Assessing Multicultural Counseling Competence: A Review of Instrumentation

The authors review four new instruments designed to assess multicultural counseling competence in trainees and practicing professionals. The Cross-Cultural Counseling Inventory—Revised (CCCI-R), the Multicultural Counseling Awareness Scale—Form B (MCAS:B), the Multicultural Counseling Inventory (MCI), and the Multicultural Awareness-Knowledge-and Skills Survey (MAKSS) were each critically reviewed in terms of item development, psychometric properties, and pragmatic utility. Specific research suggestions for continued empirical validation on the instruments are posited, and strong cautions regarding their current use in training are leveled.     

Perceived Multicultural Counseling Competence of Malaysian Counselors: An Exploratory Study

This study investigated the nature and extent of perceived multicultural counseling competence (MCC) of 508 professional counselors in Malaysia using a national survey approach. Differences in counselors' perceived MCC pertaining to gender, ethnicity, highest education, and multicultural training were examined. Results revealed 5 factors as constituents of MCC and significant differences in perceived MCCs due to ethnicity, highest education, and participation in multicultural training. Implications for future research, counselor education, and counseling practice are discussed. Este estudio investigó la naturaleza y la extensión de la competencia en consejería multicultural (MCC, por sus siglas en inglés) percibida de 508 consejeros profesionales en Malasia usando un enfoque de encuesta nacional. Se examinaron las diferencias en la MCC percibida de los consejeros respecto a sexo, etnicidad, nivel máximo de educación y capacitación multicultural. Los resultados revelaron 5 factores constituyentes de MCC y diferencias significativas en las MCC debido a etnicidad, nivel máximo de educación y participación en capacitación multicultural. Se discuten las implicaciones para investigaciones futuras, educación de consejeros y práctica de la consejería.     

Assessing Changes in Counselor Trainees' Multicultural Competence Related to Service Learning

This mixed methods study examined changes in self‐reported multicultural competence and distress reactions of 32 counselor trainees engaged in service learning. Whereas 3 trainees significantly increased in self‐reported multicultural competence, 5 significantly decreased. Trainees who significantly increased in multicultural competence reported less distress; those who significantly decreased reported greater distress. However, changes in multicultural competence appeared to be unrelated to themes uncovered in the qualitative data. Implications for training and practice are discussed. Este estudio de métodos mixtos examinó los cambios en competencia cultural y reacciones de aflicción reportados por 32 consejeros en formación que realizaban prácticas para su aprendizaje. A pesar de que 3 consejeros en formación comunicaron un aumento significativo de su competencia cultural, 5 de ellos reportaron una disminución significativa. Los consejeros en formación que aumentaron considerablemente su competencia cultural reportaron un nivel menor de aflicción; aquellos que disminuyeron considerablemente reportaron mayor aflicción. Sin embargo, los cambios en la competencia cultural no tenían relación aparente con los temas desvelados en los datos cualitativos. Se discuten las implicaciones para la formación y prácticas.     

Assessing Multicultural Competence in Counselor Trainees: A Review of Instrumentation and Future Directions

As the diversity within the U.S. population continues to increase, multicultural counseling competency (MCC) remains a central focus in counselor education and research. Accordingly, assessment of competencies is necessary to ensure culturally appropriate counseling services to an increasingly diverse clientele. This article discusses available tools for evaluating counselors' awareness, knowledge, and skills for working with culturally diverse clients, as well as new directions and trends in MCC assessment.     

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 Education and Perceived Multicultural Competency of School Counselors

A national survey of practicing school counselors (N = 755) revealed significant differences between participants’ perceived multicultural competence based on the type of multicultural training received. Participants who took infused multicultural coursework had significantly higher mean scores in multicultural awareness, knowledge, and skills than participants who reported taking a single multicultural course. Una encuesta nacional de consejeros escolares en activo (N = 755) reveló diferencias significativas en la competencia multicultural percibida de los participantes según el tipo de capacitación multicultural recibida. Los participantes que tomaron cursos que incluían contenidos multiculturales obtuvieron puntajes medios significativamente más altos en consciencia, conocimientos y habilidades multiculturales que aquellos participantes que indicaron haber tomado un único curso multicultural.     

