multicultural counseling (1)

� What happens when one visits foreign land and falls into minority?

Cultural shock – re-entry Process

Adjustment and adaptation

First Encounter

Crisis / cultural shock

Adjustment / recovery

Preparation / anxiety

Reentry shock

Common Emotions� I FEEL GUILTY, “I could be doing more”

� I FEEL ANGRY, “I don’t like to feel like I’m wrong”

� I FEEL DEFENSIVE, “Why blame me, I do enough already”

Common Emotions� I FEEL TRUNED OFF, “I have other priorities in life”

� I FEEL HELPLESS, “The problem is too big…what can I do?”

� I FEEL AFRAID, “I am going to do something…I don’t know what will happen”

Here comes….Multicultural Counseling

2

Multicultural counseling helps people to…..

-Deal with their own feelings-Enhance or negate a deeper

understanding of their selves as racial/cultural beings

-Understand the worldviews of culturally diverse clients

Emotional Roadblocks to the Path of Cultural Competence

Strong emotions such as:

anger, sadness, and defensiveness are displayed when discussing experiences of race, culture, and other socio-demographic variables

Guidelines for Clinical Practice

� Become aware of your own stereotypes and preconceptions regarding inter-racial relationships and marriages

� When working with multiracial clients, avoid stereotyping

� See multiracial people in a holistic fashion rather than as fractions of a person

� Remember that being a multiracial person often means coping with marginality, isolation, and loneliness

� With mixed-race clients, emphasize the freedom to choose one’s identity

� Take an active psycho-educational approach

Guidelines for Clinical Practice

� Be aware that persons of color, gays/lesbians, women, and other groups may perceive mental illness/health and the healing process differently than do Euro-Americans

� Realize that organizational/societal policies, practices, and structures may represent oppressive obstacles that prevent equal access and opportunity. If that is the case, systems intervention is most appropriate

� Use modalities that are consistent with the lifestyles and cultural systems of clients

� Being aware of strategies and techniques used in culturally conflicting situations.

Guidelines for Clinical Practice

� Since mixed race people are constantly portrayed as possessing deficiencies, stress their positive attributes and the advantages of being multiracial and multicultural

� Recognize that family counseling may be especially valuable in working with mixed-race clients, especially if they are children

� When working with multiracial clients, ensure that you possess basic knowledge of the history related to racial/cultural identity

� Acquiring knowledge and understanding of the worldview of culturally diverse groups and individuals.

� Becoming aware of the biases, values and assumptions about human behavior which culturally different group hold.

Culturally Skilled Counselors

Beliefs and Attitudes� Being aware of one's own beliefs, attitudes, and

biases, realizing these influence one's work with clients from other cultures.

� Developing an appreciation for diverse cultures and an attitude of comfort and challenge when working with diverse clients.

� Being sensitive to one's limits of competence when working with clients from different cultures.

Culturally Skilled Counselors

Knowledge� Understanding the history, traditions, and

values of their clients' culture.� Being aware of different cultures' views of

mental health and adjustment.� Developing sensitivity to institutional barriers

and prejudices that impinge on clients from different cultures.

Culturally Skilled Counselors

Skills� Being flexible in utilizing approaches that are

compatible with the cultures of clients with whom they are working.

� Communicating effectively with clients by using appropriate language and nonverbal behaviors.

� Being familiar with referral sources, agencies, and programs that are appropriate for clients from different backgrounds and cultures.