on to one position as presumed fact, but rather as personal perspectives nuanced by our learning history and contexts.
2. Phenomenological Empathy Agreement
We agree to be mindful of assumptions we may make about our clients. We will strive to use non-judgmental and non-pejorative language when discussing clients’ or each other’s culture (see domains under Diversity Agreement). We strive to not over- or under-pathologize behaviors, belief systems, or practices that may have a cultural basis.
3. Fallibility Agreement
We understand that we are humans existing in contexts shaped by our culture. To that end, we agree to strive to have a deeper understanding of our clients’ behaviors, belief systems, or practices and see the validity in them. We will aim to not hold our perspectives as presumed fact, but rather as an alternative viewpoint.
4. Continuous Growth Agreement
We acknowledge we can never fully achieve cultural competence, as it is an aspirational goal. Instead, we will strive towards continuously growing in this area.
5. Safe Space Agreement
We agree to create a space that is safe and explorative. Doing so will allow us to feel safe in sharing our backgrounds and challenges, which in turn will help us have productive consultation.
6. Diversity Agreement
We strive to be inclusive in our conceptualization of diversity, such that it will encompass, but is not limited to: race, ethnicity, age, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, SES, ability, spirituality/religion, nutrition, rituals/traditions, ideologies, communication, family structure/roles, and health-care practitioners/practices.
7. Attendance Agreement
We aim to attend 60-70% of MCT meetings (~8 meetings/year) to assist in creating a space of psychological safety.
Our meetings are a combination of consultation, didactics, and anti-racism efforts. We do have everybody complete an attestation form for confidentiality purposes which is a required form to participate in MCT consultation together.
If the above aligns with your personal and professional goals, we’d love to have you join us! If you are interested in joining MCT or have any questions, please let Aliya or Emily know at aliya@changewellpsych.com and emily@changewellpsych.com.
If this page aligns with your personal and professional goals, we’d love to have you!
Meet Our Members
Sheena Beach, LCSW, LISW-CP
She/Her/Hers
Participating in MCT provides me the opportunity to see and hear other perspectives on managing issues related to BIPOC and differently-abled individuals. It means that I am doing my best to be culturally humble and know that no one person holds the absolute truth.
Leia Charnin, Ph.D.
She/Her/Hers
My core value as a human and therapist is to learn about every aspect of a human, which is inextricably linked to all aspects of identity. My research was rooted in implicit bias and ways that it affects relationships and career decision-making. MCT provides a safe and informative place for me to nurture affirming practices as a therapist.
Divya Mahadevia, LCSW
She/Her/Hers
MCT is a group comprised of clinicians who want to dive deeper and more carefully into understanding cultural and societal challenges that may arise during client interactions. I have found that cultural humility is a large part of what the clinicians in this group possess and an interest in learning to provide the best care to clients.
I believe that we are continuously learning and the more we learn and grow in awareness, the better we can serve others with sensitivity and empathy. This is what drew me to be a part of MCT. Through consultations and evidence-based didactic sessions, I hope to continue to grow with this wonderful cohort of clinicians to meet the needs of any client who walks in my door.
Aliya Saulson, LCSW
She/Her/Hers
Cultural humility is not only a personal value of mine but an ethical responsibility as a professional therapist. Being a part of MCT provides me with an intentional welcoming space to gain perspective, experience psychological safety, grow my knowledge, be challenged, and connect with colleagues over shared values. I am so lucky to have this group.
Artianna Singleton, LMFT
She/Her/Hers
I enjoy being a part of MCT because it provides a safe space for clinicians who are as committed to increasing their personal and professional development by practicing cultural competence, awareness, and humility. Each clinician is dedicated to becoming better individuals and clinicians to provide the best care for their clients and provide support to others looking to do the same.
Emily Soukhanouvong, Psy.D
She/Her/Hers
This all started with an invitation from my partner in crime, Aliya, to be part of a team that would promote a safe space to openly discuss how our biases, values, and various backgrounds can play a role in our therapeutic work.
Being on MCT helps me to continue not to be complacent in my work with my clients, to continue to be brave for my clients whose voices may be unspoken or overlooked, and to consider modeling and listening to others with a cultural sensitivity that comes with active practice.
Xuan Truong, LCSWA
She/Her/Hers
As a new clinician who shares multiple marginalized identities, I am honored to be able to share space with other clinicians who are further along in their practice while contributing my own experiences through a lens of disability.
Karly Perkins, LCMHC, LCAS, NCC
She/Her/Hers
I joined MCT to have a space to connect with other clinicians that are passionate about continued learning opportunities, creating safety for our clients, and having open conversations about how the counseling field has been harmful in the past so that we can work together on improving the field for our present community.
Amy Sorrell, LCSW
She/Her/Hers
Building community requires a foundation of belonging, inclusivity, psychological safety, and diverse perspectives. By emphasizing the richness of each person's lived experiences and celebrating differences, MCT fosters flexibility and understanding while holding space to explore and dismantle implicit bias.
Through intentional collaboration with skilled clinicians who are committed to continuous cultural learning, I continue to deepen my understanding of cultural nuances, enabling me to provide more responsive and culturally competent care.
Nathan Bitecofer, Ph.D.
He/They
As a Feminist Multicultural Humanistic Psychologist, multiculturalism, cultural humility, and the pursuit of cultural competence are central to the work I do. MCT provides a space for me to be challenged, to learn, and to grow, while also supporting other clinicians in their journey toward greater cultural competence.
Ginelle Wolfe, Ph.D.
She/Her
I am ever so grateful to be a part of MCT. Participation in the Team provides an opportunity to learn from and with a diverse group of clinicians and actively practice cultural humility. The intentional, psychologically safe space that MCT provides allows me to expand my knowledge, experience challenge, and regularly ground in the ethical responsibility we have as therapists to be perpetual learners so we can provide the best care possible for our clients.
Eve Rogerson, LCMHC
She/Her
I am ever so grateful to be a part of MCT. Participation in the Team provides an opportunity to learn from and with a diverse group of clinicians and actively practice cultural humility. The intentional, psychologically safe space that MCT provides allows me to expand my knowledge, experience challenge, and regularly ground in the ethical responsibility we have as therapists to be perpetual learners so we can provide the best care possible for our clients.
Kelsey Wayne, LCSW
She/Her/Hers
I learned about MCT from my former supervisor and I am eager to not only be part of an intentional and diverse community of clinicians, but to also stretch my learning (and unlearning) on the journey toward continued cultural humility. As a queer therapist in a population health setting, having this collaborative and open space strongly aligns with my values as a social worker and human.
Lainey Butler, PhD
She/Her/Hers
MCT provides a space to learn alongside colleagues who also care deeply about identity-centered, ethical practice. It is a great place to be both supported and challenged in the work that we do. Being a part of the Team has helped me slow down, reflect, and stay intentional in how I show up as a therapist and human.
Abigail Neeley, LMSW, LCSWA
She/Her/Hers
I joined MCT to continue growing my understanding of how culture, identity, and systemic factors shape each client’s experiences and mental health. I value learning from perspectives different from my own and challenging biases that can impact clinical practice. MCT provides a space to engage in meaningful conversations about diversity, equity, and culturally responsive care.
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