xUnit 4 Flashcards
(38 cards)
Diversity issues facing professional counsellors
growing cultural diversity and its implications
differences between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal populations in Canada (with regard to counselling)
1) the need to avoid cultural blindness,
2) socioeconomic status is both a cultural and non-cultural variable.
Nancy Arthur & Sandra Collins
Developed their own model: culture-infused counselling, also includes social justice competencies
Addresses criticisms that the US Multicultural Counselling Competencies (1992) does not sufficiently address the importance of the working alliance.
A. R. Fischer
proposed four conditions common to any type of counselling
treatment (multicultural):
1. the therapeutic relationship,
2. a shared worldview between client and counsellor,
3. client expectations for positive change, and
4. interventions believed by both client and counsellor to be a means of healing
J. McFadden
model is a transcultural perspective that focuses
on three primary dimensions counsellors must master:
1. the cultural–historical, where counsellors must possess knowledge of a client’s culture;
2. the psychosocial, where counsellors must come to understand the client’s ethnic,
racial, and social group’s performance, speeches, and behaviours in order to communicate
meaningfully; and
3. the scientific–ideological, where counsellors must use appropriate counselling
approaches to deal with problems related to regional, national, and international
environments.
Addresses issue in multicultural counselling is the development and employment of counselling theories. Cultural bias is present in majority and minority counsellors and in the past has spilled over into counselling theories.
Aboriginal identity
o Should find a spiritual connection with them (understand white privilege and move past it)
o Understand their realities (impact of the past, worldview)
o Be flexible in structuring counselling
o Build a connection with them
o Be very cautious with humor and allow clients to vent their anger in a safe manner.
o Tradition medical practices on pg. 98-99
2) acculturation
3) over-culturalizing
4) cultural-historical dimension
5) cultural mosaic
6) culturally encapsulated counsellor
7) culture-infused counselling competence
2)  The process by which a group of people gives up old ways to adopt new ones
- important for treatment
3) A failure to distinguish differences arising from cultural backgrounds versus poverty or deprived status 
4)
5)
6)
7)The integration of attitudes, beliefs, knowledge, & skills for awareness of the impact of culture on a person (assumptions, values, beliefs, understanding of world)
3 core competencies
· Culture self-awareness
· Awareness of a client cultural differences
· Culturally sensitive working alliance
emic vs. etic perspective
*counselling approaches must be designed for a specific culture
vs.
universal qualities exist in counselling that are culturally generalizable
Common Condition:
1) therapeutic relationship
2) shared worldview between client and counsellor
3) client expectation for positive change
4) interventions that both believe are a means of healing 
ethnocentrism
ethnographic variables
multicultural counselling
Counselling in which the counsellor and client differ.
Defined in codes as “non-discriminatory“ or a “respect for diversity”
Culturally encapsulated counselors, disregard cultural differences
AMCD
psychosocial dimension
scientific-ideological dimension
status variables vs. demographic variables
What is the “worldview” of the counsellor? Why is it important?
worldview is the basic beliefs that guide the way someone relates to the world
A counsellor will have been affected by all their experiences, understanding what these are is important to not impose and to be able to understand where others come from when talking.
In what ways do diversity issues, such as ethnicity, gender, and sexual orientation, affect a counsellor’s effectiveness?
Comment: Answers should explore ideas related to concepts of ethnocentrism, selective perception, bias, objectivity, and stereotyping. Even when counsellors meet clients with similar backgrounds to one another, it is important that they remain open to individual differences. Moreover, if counsellors assume that they understand, they may deny their clients one of the most therapeutic outcomes of counselling—the opportunity to tell one’s story.
depending on the clients values, religion, traditions will depend on how to approach treatment. some cultures place blame for bad events on spirits and therefore if they’re ideals are not accounted for they will likely just terminate their counselling.
Define Culture.
Culture =any group of people who identify/associate with another on the basis of a common purpose, need, or similarity of background. It structures behavior, thoughts, perceptions, values, beliefs, learned experiences, goals, morals, cognitive processes 
3 Variables to culture
Ethnographic: ethnicity, nationality, religion, language
Demographic: age, gender, place of residence
Status: Social, economic, educational background, Memberships and affiliations 
May be defined as physical features, or common history and philosophy
Pedersen (1995) says, “Counsellors who presume that they are free of racism seriously underestimate the impact of their own socialization” (p. 197). Do you agree or disagree with this statement?
Comment: This very interesting and provocative quote assumes that we are all subject to some racism, however subtle. With this in mind, the personal challenge becomes “How does racism impact my work?” —not “Does it?”
Describe two potential concerns and issues involved in providing counselling services to clients of the opposite gender (as the counsellor). How do these concerns and issues differ when counselling clients of your own gender? Examine your own position with regard to issues of sexual orientation in the counselling relationship.
Do you believe that people from lower SES face cultural barriers? Support your position.
Culture =any group of people who identify/associate with another on the basis of a common purpose, need, or similarity of background
SES can be viewed as a culture, which the face little insurance/money to get help, often are in poorer areas that have value different things than higher SES places
Difficulties in Multicultural Counselling
Issues in…
1) over-culturalizing
2) racism
3) continuum of acculturation
——
1) dominance of theories based on European/North American cultural values 
2) sensitivity to cultures (knowledge of worldview, self-awareness or view and cultural conditioning, skills)
3) understanding for cultural systems operate and influence behaviour
4) effective counselling
5) Dev and use of counselling theories
Worldwide theories
1) Adlerian
2) transactional analysis (TA)
3) reality therapy
History of First Nations
-status/non-status/metis
-Originally 56 nations & 30+ languages
-past pains: loss of ancestral lands, desire for self-determination, conflicts values of mainstream Canadian culture, and confused self-image from past stereotyping (residential schools, etc)
History of South Asian Canadians
-4% CDN (largest visible minority in Canada)- East Indians, Pakistani, Sri Lankan, Punjabi, and Tamil (Sikh,
Hindu, and Muslim)
-few generalities can be made
-form strong bonds with others of similar background & disconnected from other South Asians
Commonalitiies:
a) place a high value on family,
b) maintain social networks within their ethnic group,
c) value religion within their
distinct cultures,
d) preserve their customs, traditions, and language
High ethnic consciousness (Sikhs, Ismaili Muslims) are most involved in extra-familial cultural
History of Southeast Asian Canadians
-~4%: Chinese, Japanese, Filipinos, Indochinese, Indians, and Koreans
-CP Rail, WWII Pearl habour
-hardworking and successful and not prone to mental or emotional disturbances
-subtleties, ie: communication is more indirect and discrete
-expected to exert control over strong emotions, filial piety, stress on family bonds and unity, and respect for roles and status
o Less likely to seek help compared to white people
§ Must see and appreciate them in the context of their heritage
o Mental expression is sometimes explained in religious ways (possessed by spirit, or punished because they broke some morale principle)
o Often develop somatic symptoms instead of recognizing their pain is psychological
o For Career counsellors, some southeast Asian Canadians are torn between their interest and what’s accepted by their parents
o Should promote self-disclosure through educational/career counselling rather than a psychotherapy approach
History of Latino Canadians
-1%, mostly bicultural, but vary in acculturation
-AKA Hispanic Canadians
-Mexico, El Salvador, Chile, Columbia, and Venezuela.
-Some Cuba, Peru, Guatemala, Ecuador, and elsewhere
-Roman Catholic
-Spanish speaking
-Lower socioeconomic status, racism, and discrimination
