Counseling and Culture

When we think of culture, we think of the beliefs that encompass who we are. We seldom think of how culture can influence our being as a whole. An individual’s psychological make up often include his/her actions, beliefs, and personality from their cultural perspective. Diller (2011) ponders that culture affects and shapes the fundamental nature of how work in a clinical setting is accomplished. Therefore, counseling and culture cannot be treated as separate entities. Diller (2011) proclaims, “It colors the following areas:

·How problems are reported and how help is sought

·The nature and configuration of symptoms

·How problems are traditionally solved

·How the origin of presenting problems is understood, and

·What appropriate interventions involve,” (p. 102).

There are varying differences within the plethora of cultures in today’s society. Diversity in counseling therapy is essential in order to meet the needs of the multiple ethnicities seeking help. Complications can emerge when a counselor seeks to superimpose his/her cultural and/or world viewpoint on a potential client. Diller (2011) asserts that therapists tend to be ethnocentric and narrow-minded in their thought processing. They often falter in acknowledging and accepting multiple versions of reality in a therapeutic setting. Allowing themselves to think outside of the box can open counselors up to new frontiers in the therapeutic relationship.

It is essential that we discuss how culture can influence the psychological process and the method that an individual seeks help. Leong, Kim, & Gupta (2011) acknowledges that it is important that counseling as a modality be analyzed to understand cultural barriers. Difficulties in the counseling relationship will always exist. What if cultural impediments to therapy could be reduced? Doing so may reduce the alienation that clients feel when they walk into a therapy session with someone who looks different from them. Leong et al. (2011) fosters that the exploration endeavors into issues jeopardizing the therapeutic relationship will be beneficial if they target cooperatively comprehending the barriers to culture. This correlated with the lack of utilization of services regardless of the setting could improve treatment outcomes.

One possible issue hindering those seeking help is their need to choose between abandoning tradition or retaining traditional culture. Contingent on how the counselor responds, governs if

The client believes s/he needs to adapt, integrate, detach, or suffer being ostracized. Because of acculturation, clients who decline to accept the new culture tend to find it very difficult to seek help. As a counselor knowing this, reducing this obstacle must take priority. There is a need to create a trusting environment that encourages the client to connect to their therapist. The mistaken belief a client may have would need to be carefully addressed. Doing so could assist in diminishing any negative beliefs the client may foster about receiving counseling. Furthermore, this area could serve as the focal point to finding the root of the client’s problems.

Stracuzzi et al. (2011) relays that perception, recognition, and respecting the differences and similarities amongst clients is vital in a successful multicultural counseling relationship. Stracuzzi et al. (2011) states,

These characteristics have been conceptualized as a universal-diverse orientation (UDO) toward other people that include cognitive (e.g., interest in diversity), affective (e.g., comfort with similarities and differences), and behavioral (e.g., contact with diverse sociocultural groups) dimensions. (p. 300)

Therefore, the underlying key to differentiating treatment, centers on utilizing a variety of approaches to help the client within the therapeutic encounter. In conclusion, It is the counselor, realizing that treatment must include an in-depth analysis and understanding of the individual’s culture and beliefs before attempting to assist them with fixing their particular issue. There is a place for both counseling and culture in a therapy.

References

Diller, J., (2011). Cultural diversity: A primer for the human services (4th ed.). Belmont, CA: Brooks/Cole Cengage Learning.

Leong, F., Kim, H., & Gupta, A. (2011).Attitudes toward professional counseling among Asian-American college students: Acculturation, conceptions of mental illness, and loss of face. Asian American Journal of Psychology, 2 (2), 140-153).

Stracuzzi, T., Mohr, J., & Fuertes, J. (2011).Gay and bisexual male clients’ perceptions of counseling: the role of perceived sexual orientation similarity and counselor universaldiverse orientation. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 58 (3), 299-309.

Written By: Roydrick V. Jones, CRC, Doctoral Candidate

Roydrick is a substance abuse therapist, certified recovery coach and case manager in a community mental health setting. He has experience counseling adolescents, teens, adults, and seniors working to build sobriety from substance misuse. Roydrick has received certifications for Motivational Interviewing, Stages of Change, Forensic Specialist Training, Recovery Coaching, and Recovery Coach Trainer. He is a doctoral candidate. Roydrick’s main focus is on assisting colleagues in mitigating burnout and/or compassion fatigue through strong self-care practices.