Relevant+Multicultural+Literature

== Case Study | Ethical Codes and Considerations | Laws and Legal Considerations | Literature Review ==

Professional Interview | Ethical Decision Making Model


Over the past few decades, the volume of multicultural literature has grown extensively. From minimal research and literature in the 1980’s to a continually growing amount today, multicultural counseling development and competency is now considered a central core of the counseling profession’s identity (Worthington, Soth-McNett, and Moreno, 2007). Within the field of counseling, a model was created by Sue and colleagues and is known as the multicultural counselor competencies model (MCC). This model was created to address the three broad areas of multicultural counseling competencies embodied in competent counselors. The model includes attitudes and beliefs, knowledge, and skills. In regards to attitudes and beliefs, competent counselors seek awareness of one’s own assumptions, values and biases. The knowledge aspect of this multicultural model includes understanding the worldview of culturally diverse clients. Finally, the third area of the model, skills, includes developing appropriate intervention strategies and techniques (Worthington, Soth-McNett, and Moreno, 2007). Following the same ideas as the MCC model, there are several general implications made in the literature in reference to counselor practices and preparedness. In order to most effectively help a client, the counselor should be aware of the client’s cultural experiences and worldview as each client’s beliefs, values, actions, feelings, and social connections are influenced by their cultural context. This understanding and awareness is central to competent practice (Dadlani, Overtree, and Perry-Jenkins, 2012). It is also particularly important that the counselor gains self-awareness to better understand how their cultural background and make-up may influence their relationships with clients. Through training in and exposure to cultural issues, cultural variables may be more easily recognized by counselors-in-training (Constantine, 2001). It could also benefit counselors to note that some research views multicultural case conceptualization skills as separate from general case conceptualization skills. There seems to be a need to specifically recognize and identify culturally salient factors in the client’s story and to implement these factors into conceptualization and treatment planning (Lee, Sheridan, Rosen, and Jones, 2012). More specific to our case study are the possible cultural aspects of Latin Americans, particularly the idea of [|familismo]. Familismo, within the Latin culture, is one’s orientation to family. For many Latinas/os, this collectivistic nature is common and signifies an individual’s consideration of one’s parents or other family members and close friends when making decisions. Research has noted that Latinas/os are more likely to make individual sacrifices for the benefit of their families (Hays and Erford, 2010). Given both the client’s response and the counselor’s response in the case study, it seems likely that there is a fundamental disagreement on values and norms. The desire to or act of fostering independence in an individual that identifies more with interdependence is a common ethical dilemma in counseling (Sadeghi, Fischer, and House, 2003). While understanding specifics and generalities about a specific culture (i.e. the Latin American culture) can be extremely important in appropriately helping a client, it is also equally important to understand that even within a specific cultural group, there is still much variability between each unique individual (Owen, Leach, and Wampold, 2011). Ultimately, value differences between clients and counselors are inevitable given that each individual comes from a unique cultural context. In order to meet the needs of clients, counselors should strive to develop their cultural knowledge and understanding concerning common cultural processes (Owen, Leach, Wampold, and Rodolfa, 2011). Counselors should constantly work towards an awareness of how their own values and beliefs may influence how they interact with clients (Sadeghi, Fischer, and House, 2003). media type="youtube" key="QdpmvebCD6E" height="390" width="640"

References:

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Lee, D., Sheridan, D., Rosen, A., & Jones, I. (2012). Psychotherapy trainees’ multicultural case conceptualization content: thematic differences across three cases. //American Psychological Association,// 1-7.======

Owen, J., Leach, M., Wampold, B., & Rodolfa, E. (2011). Multicultural approaches in psychotherapy: a rejoinder. //Journal of Counseling Psychology, 58(1),// 22-26.
Sadeghi, M., Fischer, J., & House, S. (2003). Ethical dilemmas in multicultural counseling. //Journal of Multicultural Counseling and Development, 31(3),// 179-191.

Worthington, R., Soth-McNett, A., & Moreno, M. (2007). Mullticultural counseling competencies research: a 20-year content analysis. //Journal of Counseling Psychology, 54(4),// 351-361. Photograph retrieved from: http://www.psichi.org/pubs/articles/article_733.aspx