Multicultural Competence and Counselor Training: A National Survey

The extent to which practicing professional counselors perceive themselves as multiculturally competent and the basis for their training experiences in multicultural counseling have not been determined. This article reports the results of a survey on practicing professional counselors' perceptions of their multicultural competence and the nature of their pre- and in-service professional preparation in this area. There was no significant difference in self-perceived multicultural competence between graduates of Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP) accredited and nonaccredited programs. However, ethnicity was related to higher levels of perceived multicultural competence.     

Experiential Activities and Multicultural Counseling Competence Training

Counselor's multicultural counseling competence (attitudes/beliefs, knowledge, and skills) has been highlighted as an important ingredient in creating positive counseling outcomes when the clients are ethnic and racial minorities. The use of experiential activities in general, and games in particular, is presented as a potentially useful strategy to instill and enhance multicultural competence in counselor trainees. Illustrative games and guidelines for implementation are described.     

White Counselor Self-Awareness: A Prerequisite for Developing Multicultural Competence

This review of the literature examines White counselor self-awareness as an important variable in developing multicultural competence. The self-dimension discussed in this article includes worldview, cultural values, and racial identity. It is suggested that counselor self-awareness is a prerequisite to developing multicultural competence and that an in-depth understanding of these factors may improve the delivery of mental health services to culturally diverse client populations.     

Definitions of Multicultural Competence: Frontline Human Service Providers' Perspective

In this qualitative study, the authors explored definitions of multicultural competence given by 99 frontline human service providers. The providers had no formal training in counseling but served in a helping role. Seven thematic definitions emerged: color blindness, client focused, acknowledgment of cultural differences, textbook consistent, resource driven, skills‐based, and self‐integrated. Implications for multicultural competence are discussed. En este estudio cualitativo, los autores exploraron las definiciones de competencia multicultural ofrecidas por 99 proveedores de servicios humanos de primera línea. Los proveedores no tenían una formación oficial en consejería, pero actuaban en roles de ayuda. Surgieron como resultado siete definiciones temáticas: indiferente al color, enfocada hacia el cliente, reconocimiento de diferencias culturales, libro de texto, guiada por los recursos, habilidades y autointegrada. Se discuten las implicaciones para la competencia multicultural.     

Perceived Multicultural Competency of Certified Substance Abuse Counselors

In this study, the authors explored the self‐perceived multicultural counseling competencies of substance abuse counselors. Overall, the results indicate that substance abuse counselors perceived themselves to be competent; however, differences existed on the basis of race and educational level. Implications for practice and future research are discussed.     

Toward Training for Competence in Multicultural Counselor Education

This article reviews the literature on multicultural counselor education. Counselor training models from social-organizational and counseling psychology are reviewed in terms of their focus on sensitizing counselors to cultural difference. It is recommended that counselor training programs place more emphasis on assessment of counselors' cultural values and attitudes, the therapeutic relationship between counselors, and clients' and counselors' application of cultural knowledge in counseling sessions. Este artículo revisa la literatura sobre la educación de consejeros multi-culturales. Se revisan los modelos de entrenamiento de consejeros sacados de la psicología social/organizational y consejerial en términos de su enfoque en la sensibilización de consejeros a las diferencias culturales. Se recomienda que los programas de entrenamiento de consejeros pongan más énfasis en la estimación de los valores y actitudes culturales de los consejeros, la relacion terapéutica entre consejeros y clientes, y la aplicación del conocimiento cultural por el consejero en las sesiones de consejería.     

The Relationship Between Mindfulness and Multicultural Counseling Competence

The authors examined the association between multicultural counseling competence (MCC) and mindfulness. Previous authors have maintained a conceptual link between MCC and mindfulness; however, this is the first empirical analysis of the relationship between MCC and mindfulness. Results revealed that, after race/ethnicity, multicultural course completion, and empathy were controlled, components of mindfulness were correlated with multicultural awareness and multicultural knowledge. These results have implications for counselor education, counseling practice, and future research.     

