Toward a New Paradigm for Multicultural Counseling

Wisdom is introduced as a fundamental quality of the effective multicultural counselor. Wisdom is defined, discussed, and differentiated from intelligence. The authors propose that to be an effective multicultural counselor requires more than textbook knowledge. Wisdom, as a transcultural concept, is considered in relation to culture, context, dialectical thinking, awareness, metacognition, deep interpersonal insight, and advanced empathy. Implications for counselor education and professional practice are discussed. Wisdom is an ancient subject that may provide a “new” paradigm with the potential to bring the field to a higher plateau of effectiveness in practice and training.     

Racial/Ethnic Identity,Gender‐Role Attitudes,and Multicultural Counseling Competence: The Role of Multicultural Counseling Training

Researchers and practitioners have been pursuing how to enhance counselors' multicultural counseling competencies (MCC). With a sample of 460 counselors, the author examined whether multicultural training changed the relationship between (a) racial/ethnic identity and MCC and (b) gender‐role attitudes and MCC. The author found significant interaction effects of (a) racial/ethnic identity and multicultural training and (b) gender‐role attitudes and multicultural training on multicultural knowledge but not on multicultural awareness.     

Enhancing Reflective Practice in Multicultural Counseling Through Cultural Auditing

Counselors work in an increasingly complex cultural milieu where every encounter with a client must be considered multicultural in nature. Reflective practice is a central component of professional competence and necessarily involves attention to culture. The cultural auditing model provides an effective and flexible reflective process for enhancing multicultural counseling. The 13 steps in the model are detailed with probes and questions to guide counselor reflection. A case example illuminates the principles involved.     

Variable Structure of Cultural Capital and Implications for Multicultural Counseling

The purpose of this study was to identify the latent variable structure of a measure of cultural capital in the community college field. The community college was used based on its emergence as both a gateway and a gatekeeper to higher education, and as a power structure that can afford both social and economic opportunities through degree attainment for underrepresented groups. Therefore, implications for counselors in various settings were highlighted, along with implications for future research. El propósito de este estudio fue identificar la estructura de la variable latente de una medida de capital cultural en el campo de los colegios comunitarios. Se usó el colegio comunitario por su surgimiento como ambos filtro y puerta de entrada a la educación superior, así como una estructura de poder que puede ofrecer oportunidades sociales y económicas a grupos infrarrepresentados a través de la obtención de grados. Por lo tanto, se destacaron las implicaciones para consejeros en entornos variados, junto con las implicaciones para investigaciones futuras.     

Examining Perceived Multicultural Counseling Competence and Negative Attitudes Toward the Arab American Population

The purpose of this quantitative study was to investigate the relationship between professional counselors’ general multicultural competence and negative attitudes held toward Arab Americans. Participants (N = 124) completed a survey, and a series of correlational, stepwise, and multiple regression analyses was conducted. Results indicated that counselors displayed higher levels of multicultural awareness than of multicultural knowledge. Furthermore, general multicultural awareness and specific knowledge of Arabs related significantly to negative attitudes held toward Arabs. El propósito de este estudio cuantitativo fue investigar la relación entre la competencia multicultural general de consejeros profesionales y las actitudes negativas mantenidas hacia personas estadounidenses de origen árabe. Los participantes (N = 124) completaron una encuesta, y se llevó a cabo una serie de análisis correlacionales, por pasos y de regresión múltiple. Los resultados indicaron que los consejeros mostraron niveles de conciencia multicultural mayores que los niveles de conocimiento multicultural. Además, la conciencia multicultural general y el conocimiento específico acerca de las personas árabes estuvieron significativamente relacionados con actitudes negativas mantenidas hacia personas árabes.     

Multicultural Counseling: An Appalachian Perspective

Appalachians have been referred to as the forgotten people and are often overlooked in multicultural counseling. A case study is presented using the extended case method to enhance counselor awareness and demonstrate how counselors can apply knowledge of the Appalachian culture in the provision of best practices for this population. Los Apalaches se han referido como la gente olvidada y se pasan por alto a menudo en el asesoramiento multicultural. Un estudio de caso es presentado usando el método extendido del caso para realzar conocimiento del consejero y demuestre cómo los consejeros pueden aplicar el conocimiento de la cultura Apalache adentro de la disposición de las mejores prácticas para esta población.     

