Exam 1, Chapter 2

Question 1

What do we mean by multiculturalism and diversity?

Answer 1

??

Question 2

What is multicultural counseling/therapy? What are the major characteristics of multicultural counseling and therapy?

Answer 2

1. Helping Role and Process (therapist is not just passive and objective like typical psychotherapy, but also teaching, consulting and advocacy)
2. Consistent with life experiences and cultural values (using modalities and defining goals that are that are consistent with a clients race, culture, ethnicity, gender, and sexual orientation)
3. Individual, group, and universal dimensions of existence (identity is comprised of individual (uniqueness), group, and universal dimensions and therapy should recognize these aspects of an individuals identity)
4. Universal and culture-specific strategies (racial and ethnic minority groups respond best to culture specific strategies, for example Asian-Americans and Latino-Americans respond best to directive/active approaches, however African-Americans appreciate therapists who are authentic in their self-disclosures)
5. Individualism and Collectivism (know the client as a individual who is the product of their society and culture)
6. Clients and client systems (??)

Question 3

What is cultural competence?

Answer 3

Awareness
Knowledge
Skills

Question 4

What are the components of cultural competence?

Answer 4

• Competency 1: Therapist Awareness of One’s Own Assumptions, Values and Biases ( a therapist who is actively in the process of becoming aware of their own assumptions about human behavior, values, biases, preconceived notions, personal limitations, etc.)
• Competency 2: Understanding the Worldview of Culturally Diverse Clients (actively attempts to understand the world view of their culturally different client – their values, assumptions of human behavior, biases, etc.)
• Competency 3: Developing Appropriate Intervention Strategies and Techniques (actively developing and practicing appropriate, relevant, and sensitive intervention strategies and skills in working with a culturally different client)

Question 5

Multi-dimensional model of multicultural competence in counseling and therapy (three dimensions)

Answer 5

• Dimension 1: Group-Specific Worldviews (can be different categories): (race, gender, sexual orientation, physical abilities, age, etc.) (European, Native, Latino, Asian, African-Americans), gender, and sexual orientation)
• Dimension 2: Components of Cultural Competence (awareness, knowledge, skills)

•Dimension 3: Foci of Therapeutic Interventions
oFocus 1: Individual (therapist should be aware of their own attitudes, beliefs and biases)
oFocus 2: Professional (the practice of psychology being at odds with certain groups, so advocate for change)
oFocus 3: Organizational (some structures/policies may be oppressive to some groups, so advocate for change)
oFocus 4: Societal (social acts towards minorities hurt their mental health, so advocate for change)