Over the past decades, there has been a concerted effort to increase therapists' cultural competence in the American Psychological Association, American Counseling Association, and graduate programs that train mental health practitioners. Has this effort resulted in positive therapy experiences for immigrant clients? Currently, little is known about what immigrants actually experience behind the closed doors of therapy rooms. The purpose of the current study was to gather client level data from immigrants regarding their perceptions of their therapists' cultural competence. This study used a modified Consensual Qualitative Research (CQR) approach using interview data gathered from immigrant college students who had been in therapy. Ten immigrant college students answered questions about their therapy experiences, including questions about what they did and did not find helpful, and what they did and did not like about their therapy experiences. They also answered open ended questions about how they felt culture may have related to their reasons for seeking therapy, and their experiences in therapy. Data were organized into culturally competent and incompetent behaviors. Relevance to the Association of Multicultural Counseling and Development (AMCD) multicultural competencies are discussed. © 2015 American Psychological Association.

Cultural competence Immigrant clients CQR Therapy experiences qualitative

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