Describes a culturally sensitive approach to family therapy based on clinical experience in Israel with ??migr??s from the former Soviet Union. Two case studies are analyzed from a cross-cultural perspective. In the first family, a single mother sought psychological help for her 8-year-old son, who had become anxious about attending school, although he was an excellent student. Subsequent sessions revealed the mother?s high expectations of her child as well as strict child-rearing practices. In the second family, the parents and a 10-year-old son were referred for therapy by the welfare services because the father repeatedly physically abused the boy. Both cases illustrated universal psychological problems and discrepancies between cultural norms. Approaching these cases with cultural knowledge and an awareness of cross-cultural differences facilitated a less pathological and possibly more effective intervention. In the first case, the mother?s authority was respected, which helped establish a trusting therapeutic relationship; in the second case, the family was viewed as being caught in a cross-cultural transition as opposed to being mere child abusers, and thus, their cooperation was secured. Universal and culturally sensitive interventions were applied side by side in working with these families.
