Working within Diversity – The Model and Approach

Question 1

Working within diversity - The model and approach

Answer 1

COMPONENTS HAVE EQUAL WEIGHT - ANTI-OPPRESSIVE MODEL
1: Structural and Systemic Context of Counselling
2: Identity and Intersectionality
3: Power
4: Therapeutic Relationship
5: Therapeutic Process
NB See figure 2 page 28

Question 2

Working within diversity
7 Principles

Answer 2

1. Anti-oppressive not inclusive
2. Systemic, structural and social inequalities and oppressions
3. Two identities
4. Two truths
5. Two identities in therapeutic relationship
6. Culturally attuned
7. Re-establishing external contexts

Question 3

Principle 1: Anti-oppressive not inclusive

Answer 3

Inclusive means including oppressed groups - whilst maintaining power by positioning yourself as normative.
Inclusive implies exclusion - power to include therefore power to exclude.
Anti-oppressive - intentionally works to flatten power in therapeutic practice, process and relationships.

Question 4

Principle 2: Systemic, structural and social inequalities and oppressions

Answer 4

Recognising and acknowledging impact of:
1. Inequalities 2. Identity/identities 3. Systems of oppression - uphold dominant identity group
Proactively:
1. Involved in anti-oppressive practice
2. Not engaging in oppressive practice - passivity/indifference/unawareness/inaction

Question 5

Principle 3: Two identities

Answer 5

1. Two unique identities in relationship
2. Identities are visible
3. Each identity has its own version of what is normative to them - ie counsellor/client lens is biased based on their identity, intersectionality, social position and lives experience

Question 6

Principle 4: Two truths

Answer 6

1. Truth encompasses a person’s identity, narrative and lived experiences.
2. Therapeutic relationship therefore holds 2 truths of equal weighting - even if they conflict.
3. Anti-oppressive work is to hold 2 truths even if they conflict
4. Explore clients truth without oppression
5. Not oppressing our own truth

Question 7

Principle 5: Two identities in the therapeutic relationship

Answer 7

We are always working within multi or cross cultural context, as no two people have exact same context

Question 8

Principle 6: Culturally attuned

Answer 8

X Cultural competence Implies finished destination - reinforces power of counsellor as expert
Instead Culturally attuned i.e.
1. Cultural Humility - respectful
2. Cultural Empathy - open
3. Cultural Curiosity - not knowing
Pg Chapter 1 - page 34

Question 9

Principle 7: Re-establishing external context

Answer 9

Recognising that all external contexts ‘out there’ are brought into the ‘in here’ (therapy) context