Multicultural Competent Counselor
Tasha S Garland
Psychology, Liberty University
PSYC 351: Multicultural Counseling Research Issues
Dr. Donna Busarow
October 2,2023
The Competent Counselor
A competent counselor can help one understand themself and help make better decisions
for a healthier life. A multicultural competent counselor is aware of the different culturist
backgrounds from their clients, and they strive to provide culturally services that will help with
their sessions (Sue et, al,. 2022). Along the side of their mental health, they want to tie in their
culture background too. The world population is made up of many different types of cultures.
Working as a multicultural competent counselor, one should explore their client’s culture to see
how it affects their counseling sessions. As a counselor one should have the culture awareness,
examine their beliefs, experiences, biases, values, etc. Not only must a counselor explore a
client’s racial and cultural heritage, but they must also explore their own. This helps create a
better understanding and bond while having a counseling session. In a multicultural competent
counseling, it normally creates an impasse to a therapeutic relationship (Sue, et. al., 2022). A
therapeutic relationship is an emotional bond of trust one can create within their counselor and
client. When that is created it makes it easier to get issues addressed and hopefully took care of.
With all the different types of cultures that surround us, it is good to become a multicultural
competent counselor. It helps get to know all the different heritages and beliefs plus one can
incorporate them into good use within a counseling session. That is why having knowledge of all
the different types of cultures and heritages around us could make things easier. Good counseling
takes into consideration of the cultural context in which counseling occurs and the cultural
realities of the client and counselor (Sue, et. al., 2022). Some counselors seem to ignore the
different types of groups but that seems wrong to do as a counselor, everyone was created before
God. In Acts “From God made every nation of the human race, that they should inhabit the
whole earth” -Acts 17:26 (ESV).
Supporting Research
To make counselling meaningful and culturally relevant, it is essential for counselors to have a
practical counselling model that is context-specific and matches the needs and values of the
population of that specific culture (Mohd Jaladin, 2021). A reflection exercise is an important
model to use during a counseling session. One can reflect on many events that have occurred in
their life. Also, a ground theory approach can be affect as well depending on how early the event
had started. As a counselor, develop a cognitive complexity and flexibility to hold their own
personal beliefs with the sessions. The study on multiculturalism became prominent in the 1960s
in line with the civil movement in the U.S., and within that time there have been constant debates
surrounding the term multiculturalism (Mohd Jaladin, 2021). Some researchers thought
multicultural should be viewed inclusive outlook, only because there were assumptions that
counselors were not ready. This viewpoint addresses questions such as whether the counsellor is
multiculturally competent or whether the practice can be considered as multiculturally competent
(Mohd Jaladin, 2021). Becoming a counselor can be a tough and challenging career because it
takes a lot of patience as well as understanding where one’s client might be coming from.
Building a therapeutic relationship is an emotional bond of trust one can create within their
counselor and client. Researchers saw a different viewpoint once the therapeutic was put in place
within counseling sessions. In other words, this model asserts that possessing awareness and
understanding about culturally diverse clients assist counsellors to be multiculturally competent
when working with these clients in various multicultural contexts in the West and East (Mohd
Jaladin, 2021). As a counselor, one should always be aware with every event or situation thrown
at them, never know what it could turn into. The findings can be used as a foundation to enhance
multicultural understanding and practice while improving mental health in various counselling
settings (Mohd Jaladin, 2021).
Textbook Critique
Just like everything multicultural competent counseling has its strengths and weaknesses.
Some strengths about multicultural counseling are one can create a bond based off different
heritage and beliefs, not just their own. As a multicultural counselor, one gains understanding of
the client’s worldview, as well as recognizing the counselor’s own culture. Another strength is
one can put their self in their client’s shoes once given the culture background and understands
where they are coming from. It is clear to us that good counseling takes into consideration the
cultural context in which counseling occurs and the cultural realities of the client and counselor
(Sue, et. al., 2022). Sometimes having different beliefs can make a big impact on how a session
might go and there is different perspective one might have to take. As a counselor nothing is ever
taken lightly and should always be looked at more than once in case something was missed.
Some weaknesses it can take a toll of one’s emotions, especially if there is a traumatic event that
has took place. As a counselor, we are their voice through all traumatic events and times. Some
places do not see clients because of stereotypes, that is also a weakness and wrong too. Racism is
another weakness because there are so many out there that will discriminate, and for what
reason. God created all of us, so we are all his child there is no need is discrimination. As a
multicultural competent counselorBour duty for helping professions makes it clear that the
conventional one‐to‐one, in‐the‐office, objective form of treatment aimed at remediation of
existing problems may be at odds with the sociopolitical and cultural experiences of clients (Sue,
et. al., 2022). Another weakness is the lack of all the culture knowledge a counselor does not
have.
Personal Reflection and the Christian Worldview
Both White students, for example, are reacting with defensiveness, anger and resentment;
they believe that the authors are unjustly accusing U.S. society and White Americans of racism,
and claim the authors are themselves “racist” but of a different color (Sue, et. al., 2022). This is
not a Christian worldview, because as Christians one does not discriminate no matter the color.
In Matthew “Judge not, that you be not judged. For with me judgement you pronounce you will
be judged, and with the measure you will be measured to you. Why do you see the speck that is
in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? Or how can you say to
your brother, “Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when there is the log in your own eye?
You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the
speck out of your brother’s eyes.”-Matthew 7:1-5 (ESV). Jesus teaches us not to judge others
because it is not our place to judge. Judging is a sin, yes most if not all do it, but we should not.
God is the only one who can judge. God created us all, so who are we to judge others, yes, we
may not like what someone is doing because it may be wrong, but it is not our place to judge.
Therefore, we should not discriminate either. Color is just a color, like. Age is just a number. We
see what we want to see. As a counselor of many different cultures, one should not discriminate
because they lack their culture, never know might learn something very interesting. Different
cultures have different beliefs as well as other things, a counselor should want to understand a
client’s culture or know where they are coming from that is part of their job. The more
knowledge of all the cultures in the world can make it easier for a counselor to seek new clients
and develop better bonds.
Being a multicultural competent counselor can be challenging but it also opens doors for
more opportunities and many clients. A counselor must be dedicated and emotional stabled to
help clients get through some traumatic or challenging events in life. I never knew how many
different cultures there are in this world but there are more than 3800, that’s a lot. As a counselor
my main thing is to try to connect with my client and get a good understanding of their
background so I can help them in the long run. I want to build that therapeutic relationship bond
and be the best listener possible.
References
ESV new christian’s Bible: English standard version containing the old and new testaments,
personal reference bible. (2019). . Crossway.B
Mohd Jaladin, Simmonds, J. G., Greenway, P., & Barkatsas, T. (2021). EXPLORING
COUNSELLORS’ UNDERSTANDING AND PRACTICE OF MULTICULTURAL
COUNSELLING IN MALAYSIA. Journal of Nusantara Studies, 6(1), 323–350.
https://doi.org/10.24200/jonus.vol6iss1pp323-350.
Sue, D. W., & Sue, D. (2022).BCounseling the culturally diverse: Theory and practice. John
Wiley & Sons.B
