Relational-Cultural Therapy

Relational-cultural therapy (RCT) is a clinical therapeutic model used in individual, couples, and family counseling. The premise of RCT is that human beings are inherently interdependent and seek to connect with one another via relationships throughout their lifetime. According to the theory, humans seek reciprocal relationships in which connection, authenticity, mutual empathy, and mutual empowerment are shared. Additionally, unlike traditional theoretical models, the promotion of social justice and change through the identification and elimination of forces that create individual, cultural, and sociopolitical inequities is an important objective of this theory. In this entry, the etiology and history of RCT, its key concepts, therapeutic process, and application to working with heterosexual couples will be outlined.