Counseling for Dropout Prevention: Applications From Multicultural Counseling

Although high school dropout rates have declined over the past several years, rates remain high for many segments of our population. Most of the attention devoted to dropout prevention counseling has focused on group counseling or programmatic issues, whereas individual counseling has largely been ignored. This article draws on commonalities between multicultural counseling and dropout prevention to produce a general framework for individual counseling with students who have potential to drop out of high school.     

Ethical Dilemmas in Multicultural Counseling

In a random survey of counselors working with socioracial minority clients (N = 256), multicultural ethical dilemmas were rated according to frequency encountered and significance. Comparisons of counselors' ratings of multicultural ethical dilemmas determined specific dilemmas relevant to counselors in various professional settings. En una encuesta hecha al azar de consejeros/as que trabajan con clientes de minorías socioraciales (N = 256), se clasificaron dilemas éticos multiculturales de acuderdo con su frecuencia y significancia. Las comparaciones de las clasificaciones de los dilemas éticos multiculturales subrayaron aquellos dilemas específicamente importantes para consejeros/as en varios escenarios profesionales.     

Exploring the Relationships Among Multicultural Training Experiences and Attitudes Toward Diversity Among Counseling Students

The authors surveyed a national sample of master's‐level counseling students regarding their multicultural training experiences and their attitudes toward racial diversity and gender equity (see G. L. Dickson & D. A. Jepsen, 2007). Hierarchical regression models showed that student perceptions of program cultural ambience predicted positive cognitive attitudes toward racial diversity. Participatory instructional strategies predicted positive affective attitudes toward racial diversity. Los autores entrevistaron a una muestra nacional de estudiantes de Master en programas de consejería en relación a sus experiencias en formación multicultural y sus actitudes hacia la diversidad racial y la igualdad de sexo (ver G. L. Dickson & D. A. Jepsen, 2007). Los modelos de regresión jerárquica mostraron que las percepciones de los estudiantes de la atmósfera cultural en sus programas predijeron actitudes cognitivas positivas hacia la diversidad racial. Las estrategias didácticas participativas predijeron actitudes afectivas positivas hacia la diversidad racial.     

Conflict in Multicultural Counseling Relationships: Source and Resolution

This article outlines Coleman's (1995b) model of the six strategies individuals use to cope with cultural diversity; and suggests that conflict in multicultural counseling relationships are often the result of divergence in the strategies used by counselors and clients to cope with cultural diversity. Two ways of resolving the conflict are suggested.     

Therapist Multicultural Competence, Asian American Participants' Cultural Values, and Counseling Process

Asian Americans drop out of mental health treatment at a high rate. This problem could be addressed by enhancing therapists' multicultural competence and by examining clients' cultural attitudes that may affect the counseling process. In the present study, we used a video analogue design with a sample of 113 Asian American college students to examine these possibilities. The result from a t test showed that the session containing therapist multicultural competencies received higher ratings than the session without therapist multicultural competence. In addition, correlational analyses showed that participant values acculturation was positively associated with participant ratings of counseling process, while the value of emotional self-control was negatively correlated. The results of a hierarchical multiple regression analysis did not support any interaction effects among the independent variables on counseling process. All of these findings could contribute to the field of multicultural competence research and have implications for therapist practices and training.     

Introduction to the Special Issue: Toward Diversity and Cultural Competence in Genetic Counseling

This introduction provides an overview of the professional issues and original research papers in this special issue. The articles address workforce challenges and/or cross-cultural education and communication with culturally and religiously diverse clients. Additional suggestions are made for moving the profession of genetic counseling toward diversity and cultural competence.     

Humor and Counseling: Close Encounters of Another Kind

The basic premise of this article is that humor has a place in counseling. The paper touches on some of the more prominent theoretical explanations of humor, presents assumptions that seem pertinent to any rationale for using humor in counseling, points out the reasons counselors may have overlooked its value, and considers the uses and abuses of humor. Finally, the implications of using humor, both in terms of training and research, are considered, and a five-point scale for assessing its effectiveness in counseling is presented.     

Multicultural Counseling: From Diversity to Universality

Multicultural counseling has been a major source of diversity. Recently, however, it has been recognized that multicultural counseling is generic in nature, and therefore that all counseling is multicultural. Thus multiculturalism has joined the movement toward a universal system of counseling.