Stanley Sue is a

clinical psychologist Clinical psychology is an integration of social science, theory, and clinical knowledge for the purpose of understanding, preventing, and relieving psychologically based distress or dysfunction and to promote subjective well-being and persona ...

known for his contributions to the field of multicultural studies, specifically in relation to the mental health issues of ethnic minorities and the need for

cultural competence Cultural competence, also known as intercultural competence, is a range of cognitive, affective, and behavioural skills that lead to effective and appropriate communication with people of other cultures.Deardorff, D. K. (2009). ''The Sage handbook ...

in the treatment of

psychological disorders A mental disorder, also referred to as a mental illness or psychiatric disorder, is a behavioral or mental pattern that causes significant distress or impairment of personal functioning. Such features may be persistent, relapsing and remitti ...

. Sue is a Distinguished Professor of Clinical Psychology at

Palo Alto University Palo Alto University (PAU) is a private university in Palo Alto, California that focuses on psychology. It was founded in 1975 as the Pacific Graduate School of Psychology. Palo Alto University offers two undergraduate degree programs: a Bach ...

. His work is often cited in discussions about the educational achievements of Asian Americans and the

model minority A model minority is a minority demographic (whether based on ethnicity, race or religion) whose members are perceived as achieving a higher degree of socioeconomic success than the population average, thus serving as a reference group to outgroup ...

stereotype In social psychology, a stereotype is a generalized belief about a particular category of people. It is an expectation that people might have about every person of a particular group. The type of expectation can vary; it can be, for example ...

. Sue is a co-author of popular textbooks and other titles including ''Understanding Abnormal Behavior,'' ''Essentials of Understanding Abnormal Behavior,'' and ''The Mental Health of Asian Americans: Contemporary Issues in Identifying and Treating Mental Problems.''

Awards

Sue has received various prestigious awards throughout his career. These including the

American Psychological Association The American Psychological Association (APA) is the largest scientific and professional organization of psychologists in the United States, with over 133,000 members, including scientists, educators, clinicians, consultants, and students. It ha ...

(APA) Distinguished Contributions to Psychology in the Public Interest Award in 1986 and the APA Distinguished Contributions to Research in Public Policy in 1996. Sue received the inaugural Stanley Sue Award for Distinguished Contributions to Diversity in Clinical Psychology in 2003. This award is given annually by the APA to "psychologists who have made remarkable contributions to the understanding of human diversity and whose contributions have significant promise for bettering the human condition, overcoming prejudice, and enhancing the quality of life for humankind." Other awards include the 1990 Distinguished Contributions to Research in Ethnic Minority Psychology, given by the Society for the Psychological Study of Ethnic Minority Issues (APA Division 45), the 1990 Distinguished Contribution Award from the Asian American Psychological Association, and the 1999 Dalmas A. Taylor Award for Pioneering Leadership, Scholarship, and Aggressive Advocacy for Ethnic Minorities.

Biography

Stanley Sue was born on February 13, 1944, in Portland, Oregon to a family of Chinese Immigrants. He has two older brothers, including

Derald Wing Sue Derald Wing Sue is a professor of counseling psychology at Columbia University.

, Professor of Psychology and Education at

Teachers College, Columbia University Teachers College, Columbia University (TC), is the graduate school of education, health, and psychology of Columbia University, a private research university in New York City. Founded in 1887, it has served as one of the official faculties and ...

, with whom he has collaborate extensively. Sue and his brother Derald are co-founders of the Asian American Psychological Association. Sue received his B.S. degree in area of Psychology at the

University of Oregon The University of Oregon (UO, U of O or Oregon) is a public research university in Eugene, Oregon. Founded in 1876, the institution is well known for its strong ties to the sports apparel and marketing firm Nike, Inc, and its co-founder, billion ...

in 1966, He subsequently attended graduate school at the

University of California, Los Angeles The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) is a public land-grant research university in Los Angeles, California. UCLA's academic roots were established in 1881 as a teachers college then known as the southern branch of the California St ...

(UCLA) where he obtained a M.A. degree in 1967 and a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology in 1971. Sue's doctoral dissertation on modes of reducing

cognitive dissonance In the field of psychology, cognitive dissonance is the perception of contradictory information, and the mental toll of it. Relevant items of information include a person's actions, feelings, ideas, beliefs, values, and things in the environment. ...

was conducted under the supervision of

Bertram Raven Bertram Herbert Raven (September 26, 1926 – February 26, 2020) was an American academic. He was a member of the faculty of the psychology department at UCLA from 1956 until his death. He is perhaps best known for his early work in collaboration ...

. Sue was a member of the faculty at the

University of Washington The University of Washington (UW, simply Washington, or informally U-Dub) is a public research university in Seattle, Washington. Founded in 1861, Washington is one of the oldest universities on the West Coast; it was established in Seattle a ...

, UCLA, and the

University of California, Davis The University of California, Davis (UC Davis, UCD, or Davis) is a public land-grant research university near Davis, California. Named a Public Ivy, it is the northernmost of the ten campuses of the University of California system. The institut ...

prior to joining the faculty at Palo Alto University in 2011.

Research

Sue's work is dedicated to ethnic minorities and the difficulties they face in receiving treatment for mental health issues and how they may struggle in society due to discrimination and prejudice. Sue has raised awareness of these issues and has brought his research to medical committees to advocate for change. In pioneering research, Sue and his colleague Herman McKinney followed over 14,000 clients in 17 community mental health agencies located in King County in the State of Washington. The researchers observed that Black clients receiving treatment tended to drop out much earlier than White clients. Sue offered ideas on how to properly address this issue while raising awareness that the situation was even happening in the first place. Sue also brought to light that there may be a lack of transparency and connection in how a therapist works with a minority client. In doing so, Sue identified holes that were present in the field of psychology regarding the treatment of ethnic minorities and addressed the problem by advocating for multicultural competence in mental health care.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Sue, Stanley Living people 1944 births 21st-century American psychologists University of Oregon alumni University of California, Los Angeles alumni Palo Alto University faculty University of California, Davis faculty 20th-century American psychologists