Counselling in a Diverse Society

One of the most promising approaches to the field of multicultural counseling/therapy has been the work on racial/cultural identity development among minority groups. This model acknowledges within groups differences that have implications for treatment. The high failure-to-return rate of many clients seems to be intimately connected to the mental health professional’s inability to assess the cultural identity of clients accurately. The model also acknowledges

When speaking with my client he made mention of the fact that in all his years of practicing this past decade has been where the highest emphasis on cultural sensitivity has been made. He noted that as a white middle age male, he had had to learn new things about himself to be able to overcome preconceived notions and biases that he may have held without knowing. Cultuaral sensitivity is very important in trating cllients. Since behavior is culturally relative, when a counselor is competent, he or she would understand the context of the clients thought or behaviors within their given culture. It also promotes a better relationship between the counselor and the client as the client begins to truly trust that the counselor sees him/her as a unique individual and not just another stereotype. Another professional issue that comes up in the counseling setting is the core witness status. In the interview with David, he remarks that he has rarely been subpoenaed to testify in court even though he deals with a love of adolescents from the juvenile system. He however did mention that the times he had been subpoenaed were for civil and not criminal

Cultural competency is critical in psychology practice. In the United States, the groups, which considered as cultural and ethnic minorities, are growing in the population (APA, 2003). Culture often influences the content and quality of people’s experience, perception, and response. Thus, it is important for psychologists to be aware of cultural influences on client’s presenting experience(s) (Gardiner & Kosmitzki, 2010). Without a regard for cultural influence, there is a significant risk for the psychologist to misunderstand, misinterpret, and misguide his or her client. Such misunderstanding, misinterpretation, and misguidance are not only unhelpful but can be detrimental for the client (Corey, Corey, & Callanan, 2011; Pope, & Vasquez, 2011).

When considering the different contexts in which counselling takes place, diversity appears to be the most distinguishing factor that is linked to client satisfaction Hankins (2007) and is aimed at providing a more ‘universal system of counselling’. (Patterson, 1996,

Cultural competence as it pertains to counseling is a vital skill to possess in today’s ever-changing society. Counseling is a high demand profession which involves interaction with person from all walks of life and all types of backgrounds. As we become more sensitive to cultural diversity around us, we must make an effort to understand those who are different from us. The lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender or LGBT community has come to the forefront of our social consciousness with much media attention given to the issue of marriage equality in many states.

It is important to be aware of one’s limitations, weaknesses and strengths in the delivery of counseling services. Taking into account the cultural values of the client, the support systems and the client’s view of the key parts of his or her makeup (the history of the client) are culture specific (because someone is of the same race does not mean that values will be the same) and does not discount the individual. Sue et al reminds us that multicultural counseling competency looks beyond racial and ethnic minorities and also includes disabilities, sexual orientation, age, and other special populations (Sue, et al, 1992).

Looking at what earlier researches psychologists have done in their interventions will also help guide my practice. Something very interesting that I noticed in this research was that they were very aware about the client’s culture (multicultural) background in order to be able to understand how they would attend them best.

Counselors need to be aware of their cultural worldview, for the fact that it can affect the assessment and diagnosis of a client. What if

Acculturation is “a process of giving up one's traditional cultural values and behaviors of the dominant social structure” (Sommers-Flanagan & Sommers-Flanagan, 2015, p. 457). From a client's perspective because they give up their own cultures and adapts to another may result in identity issues. Due to stereotyping, Counselors may not know how to address the culture change client has adapted to. Sue and Zane (2009) state the problem is when the therapist and others have the insufficient knowledge they do not take the take to get more information. Instead, they act on the insufficient knowledge and overgeneralize what they have learned about culturally dissimilar groups. Sommers-Flanagan & Sommers-Flanagan (2015) state that counselors should

Multicultural group counseling takes place when a counselor and/or clients are from differing cultural, race, and/or ethnicity groups. Due to the significant demographic changes that are occurring in the United States, multiculturalism is becoming increasingly important. When acting as a multicultural group counselor, it is important to modify techniques to reflect the cultural differences of the client, be prepared to deal with difficulties during the counseling process, and understand the way culturally diverse people conceptualize their problems as well how they resolve them (Gladding, 2012). In order to be an effective multicultural counselor, it is important that one is aware of their cultural heritage, understands how their cultural background affects their attitudes, values, and beliefs, recognizes the limitations of their multicultural expertise and/or competency, and identify the root of their discomfort with different clients (Gladding, 2012). One can implement these through three key aspects Gladding (2012) outlined in his book and effective leadership skills.

With an ever increasing culturally diverse population counselling professionals among others are required to show and understand cultural awareness and competence in practice of minority groups protected under the equality act 2010.

Often counselors are ineffective with culturally diverse clients since they see cultural differences as shortfalls instead of strengths. Also, counselors will regularly disregard to discuss a client’s issues with regards to current social issues confronting the client. Counseling experts create hindrances in counseling when they do not think about client’s issues with regards to educational, economic, social, political, legal, and cultural frameworks. The shortfall perspective, combined with a disregard to address social background issues, can delay the diverse counseling process. This delay in diverse counseling can also be seen when it comes to counseling competence and poverty beliefs. Counselors are prepared in diversity and multiculturalism

The relationship between the therapist and client are also socio-culturally influenced. The therapist provides stability and wellness to the therapist-client relationship. The therapist has to apperceive cultural diversity and understand it depending on the client’s cultural values and credence. When a therapist misunderstands the cultural beliefs and the client’s background; their relationship will be negatively affected. Therapists do not impose their own cultural notions onto their client’s cultural values and notions; they do analyze all concepts and practices to provide the best care to their client’s (Stevens

Many clinical psychologists are surrounded by individuals from different backgrounds, ethnicities, and who ascribe to different cultures. Therefore, it is essential for psychologists to be comfortable and competent when working with and treating diverse individuals. ial for psychologists to be competent and comfortable while workinAlthough I have only been in the mental health field for a short time, I have worked with individuals from different backgrounds, cultures, and ethnicities. Similarly, I have obtained several unique personal experiences that helped demonstrate the importance of understanding different cultures. Therefore, the remainder of this statement will highlight several influential cultural experiences, as well as the influence those experiences had on my ability to work with and conceptualize clients.

After reading the provided articles for this week’s module, I have identified a few main points about the possible impacts on multicultural counseling. Culture does affect the way a counseling is conducted and scrutinized. I learned in the module that it is imperative to be able to identify that there are different cultural beliefs and how the different beliefs may influence counseling.