Cultural Awareness: Understanding Curanderismo

Curanderismo is a traditional Mexican American healing system that holistically treats disorders through religious, spiritual, and health-related means. This practice is an important cultural phenomenon for many Mexican American clients and may cause misdiagnosis and misunderstandings in the client- counselor relationship. Ethical counselors must consider the cultural implications of curanderismo if they are to communicate clearly and advocate for clients adhering to this practice (ACA, 2014). Consequently, this article conveys a basic understanding of curanderismo and offers a brief explanation of the types of curanderos and curanderas, the nosology of curanderismo, and the treatment approach of curanderismo. The authors detail a case study involving an actual experience with and reflection of curanderismo.