REBT Theory Paper

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

The decision between the Therapist and Latino client is a remarkable example of the importance of being sensitize and culturally competent. The therapist appeared to have inadvertently added to the client’s stress which potentially negatively affect the worker-client relationship as well as the intervention process. My initial response to the dialog was that of confusion. Although I tried to empathize with the counselor’s method of getting the young lady to take responsibility for her actions. I totally disagreed with his lack of insensitivity to the client’s indirect message. The young lady was trying to convey her feelings about her experiences as a Latino woman. He did not take inconsideration that although humans often have similar stories.

To provide competent care to a client, the therapist has to be culturally prepared to work with the client. To be culturally competent as a therapist I have to be aware of my own bias, my identity, and my values in regards of my culture. I also need to be aware of the judgments that I have about the client’s cultural identity. In order to know the client’s culture, I would inquire about the identity during the intake. I would use the Addressing model by Pamela Hays to inquire the cultural identity of my clients. The addressing model helps to consider the various social categories that a client belongs to. Also, providing culturally competent services is to be aware of the population surrounding the therapist’s office or agency in order to

In this case, cultural competent therapist are more equipped to work with racial/ethnic minority client than other therapist, but the outcome will not be the same for all clients (Hayes, Owen, & Bieschke, 2015). Culturally competent counselors are willing to learn about their clients values and beliefs through openness and curiosity. Although there is an awareness to enhance cultural competence in counselors, there is a lack of multicultural training. Dinsmore and England (1996) illustrates that in half of the programs multicultural content was not emphasized and that there were a lack of minority clients in internship and practicum (p. 72). Counselors in training acknowledge that a course in multicultural is not sufficient in order to best help clients.

In my personal opinion and experience, I find that the field of psychology is lacking in diverse cultural competencies as much as the society is diverse in its population. I believe that as with using any theoretical model, the therapists’ cultural knowledge needs to include understanding of the many cultural considerations influencing the effectiveness of treatment when dealing with clients from diverse backgrounds. When servicing the individuals in the family, care and attention needs to be directed towards family and community norms and values around help seeking, secrecy and confidentiality, family roles, child rearing and spiritual practices.

Important topics such as racism, poverty, education and microaggressions must be discussed in order to establish the therapeutic relationship. White therapists may feel uncomfortable discussing issues such as skin color in the therapeutic environment, however it is often welcomed conversation by the frightened and surprised Latino clients who already feel ashamed about entering therapy. In the beginning stages of therapy non-minority therapist must take a risk in recognizing the meaning of skin color and nationality on clients. Color and oppression often go hand in hand and cannot be avoided. It is often that Latino clients feel that White therapist are the experts and most knowledgeable to solve “problems.”

Having knowledge of the Racial/Cultural Identity Development Model will help counselors to become more culturally competent. Although we know these phases, one must be aware of the cultures that counselors will be working with and how one’s beliefs can hinder the process. The five stages of the Asian-American Identity Development Model, developed by Sue and Sue, are: The ethnic awareness stage, White identification stage, the awakening to the social political consciousness stage, redirection stage, and the incorporation stage. Asian-Americans prefer crisis-oriented, brief, and solution oriented approaches, and they are influenced by their families and culture. The fear of losing face to their peers by seeking therapy will lead them to early termination of therapy. Asian cultures are typically high context cultures in which gesture, body language, eye contact, pitch, intonation, word stress, and the use of silence are as important as the actual words being spoken in conversation. Asians are typically polite in social encounters whereas Americans, being very low context communicators, are comfortable with very direct questions and answers and often seem abrupt to people from high context cultures. The five stages of the Black Identity Development Model, originally developed by Cross, are: The pre-encounter stage, encounter stage, immersion-emersion, internalization, and internalization-commitment. African-Americans will diminish counseling,

While working with clients that are multicultural, it’s important that counselors address the behavioral problems in the client’s family. (Santisteban, et al., 2003). It is important that the counselor allows changes in the family’s function and allow problematic behaviors to change to allow the family to work better, together (Santisteban, et al., 2003). The counselor can do this by addressing the client’s presenting problems and correcting those problems with healthier behaviors (Santisteban, et al., 2003). The counselor needs to allow the family time to change their behaviors. For example: A Hispanic family has come into counseling because their son is disruptive. This disruptive behavior is disrupting the family’s functioning.

