Running head: GRIEF COUNSELING
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Grief Counseling in a Multicultural Environment
Elizabeth Simpson
Liberty University
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Abstract
The topic of grief counseling in a multi-cultural environment will be explored. Death is a
certainty for all. Dealing with the emotional aspects survivors feel after the loss of a loved one is
imperative to the mental health of survivors. The United States has a variety of different cultures
within its borders. This leads to various cultural identities among the population. Americans
derive a sense of personal identity based on individual experiences within their culture, race and
ethnicity. The identification a person has with his or her cultural identity shapes the way he or
she copes with grief. Each culture deals with grief in a distinctly different way. Understanding
the effect of culture on the grieving process allows the counselor to effectively address the needs
of those grieving and lead them to a place of healing. The success of a counselor is correlated to
the counselor’s effort to understand and relate to the culture of the client. To do this, the
counselor must educate himself to the cultural differences the client experiences. In addition, the
counselor must examine his own racial bias to certain cultures to prevent any discriminatory
actions. Another important factor is that the counselor must understand the methods different
cultures use to express their feelings of grief in order to assist the clients in the healing process.
Becoming culturally diverse is the responsibility and duty of the counselor. It is the counselor’s
duty to convey a message that is relatable and obtainable for the client. The counselor’s
responsibility to the client to understand, adapt and relate a culturally diverse form of grief
counseling is imperative to meet the needs of those in the counselor’s care. An examination into
the efforts and awareness needed by the counselor to foster a healing process for those grieving
will be completed to assist the counselor in furthering the emotional healing needed during the
healing process. An examination in to the American Counseling Association’s guidelines for
cultural diversity in counseling will be completed as well.
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Grief is a difficult journey for any person to navigate through in life. A counselor is often
needed to assist a person through the grief process. The emotional aspects of loss are varied
depending on the culture the survivor is accustomed to. Success in counseling is often directly
related to the counselor’s ability to relate to an individual’s culture. An examination into the
efforts and awareness needed by a counselor to foster healing within a client, and understanding
the American Counseling Association’s (ACA) guidelines for cultural diversity in counseling,
allows the counselor to have confidence in practicing a culturally diverse and effective approach
to counseling.
Emotional Aspects of Loss
Grief counseling entails more than just a death. Grief is about dealing with a loss. This
could vary to be defined as many things from the loss of a job, the loss of a marriage, the loss of
one’s youth, loss of a pet, or the loss of a loved one. Every human being will experience some
form of loss in a lifetime. Surprisingly, grief counseling is not required curriculum for many
counseling programs. Ober, Granello, and Wheaton (2011) discuss that more than 50% of the
mental health professionals involved in the American Association of Marriage and Family
Therapy have not completed any form of grief counseling training in their graduate programs (p.
150). This number is astounding. The article went on to discuss the perception that the overall
competence of the counselors was determined by the experience of the counselor, the self-
perceived competencies of the counselor, and specific variables of the counselor including the
counselors comfort in dealing with grief situations. The emotional aspects of loss can vary
greatly between different cultures. Understanding these differences allows the counselor to
possess a level of cultural humility that is needed to help a client heal. According to Owen,
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Jordan, Turner, Davis, Hook, and Leach (2014), client’s tend to perceive the outcome of therapy
in a positive light when the therapist or counselor possess cultural humility (p. 91).
Cultural Humility
Cultural humility is the ability of the counselor to maintain a level of respect for the client
and the client’s traditions while remaining humble and attuned to the client’s heritage (Owen, et.
al., 2014, p. 92). One aspect of cultural humility is the ability to integrate a client’s religion and
spirituality into the counseling process. This includes integrating a faith that is contradictory to
the counselor’s personal beliefs. Whatever form of religion or spirituality brings comfort to the
client is valid for the client’s emotional needs. A counselor must remember that the healing
process is about the client, not the counselor.
