Integrative Culinary Therapy: An Innovative Approach to Treating Black Couples

Abstract

Due to the history of Black people in the United States, rationale will be established for culturally informed interventions to be a sound approach for treatment. Integrative culinary therapy (ICT) is a collaborative, systems-oriented approach informed by cultural factors and sharing traditional foods. By identifying, incorporating, and respecting each partner's social location and cultural identity, the ICT therapist will collaboratively address and resolve issues within the romantic relationship using the act of cooking and eating traditional foods. Couples will be challenged as a unit, as well as individually, to explore their sociohistorical background through the cultural significance of various recipes. Inspired by the West African folklore of Sankofa, this approach to couples therapy highlights the mutigenerational transmission of heritage, self-identity, and the unique coupling habits of marginalized populations. Rather than normalizing the societal standard, ICT validates and empowers the diversity of minorities and the way we establish and sustain romantic relationships.