Counselor Biases

Question 1

What is the definition of a bias?

Answer 1

A tendency to favour one explanation, opinion, or understanding over another perspective that is potentially equally valid

Question 2

How do people express their biases?

Answer 2

• Stereotyping
• Calling people names
• Posting negative comments on social media
• Vandalizing religious decorations
• Not hiring someone because of their age or gender

Question 3

Why do counselors need to be cautious of their bias?

Answer 3

• Counselors vulnerability to inferential bias during the counseling process may result in misdiagnosis and improper interventions
• -> Personal biases are a major obstacle in the decision making process

Question 4

What are the three reasons why counselors should figure out their biases?

Answer 4

1) Each of us has baggage, and it influences our lives
2) In a counselling setting, we will have clients with different beliefs
3) Identifying our biases will enable us to provide our clients with a non–judgemental environment

Question 5

What does research show about bias?

Answer 5

That despite our best intentions, we make assumptions, judgement about others based on preconceptions and we don’t even know we are doing it

Question 6

What are common biases to encounter as a counselor?

Answer 6

• Cultural, political and religious bias
• Weight bias
• Socioeconomic status bias

Question 7

What is the definition of cultural, political and religious bias?

Answer 7

The phenomenon of interpreting and judging a phenomena by standards inherent to one’s won culture. The phenomenon is sometimes considered a problem central to social and human sciences

Question 8

What are two factors in reducing cultural bias?

Answer 8

• Know your clients/patients

- Cultural competence

Question 9

What is cultural competence?

Answer 9

• Valuing diversity
• Identifying areas of prejudice and biases
• Adapting to the changing culture of clients/patients
• Use of non-verbal communication skill
• Listen and speak effectively

Question 10

What are three ways to shorten the cultural difference?

Answer 10

• Don’t pass judgement, but build on peoples food and nutrition practices by emphasizing the positive aspects of the food they eat
• try to use educational material that depict the ethnicity of the clients and patients you are working with
• Inquire about you client’s and patient’s beliefs in the role of religion in health outcomes

Question 11

What is weight bias according to PEN?

Answer 11

Having a negative attitude towards and beliefs about others based on their weight, shape and/or size

Question 12

What is weight bias according to obesity Canada?

Answer 12

Refers to attitudes and views about obesity and people with obesity

Question 13

What can biases lead to?

Answer 13

Can be perpetuated by stereotypes and/or judgements which can lead to weight-stigma and discrimination –> Can lead to a negative impact on health outcomes, and ultimately a person’s social identity

Question 14

What are some sources of weight bias?

Answer 14

• Employment settings
• Media
• Educational settings
• Interpersonal relationships
• Healthcare settings

Question 15

What are 5 factors which contribute to weight stigma?

Answer 15

• Individual responsibility of body weight
• Misinformation, outdated information about physiopathology of weight regulation
• Lack of trained professionals
• Media/weight-loss industry
• Using bMI as an individual indicator of health

Question 16

What is the impact of weight bias on rapport/

Answer 16

• Demonstrate less emotional rapport
• Decreased healthcare provider respect
• Reluctant to perform some health screenings
• Decreased expectations of patient and increase aggressiveness towards the client/patient (blame)

Question 17

What is the weight-bias cycle?

Answer 17

Unhealthy behaviours - Obesity –> health consequences –> Increased medical visits –> Biases in health care –> Negative feeling –> Avoidance of health care –> Poor self-care

Question 18

What are the factors in reducing weight bias?

Answer 18

• Environmental
• Self awareness
• Communication

Question 19

Ways to reduce environmental weight bias?

Answer 19

• Place scale in private area
• Provide wide-based, higher weight capacity chairs
• offer larger size or even thigh-sized blood pressure cuffs
• Have extra large gowns available

Question 20

How can we increase self-awareness within the context of weight-stigma?

Answer 20

• Educate staff
• Be mindful of negative experiences the patient with obesity brings with them
• Focus on outcomes oh health and wellness, less on weight and shape
• Explore all the possibilities of causes and understand the complexity of obesity

Question 21

How should we communicate to avoid weight stigma?

Answer 21

• Ask permission to talk about body weight
• Ask patient what their perspectives are of their body weight
• Refrain from sharing your own weight loss stories

Question 22

What is weight-inclusive language?

Answer 22

• Weight
• Excess weight
• BMI
• Higher weight
• Larger bodied

Question 23

What is the impact of socioeconomic bias and impact on counseling?

Answer 23

• Less inclined to work with poor clients, more likely to view them as having more serious disturbances than wealthier clients
• Not showing up for appt = resistance to tx? (May be due to clients lack of access to child care, transportation)
• Avoid providing recommendations that may not be feasible financially

Question 24

What are five ways that we can decrease socioeconomic bias?

Answer 24

• Do not make assumptions about those in lower economic status
• Be self-aware when counseling and asking patients
• Put yourself in patients shoes
• Treat all equally