The Influence of Multicultural Training on Perceived Multicultural Counseling Competencies and Implicit Racial Prejudice

This study examined the impact of multicultural training on multicultural counseling competencies and implicit racial prejudice. Results of a multilevel modeling analysis showed that only the multicultural counseling course was related to a decrease in implicit racial prejudice and an increase in cultural self‐awareness. Implications for multicultural training are discussed. Este estudio examinó el impacto de la formación multicultural en las competencias en consejería multicultural y el prejuicio racial implícito. Los resultados de un análisis de modelo a varios niveles mostraron que solo el curso en consejería multicultural estaba implicado en un descenso del prejuicio racial implícito y un aumento de la autoconciencia cultural. Se discuten las implicaciones para la formación multicultural.     

Promoting Multicultural Competence: A Cross‐Cultural Mentorship Project

This article describes a project designed to increase the multicultural competency of Euro‐American graduate counseling students and to serve the interests of Native American students as defined by Native American educators in an urban school district.     

心理韧性儿童的社会能力自我觉知

旨在考察心理韧性儿童与缺乏心理韧性儿童相比社会能力自我觉知特点, 以探究社会能力自我觉知的心理韧性发展意蕴。利用量表法和内隐联结测验(IAT), 对经由汇聚操作法筛选出的99名心理韧性儿童和176名缺乏心理韧性儿童, 分别测量社会能力外显自我觉知与内隐自我觉知, 并从2个信息源多角度测量其实际社会能力。结果发现：心理韧性儿童比缺乏心理韧性儿童有更高水平的社会能力外显自我觉知, 社会能力自我觉知与心理社会发展功能总体上存在极其显著的正向关联; 心理韧性组儿童自我觉知的社会能力低于其实际社会能力但两者显著正相关, 缺乏心理韧性组儿童自我觉知的社会能力接近于其实际社会能力但两者不存在显著相关, 两组儿童自我觉知的社会能力与实际社会能力之差的差异极其显著; 心理韧性儿童在内隐社会能力自我觉知测验不相容任务与相容任务上反应时之差显著大于缺乏心理韧性儿童。这提示, 外显上谨慎一致的高水平社会能力自我觉知和内隐上更倾向于认为自己有能力或为心理韧性发展的主体性机制原因之一。     

Cultural Intelligence and Language Competence: Synergistic Effects on Avoidance,Task Performance,and Voice Behaviors in Multicultural Teams

Avoidance of culturally diverse peers undermines the benefits of multicultural teams. Using uncertainty reduction theory, we argue that team members’ cultural intelligence (CQ; the capability to work effectively in culturally diverse settings) and language competence (the ability to communicate in a language) exert main and synergistic effects on avoidance behaviors. We further propose that avoidance negatively predicts individuals’ task performance (behaviors that contribute to team outcomes) and voice behaviors (giving suggestions to improve the status quo). Put together, we test a moderated mediation model where the mediating role of avoidance between CQ and outcomes of task performance and voice behaviors is moderated by language competence. Our results, based on data collected from multicultural team members at three time points, showed no main effects of CQ and language competence on avoidance. Instead, we found synergistic effects such that CQ was negatively related to avoidance only when language competence was high. Avoidance was negatively related to peer-rated task performance and voice behaviors. Conditional process analyses supported our moderated mediation hypothesis, suggesting that avoidance explains why people with higher CQ and higher language competence have higher task performance and voice behaviors.     

In Search of Multicultural Competence Within Counselor Education Programs

The authors examine the current status of multicultural training in counselor education. Leading multicultural training programs are identified and described, and specific guidelines for improving multicultural training are provided.     

Developing Multicultural Counseling Competence Through the Use of Portfolios

This investigation tested the ability of portfolios to stimulate the acquisition of multicultural counseling competence within counselors‐in‐training and compared portfolios with another method of competence development, case formulation. Results indicate that portfolios benefit the acquisition of multicultural counseling competence. Implications for training in multicultural counseling competence are discussed. Esta investigación probó la habilidad de portafolios para estimular la adquisición de competencia de terapia multicultural dentro de consejeros en instrucción y portafolios comparadas a otro método del desarrollo de la competencia, la formulación del caso. Los resultados indican que los portafolios benefician la adquisición de la competencia de terapia multicultural. Las implicaciones para entrenar en la competencia de terapia multicultural se discute.