The Impossibility of Client–Therapist “Match”: Implications and Future Directions for Multicultural Competency

Abstract

Extensive research has examined the influence of client–therapist racial, ethnic, or cultural match on outcomes in therapy. Further, many narrative reviews have summarized the literature in this area, and several meta-analytic reviews have examined the strength of the influence of client–therapist match. The present narrative review builds on previous studies by discussing several critical issues in this literature. In particular, we add to the extant literature reviews by contextualizing the challenges of defining and measuring client–therapist match given the possible broad range of diverse intersectional identities. As matching is not always possible, recommendations for working with clients of a different cultural background are discussed. Suggestions for multicultural competence training are included. We also provide a case example of how intersectionality of identities can inform the therapeutic context. The current article provides updated insights into the client–therapist match literature and emphasizes specific recommendations for education, training, and supervision.