Roots of Care: What Drives Clinicians to Serve Diverse Clients

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to examine the perspectives and motivations of mental health clinicians working with immigrant and socio-culturally diverse populations. Specifically, it explores the pathways that lead professionals to engage in this work, the values underpinning their career choices, and how their motivations influence their practice. Design/methodology/approach - This study employed a qualitative descriptive design to examine clinicians' perspectives. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with nineteen mental health clinicians working in Canadian community-based organizations that serve equity-deserving groups. Participants were recruited using purposive and snowball sampling. Interviews explored clinicians’ backgrounds, motivations, and approaches to mental health care. Data were analyzed using inductive thematic analysis, allowing for the identification of key themes that capture participants’ experiences. Findings - four themes emerged from the data and are presented: 1) Personal background; 2) diverse needs and mental health awareness; 3) reduce stigma and stereotypes; and 4) current equity imitates. The findings highlight how participants’ personal and professional experiences are deeply intertwined with their motivations to address systemic inequities. This, in turn, translates into their clinical practices, where they prioritize cultural humility, cultural responsiveness and the co-creation of safe therapeutic spaces. Originality/value - By contributing to a nuanced understanding of these dynamics, this research aims to highlight the need for greater diversity amongst the mental health care system and promote greater inclusive and equitable services. It highlights the transformative potential of integrating cultural humility and intersectionality into mental health care. Keywords: Immigrant, mental health, clinicians, motivations, diverse population, cultural responsiveness