The Challenges to Multicultural Counseling
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The Challenges to Multicultural Counseling
Marie E. Capizzi
Professional Orientation to Mental Health Counseling
Instructor: Joseph F. Piccari, Ph.D.
Prescott College
Abstract
Counselors are increasingly called upon to work with diverse client populations whose needs may not be met through traditional counseling models. This paper discusses the importance of infusing multiculturalism into all aspects of the counseling process. It then describes the barriers counselors may face in delivering effective multicultural counseling and it explores the attitudes, knowledge and skills counselors need to develop for competent and ethical practice.
The Challenges to Multicultural Counseling
The United States is becoming an increasingly diverse country: one in three Americans is a member of a racial or ethnic minority, and approximately 12% of the U.S. population is foreign-born (U.S. Census Bureau, 2010). According to the 2010 U. S. Census Bureau, population estimates by race include 63% Non-Hispanic Whites, 16.3% Hispanics, 12.6% African American, 4.8% Asians, .9% American Indian and Alaskan Natives, .2% Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islanders. In addition, there is a great diversity within these broad racial categories, and distinct ethnic subgroups which have their own common heritage, values, rituals, and traditions (Gerig, 2007).
The growing racial and ethnic diversity of the U.S. population is an essential consideration when providing` mental health services. Presently, it will be impossible for a counselor not to encounter client groups who differ from her in terms of race, culture, and ethnicity. In addition, there are documented disparities among racial and ethnic minorities compared to whites in seeking treatment, staying in treatment, and receiving good quality treatment (Fouad, 2007). One explanation for this is that counseling is an ethnocentric activity, based on the values of the...
Marie E. Capizzi
Professional Orientation to Mental Health Counseling
Instructor: Joseph F. Piccari, Ph.D.
Prescott College
Abstract
Counselors are increasingly called upon to work with diverse client populations whose needs may not be met through traditional counseling models. This paper discusses the importance of infusing multiculturalism into all aspects of the counseling process. It then describes the barriers counselors may face in delivering effective multicultural counseling and it explores the attitudes, knowledge and skills counselors need to develop for competent and ethical practice.
The Challenges to Multicultural Counseling
The United States is becoming an increasingly diverse country: one in three Americans is a member of a racial or ethnic minority, and approximately 12% of the U.S. population is foreign-born (U.S. Census Bureau, 2010). According to the 2010 U. S. Census Bureau, population estimates by race include 63% Non-Hispanic Whites, 16.3% Hispanics, 12.6% African American, 4.8% Asians, .9% American Indian and Alaskan Natives, .2% Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islanders. In addition, there is a great diversity within these broad racial categories, and distinct ethnic subgroups which have their own common heritage, values, rituals, and traditions (Gerig, 2007).
The growing racial and ethnic diversity of the U.S. population is an essential consideration when providing` mental health services. Presently, it will be impossible for a counselor not to encounter client groups who differ from her in terms of race, culture, and ethnicity. In addition, there are documented disparities among racial and ethnic minorities compared to whites in seeking treatment, staying in treatment, and receiving good quality treatment (Fouad, 2007). One explanation for this is that counseling is an ethnocentric activity, based on the values of the...