Discussion 8

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Chicago School of Professional Psychology *

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703

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Psychology

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Dec 6, 2023

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docx

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Uploaded by UltraProtonDolphin23

Throughout this course we’ve discussed a variety of topics, have shared our own personal opinions and beliefs, and have been vulnerable and open to share our biases and preconceived notions with our peers. What stood out to me the most is just how important cultural competency is when working with your clients. In last week’s case study about the Martinez family, I found myself being able to identify and write down points where I felt the school counselor was being culturally incompetent. My points were validated as I continued reading the chapter and realized that the textbook went on to further explain the same points. What stands out to me is how many issues can arise from the lack of accommodations. So much so, that it really is irresponsible to not be culturally competent in the field of forensic psychology. A major consequence can be misdiagnosing a client. This was evident in the case study about Hmong sudden death syndrome. If that counselor would have been against looking into this culture’s traditional ways of healing, the client could’ve easily been diagnosed as schizophrenic due to his reported hallucinations. This case study highlighted the importance of our willingness to go above and beyond for our client, even when it’s methods and techniques that we are not familiar with or even believe in ourselves. If we are truly in this field because we care about our clients and want to make a difference, our research and learning about as many cultures as we can must be never-ending. This world is so diverse and I will ensure that I am constantly equipping myself to properly treat my clients and be inclusive with their beliefs, not my own. That will include always building rapport with my clients and taking the time to learn about and respect their culture, values and beliefs so that I can ensure to use the appropriate interventions unique to each client. This includes constantly conducting additional research when working with someone from a culture I am not familiar with, be willing to dive into nontraditional ways of healing, and also being knowledgeable on whether to use individualistic or collective approaches with each client depending on the importance they place on the family unit. I’ve been able to learn about different communication styles and how important it is to recognize the choice of communication style within each culture. This also includes finding the treatment approach that will be best suited for each individual client. Being able to identify our client’s choice of counseling and communication style is paramount while conducting evaluations and assessments. It can be very easy to misdiagnose a client if we base our assessment on the communication style we are more familiar with, rather than taking the time to inquire and observe the client’s preferred method. We must have the ability to shift between different therapeutic styles and approaches in order to individualize each treatment plan and ensure we are treating the root of the problem instead of possibly mistaking a cultural norm with something that western culture sees in a negative light. It’s also imperative that we take into consideration the effect that culture has on one’s personality, beliefs, values, religion, and skills. I think as mental health professionals we should encourage our clients to dig further into their belief system and have them identify whether their beliefs belong to them, or if it is something they have inherited and continued to carry from their family. We should also always remain open to working with diverse clients and be willing to learn and try new things. All in all I’ve learned so much throughout this course and have enjoyed discussing different view points with you all. I wish everyone the best.

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