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).

Both Asian Americans and Native Americans have faced oppression and discrimination for over two-hundred years (Hays and Erford, 2014). In this paper, I will identify how a counselor can reduce the effects of racism and discrimination that has affected Asian and Native Americans. Additionally, I will address what role a counselor plays in reducing the stigma of mental illness within both Asian and Native American’s community. Furthermore, I will highlight how the reading material from your textbook aligns with the issues presented in the videos, Asian American/Pacific Islanders and Mental Health and The Mental Health of Native Americans as well as how these issues

In a multicultural counseling perspective there are four key approaches when counseling individuals, (a) multicultural awareness of culturally learned assumptions about self and others leading to accurate assessments of clients, (b) multicultural knowledge of information, (c) multicultural skills and interventions, that are appropriate treating clients, and (d) individuals are from a variety of backgrounds, demographic status, and affiliation of cultures. The three-stage approach, will direct the counselor towards levels of multicultural competence in therapy by providing a successful outcome in the recovery process. When conducting a psychotherapy session with a client the counselor should be able to demonstrate skills, when exploring the client’s cultural background. Counselors should also be able to focus on the essential skills and pattern behaviors, when identifying cultural differences. Counseling a minority from a different culture counselors’ must be able to identify their own personal behaviors. These behaviors are crucial when counseling these individuals. First, a counselor must be able to sense the clients’ viewpoint or issue in some way. Secondly, a counselor should be specific when asking a question rather than being unclear and confusing.

As a result, it is imperative to take a look at current and historical oppressions that a client experience by being part of a minority social group or a group that does not conform to popular culture (Aviera, 2002). These oppressions will offer me a deeper insight into the source of challenges that a client faces. By merely looking at the individual without considering these oppressions, I could fail to determine what drives him to experience life the way that he does. Therefore, in order to build a practice that is useful to a different set of cultures, keeping in mind significant experiences encountered as a collective is fundamental in cultivating effective cross-cultural counseling

Engaging into the importance of multicultural competence, awareness of such competency has become a significant necessity in the area of mental health, and various fields of psychology (Hayes, 2008). It is essential for a counselor to be multicultural competent in order to develop a therapeutic alliance with a client, while understanding their cultural identity. Therefore, culturally competent knowledge, attitudes, and skills of diverse culture, is necessary, in proper treatment and diagnosis. Nonetheless, the complexity of cultural diversity can contribute to challenges in assessment, diagnosis and or treatment. It is further understood; by understanding one’s social history, psychosocial history, presenting problems, along with other pertinent information regarding a cultural responsiveness in a diagnosis, and how it would be beneficial to individuals of various social, ethnic, and other minority groups in order to make a treatment plan based on the findings of a cultural assessment (Sue & Sue, 2013). Nonetheless, cultural influences, often neglected, are needed to incorporate the challenges cultural groups face when seeking treatment. Therefore, I have found it applicable to use “ADDRESSING,” framework in therapy as a resource for developing cultural and relevant assessments in addition to the onset symptoms presented in the client in the case study of Mrs. Hudson. The use of “ADDRESSING” acronym is designed to obtain age, developmental and physical disabilities

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).

The relationship of a counselor to his or her client can be troubled when the two come from different cultural backgrounds. "As counselors incorporate a greater awareness of their clients' culture into their theory and practice, they must realize that, historically, cultural differences have been viewed as deficits (Romero, 1985). Adherence to white cultural values has brought about a naive imposition of narrowly defined criteria for normality on culturally diverse people" (Bolton-Brownlee 1987). The challenge for counselors today is to balance multiculturalism and sensitivity for the client with the need to move the client forward and enable him or her to reach productive life goals. Cultural acceptance cannot be synonymous with complacency.