Cultural humility
An ongoing practice of self-reflection about one's own cultural background and biases, openness to learning from clients and families, and respect for their cultural expertise.
Cultural humility treats understanding of other cultures as a lifelong process rather than a skill that is learned once. It involves recognizing that one's own background, values and assumptions shape how one sees behavior, families and goals; staying curious and asking rather than assuming; seeing clients and families as the experts on their own culture, values and routines; and acknowledging the power difference between service providers and the families they serve.
Task F.10 asks RBTs to engage in ongoing cultural humility and responsiveness, including identifying personal biases. The RBT Ethics Code (2.0) requires RBTs to work directly with their supervisor to be culturally responsive, to actively evaluate their own biases and ability to work with people of diverse backgrounds (such as age, disability, ethnicity, gender identity, immigration status, national origin, race, religion, sexual orientation or socioeconomic status), and to obtain needed training under the supervisor's direction.
In practice, cultural humility might mean asking a family how they prefer to be addressed, learning about mealtime or bedtime customs before judging a routine, noticing when a reaction to a family's choices comes from personal values rather than the client's needs, and bringing questions to the supervisor. It is not about memorizing facts about groups, which can lead to stereotyping.
Cultural humility is the reflective attitude; cultural responsiveness is acting on it by adapting services. Both support the core principle of treating others with compassion, dignity and respect.
Example and non-example
| Example | An RBT feels surprised that a family eats meals sitting on the floor. Instead of assuming it is a problem, the RBT asks the caregiver about the family's routines and tells the supervisor so the mealtime goals can fit the family. |
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| Non-example | An RBT completes a one-hour diversity training and decides they are now "culturally competent" and do not need to reflect further. Treating cultural learning as finished is the opposite of cultural humility. |
Don't confuse it with
| Cultural responsiveness | Cultural humility is the ongoing self-reflection and openness to learning, while cultural responsiveness is adjusting services and communication in response to the client's culture. |
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| Implicit bias | Implicit bias is an unconscious attitude or stereotype, while cultural humility is the ongoing practice that helps identify and address such biases. |
Test yourself
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Question 1Which description best fits cultural humility?
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D: Ongoing self-reflection and learning from each family. Cultural humility is a lifelong practice of examining your own assumptions and biases and learning from each client and family, who are the experts on their own culture.
- A: Trait lists invite stereotypes and treat culture as something to master.
- B: Ignoring differences can overlook what matters to each family.
- C: Cultural humility is a continuing process, not a one-time achievement.
Task F.10 · 40-hour curriculum section G · RBT Ethics Code 1.07
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Question 2During home sessions, an RBT notices the family's mealtime routines are very different from the RBT's own. The routines do not affect the client's goals. What is the culturally responsive approach?
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C: Respect the family's routines without judgment. Different is not wrong. RBTs keep personal values out of service delivery and raise only service-related concerns with their supervisor.
- A: Imposing personal preferences is not the RBT's role and disrespects the family.
- B: Session notes should be objective, not personal judgments about a family's culture.
- D: Goals should reflect the client's needs and the family's values, not the RBT's preferences.
Task F.10 · RBT Ethics Code 1.07 · RBT Ethics Code 1.08
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Question 3A family cancels a session for a religious holiday the RBT has not heard of. What is a culturally humble response?
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A: Respectfully ask about upcoming dates to plan around. Cultural humility means learning from the family about what matters to them. Asking about upcoming dates shows respect and helps the team schedule services.
- B: Cancelling for a holiday is not uncooperative, and the note would be a biased judgment.
- C: Pressuring the family puts the schedule ahead of their values.
- D: Respectful questions help the RBT learn and plan.
Task F.10 · RBT Ethics Code 1.07
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On the RBT exam
This term belongs to task F.10 Cultural humility and responsiveness in content area F, Ethics, which is 11 of the 75 scored questions.