The integration of a multi-cultural approach is difficult when the demographics of the
average counselor are predominantly specific. A random sample of 1000 participants from a state
board from a listing of 6919 using SPSS software were surveyed on both demographic
information and grief counseling competency. The overwhelming prominence of white Anglo-
Saxon female counselors accounting for 77% of respondents demonstrated the need for multi-
cultural training within the grief counseling field (Ober, et.al., 2012, p. 150). If the majority of
counselors are white Anglo-Saxon females, the perspective of the grieving process would
naturally be skewed towards a specific point of view. To combat this, a counselor must be aware
of differences in culture between themselves and the client. Being aware of the differences is the
first step in the acceptance of diverse ways of accepting and handling loss. In addition, the
counselor must be able to allow the proper outlets for an individual to grieve.
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Differences in Cultures When Grieving
The grieving path for an individual from Eastern culture can vary greatly from an
individual of Western descent. The United States is becoming more diverse in terms of race,
socioeconomic status, language, religion, sexual orientation, ethnicity and citizen status
(Christiansen, Thomas, Kafescioglu, Karakut, Lowe, Smith, and Wittenborn, 2011, p. 109). With
the overwhelming lack of diversity in the counseling field, the counselor must be proactive to
recognize and adjust to the cultural needs of the clients.
In Asian countries, respect is an integral part of the culture (Ting & Kiat, 2012, p. 769).
To avoid offending a client, it is important that the client’s culture be taken into consideration. A
counselor must be willing to allow silence in the counseling session. In addition the counselor
must be willing to let the client deal with the grief of loss without pressuring the client to express
his or her feelings. In Asian cultures, signs of emotion demonstrate immaturity. As a result, often
a client will not demonstrate emotions that are deemed as normal in American culture for healthy
grieving. The counselor must go with the pace the client sets and find alternative ways to address
the client’s needs.
In the Latin American cultures, the second largest ethnic group in the United States,
Familismo is a strong connection within the family producing deep loyalty (Schoulte, 2011, p.
12). A counselor does not want to disrespect a loved one who has died, regardless of the cause or
character of the person, if the counselor wants to maintain a relationship with the client. For
example, if a person who passed away was a criminal, the counselor would not want to dismiss
the death as a consequence to a way of life, but rather celebrate the life of the one who passed
with the client. The bond to family is extremely strong. The client may say disparaging things
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about the family member, but the counselor must remain neutral. If any member of the family is
disrespected by the counselor, trust will be lost with the client.
In the African American culture, sudden death is experienced more frequently (Schoutle,
2011, p. 14). As a result, the role of faith in a mourner’s life becomes a factor in the counseling
process. Traditionally, African Americans tend to gather for prayer and meditation when a loved
one passes. This is especially true in times were there is a prolonged death. It is seen as a way to
help the loved one transition from this world to the spiritual world. If the death is sudden, then
the loss is felt greater, as there was no time of transition for the family. This causes the grieving
process to be prolonged and can cause emotional conflict for the client.
As one can see, if a counselor wants to be effective for all clients, especially in a diverse
environment such as the United States, cultural differences must be acknowledged. A counselor
must be diligent to uphold the cultural acceptance of the client when grief counseling is
administered (Ting & Kiat, 2012, p. 759). Different techniques can be utilized to assist the
counselor in being culturally aware. Familiarity with these techniques will assist the counselor in
creating a nurturing and effective counseling environment for those stricken with grief.
Multi-Cultural Counseling Techniques
A variety of different counseling techniques can be used to assist a counselor in
addressing multi-cultural issues. The need to integrate different techniques allows the counselor
to connect with the client on a deeper level. There are a limited amount of grieving techniques
available, so it is imperative that the counselor takes the time to learn the different techniques to
be an effective counselor for the client. One technique involves the process of freedom therapy.
