Are Multicultural Courses Addressing Disparities? Exploring Multicultural and Affirmative Lesbian,Gay, and Bisexual Competencies of Counseling and Psychology Students

Clinical training and counselor competency are essential for ethical practice when working with multiethnic, lesbian, gay, bisexual (LGB), and transgender clients. In this study, the author examined how multicultural courses related to students' (N = 286) LGB and multicultural competencies. Self‐reported multicultural and LGB competencies varied significantly depending on the number and types of diversity education reported. Multicultural courses significantly predicted students' multicultural, but not LGB counselor competency. Political conservatism was the strongest predictor for both multicultural and sexual orientation competencies. La formación y competencias multiculturales afirmativas hacia individuos gays, lesbianas y bisexuales (LGB, por sus siglas en inglés) de consejeros son esenciales para una práctica clínica ética. En este estudio, el autor examinó cómo los cursos multiculturales se relacionaron con las competencias multiculturales de un grupo de estudiantes (N = 286). Las competencias multiculturales y sobre LGB autorreportadas variaron significativamente dependiendo del número y tipos de educación sobre diversidad reportados. Los cursos multiculturales predijeron de forma significativa la competencia multicultural de los estudiantes, pero no la competencia sobre LGB en consejería. La ideología política conservadora fue el predictor más fuerte de las competencias multiculturales y sobre orientación sexual.     

South Korean counselors’ perceived multicultural counseling competence: Relationship with openness to experience,perceived general counseling competence,and multicultural counseling education/practice

This study investigated variables related to the perceived multicultural counseling competence (MCC) of South Korean counselors. The relationship between perceived MCC and demographic information was explored, and effects of openness to experience, general counseling competence, and multicultural counseling education/practice on perceived MCC were examined.  Results revealed no relationship with demographic information and perceived MCC and significant effects of general counseling competence and multucultural counseling education/practice on perceived MCC. Implications for multicultural counseling training and future research are discussed.     

Novice school counselors’ role in closing the achievement gap with low-income adolescents

We explored 10 novice school counselors’ experiences working to close the achievement gap with low-income adolescents through interpretative phenomenological analysis. Results suggest that school counselors experienced their role in closing the achievement gap with low-income adolescents as one of (a) systemic discouragement, (b) interactions with students’ home environment, and (c) parallel process advocacy. Implications for school counselors, counselor educators, and future research are included.     

Using a Values‐Based Taxonomy in Counselor Education

Values such as respect for the client's privacy and respect for diversity are integral to training new counselors. This requires learning in the affective domain, defined as the internalization of values ( Krathwohl, Bloom, & Masia, 1964 ). The affective taxonomy of Krathwohl et al. (1964) is presented as a means of teaching values and measuring the internalization of values. An example from a multicultural counseling course is offered as a template for implications in counselor education.