Hanna and Cardona (2012) express the need for clients to find freedom through therapeutic
change (p. 351). As many minorities have lived a life of oppression, it is often difficult for the
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counselor to obtain a trusting relationship with the client. For true change to occur, a client must
see the need for change. In addition the client must be willing to experience the anxiety that
occurs when change is on the horizon. There needs to be an awareness of the change that is
happening and a confrontation of the issue as well. The client must be willing to put effort forth
to experience change and have hope that change can occur. In addition, the client must have
support for the changes being made in the client’s life. A counselor must understand the steps of
the freedom therapy often taken by an oppressed ethnicity to remain empathetic to the client and
to administer effective cognitive therapy techniques. This can allow the client to experience a
release from the emotional pain of grief and allow the client to grieve in a productive way.
Addressing the different cultural needs of the client through cultural modifications in the
counseling sessions can foster the maximum benefit in a multi-cultural clientele (Warfield, 2013,
p. 51). Warfield (2013) recommends that counselors become aware of various available
resources such as the American Counseling Association (ACA) guidelines for multicultural
counseling and the National Council of School and Programs of Professional Psychology
(NCSPP). These guidelines offer specific benchmarks in training towards mastering knowledge,
attitude, and skill for diversity in counseling.
Addressing Marginalization Issues in a Multi-cultural Environment
Marginalization is the diminishing value of one social class over another. It has been seen
in the Philippines in the marginalization of the people based on factors such as the social class,
gender, age, ability and ethnicity, and economic level of the individuals (Manzanilla-Manalo &
Manalo Jr., 2014, p. 121). Marginalization affects the identifying characteristics a person relates
to in regards to identity and social standing.
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This writer believes that marginalization can lead to a lack of openness in a counseling
session. The marginalized individual may feel that his or her feelings or opinions do not matter.
This can lead to closed communication between the client and the counselor. A counselor must
be careful to address marginalization issues to allow the client to express feelings. The client
needs to be able to reconcile themselves to the notion that the client has value and that the
client’s needs can be addressed without aggressively prodding the client. Manzanilla and Manalo
(2014) address the fact that there are very few mental health professionals whose services are
geared towards the marginalized (p.121). Often marginalized segments of the population do not
have access to healthcare. In addition, they often cannot afford the care that is needed to assist in
the healing process. Community- based counseling addresses these concerns. When a tragedy
hits a poverty stricken community, it is the responsibility of the mental health professionals to go
to the clients in need, rather than waiting for the clients to come to the counselor. By meeting the
client where they are comfortable, the lines of communication are opened to allow for true
healing to occur. This will often open the counselors view to the suffering being endured by the
grieving clients, allowing for a more empathetic relationship that includes inclusivity of the
neighbors and friends of the client. When a client is comfortable in the environment of the
counseling session, the client is able to approach healing in a holistic way. A restorative approach
to healing all aspects of life.
International Immersion
One way a counselor may break out of the comfort of the environment he or she is
accustomed, is to experience the process of assisting clients through international immersion.
Assisting those in need in a foreign land allows for the opportunity to become a culturally aware
counselor in the United States. Often, learning a global view when approaching therapy reveals
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the sense of self-sufficiency and superiority that often permeates the mental health field in
America (McDowell, Goessling, and Melendez, 2012).
Studying abroad allows the counselor to view how relationships function in other
countries. This will demonstrate to the counselor how to effectively meet the needs of assisting a
client in dealing with grief. The belief that the United States has little to learn for other countries
is a fallacy. There is much to be learned about communication and relationships when one
examines other cultures. In addition, the counselor will often experience an increased social
awareness and personal transformation. Socially biased views will often come to the forefront
when personally dealing with other cultures face to face. It is in these moments that
discriminatory thoughts or practices can be recognized and addressed.
Relational- Cultural Theory
Understanding the role of the different genders and ethnicities of clients within the
counseling relationship is imperative to the counseling process. The Relational Cultural Theory
(RCT) evolves from the work of the Jean Baker Miller Training Institute (Duffey & Somody,
2011, p. 224). In RCT, there is a contextual focus to the counseling sessions. The behaviors and
actions of a client are examined in the context of the life experiences of the client.
The practice of mutual empathy therapy is also used in RCT to foster change in the
client’s life. Empathy is the ability to understand the feelings and experiences a person is
encountering (Duffey & Somody, 2011, p. 227). This involves the counselor connecting with the
client in an emotional and authentic way. It allows for the counselor and the client to be
emotionally effected by the actions and thoughts of the other. This breaks the stereo typical mode
of the counselor to remain distant and professional. It opens the communication of the client to
view the relationship with a regard of trust. It allows the client to feel validated in the emotions
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he or she is experiencing. The counselor must be careful to avoid enabling a client when using
this type of therapy technique. The goal is always to restore emotional well-being to the client.
American Counseling Association Code of Ethics
The ACA has codes in place to address ethical concerns facing mental health
professionals when addressing multi-cultural clientele. Code A.2.c. Developmental and Cultural
Sensitivity, discusses the need for the mental health professional to communicate in clear and
appropriate language (Hays & Erford, 2014, p. 531). An additional section of the ACA Code of
Ethics addressing the issue of bartering. For some clients, it may be appropriate to accept an
offering, such as baked goods, in lieu of payment. These arrangements should be made ahead of
time in writing so there is no mistaken implications. The ACA also discusses the need to
maintain confidentiality and privacy and stay culturally aware. Counselors must also practice
nondiscrimination in every aspect of life (Hays & Erford, 2014, p. 531).Counselors are also
advised under the ACA guidelines to consider cultural differences when deciding which
assessment techniques should be used with a client. These differences could include age,
ethnicity, language, sexual orientation, gender among other things. The guidelines also state that
counselors should actively seek education into matters of diversity. This increases awareness of
the counselor in matters of diversity. The final guideline from the ACA is for counselors to
carefully consider the research procedures when addressing multi- cultural populations. How
research is conducted and understood can be affected by the perception of different cultures.
These ethics align with the Biblical teachings that address how a Christian is to treat another
person.
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Biblical Perspective of Multi-culturalism
The Bible does not use the word multi-cultural. This does not mean that the issue is not
addressed. Colossians 3:11 states,” Here there is not Greek and Jew, circumcised and
uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave, free; but Christ is all, and in all” (ESV). All are to be
treated equal as they are equal in God’s sight. Galatians 3:28 states,” There is neither Jew nor
Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ
Jesus” (ESV). If a Christian counselor is able to view clients from God’s perspective, the
cultural differences disappear. The view of clients changes to God’s view of people.
Cultural differences become less important as the heart of people and the cause of the
people’s hurting become the focus. Christians are to love one another. There is no limit or
boundaries to this love. It is not limited to the confines of cultural boundaries or personal
experiences. It supersedes the human experience and allows a person to have empathy and
concern for another person. It is a love that is boundless.
As a Christian counselor, the love and compassion of Christ should be evident to every
client through the interaction with the counselor. John 13:34 states,” A new command I give you;
love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another” (New International
Version). To avoid cultural prejudice, one simply has to remember Luke 6:31 which says,” Do to
others as you would have them do to you” (NIV). If a counselor can take a step back from the
counseling session and refocus on the Word of God, the issues surrounding different cultures
become less extreme. The needs of the client become the central focus of the session, not the
cultural differences.
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Conclusion
Grief is a difficult experience for the human race. The emotional aspects of loss can be
debilitating for a person. If a person is in a foreign culture, the isolation and loneliness that can
occur may need the intervention of a mental health professional. When a mental health
professional is facing the needs of a client from a differing culture, He or she must prepare to
meet the cultural needs of the client. Awareness into different cultural practices is essential for a
counselor to foster a healing process for those grieving. This allows the counselor to assist in the
emotional healing process. Success in counseling is directly related to the counselor’s ability to
relate to the culture of the client. Knowledge of the ACA guidelines for cultural diversity provide
the framework for the counselor to approach the client in a professional manner. In addition, the
wisdom of God’s Word is also beneficial to the client/counselor relationship. For a counselor to
be effective in the healing process of a client, the counselor must consider cultural differences,
educate himself or herself on the differences related to the client’s culture, work with the client’s
needs as the focus of the session, consider God’s desire and simply love a client for who he or
she is as an individual.
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