Barriers to Multicultural

Counseling and Therapy:

Individual and Family Perspectives

By: Christina L. Richardson

Chapter 7

What do you think are some of the

barriers to multicultural counseling?

Barriers to Multicultural Counseling

Culture-Bound Values

• These are the values that people have learned to do, believe, value and enjoy.

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GOHvMz7dl2A

Focus on the IndividualsCulture-Bound Values

Western Cultures

Competition between individuals for status, recognition, achievement, etc.

Non – Western Cultures

Identity is not seen apart from the group orientation (collectivism)

Family values

Verbal/Emotional/Behavioral

Expressiveness

Culture-Bound ValuesWestern Cultures

Verbal

Articulate

Able to express their thoughts and feelings clearly

Typical “talk therapy”

Non – Western Cultures

silence

Restraint of strong feelings

InsightCulture-Bound Values

Western Cultures

Beneficial for individuals to gain insight or understanding into their underlying dynamics and causes

Non – Western Cultures

Insight is a back burner thought to current issues

Self-thinking

Self-Disclosure (Openness and Intimacy)

Culture-Bound ValuesWestern Cultures

The ability to self-disclose and talk about the most intimate aspects of one’s life

Non – Western Cultures

Don’t reveal personal matters to strangers

Disclosure is a part of intimate relationships

Scientific Empiricism

Culture-Bound ValuesWestern Cultures

Highly linear, analytic and verbal

Non – Western Cultures

Non linear, holistic, and harmonious

Distinctions Between Mental and Physical Functioning

Culture-Bound ValuesWestern Cultures

Counseling/Therapy is a journey

Non – Western Cultures

Expect immediate solutions and concrete tangible forms of treatment

AmbiguityCulture-Bound Values

Western Cultures

Counseling/Therapy is a journey

Non – Western Cultures

Ambiguous and unstructured nature of counseling may create issues

Patterns of CommunicationCulture-Bound Values

Western Cultures

Conversation moves from client to counselor

Non – Western Cultures

Some cultures will not speak until spoken to, out of respect

Therapy should be directive and active on the part of the counselor

Barriers to Multicultural Counseling

Class-Bound Values

Low Socioeconomic Class

Failure of Empathy within the helping profession

Classism

Barriers to Multicultural Counseling

Language Barriers

Interpreters

Patterns of “American” Cultural

Assumptions

Barriers to Multicultural

Counseling

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UTd8XS5UA4g

Patterns of “American” Cultural

Assumptions

Barriers to Multicultural

CounselingArea of Relationships

Middle-Class White Americans

Asian Americans

American Indians

Black Americans

Hispanic Americans

People to nature/environment

Mastery over Harmony with

Harmony with

Harmony with

Harmony with

Time Orientation

Future Past-present

Present Present Past-present

People Relations

Individual Collateral Collateral Collateral Collateral

Preferred mode of activity

Doing Doing Being-in-becoming

Doing Being-in-becoming

Nature of man Good/Bad Good Good Good/Bad Good

People-Nature RelationshipsBarriers to Multicultural

CounselingWestern Cultures

Believes in mastery and control over nature

Problems are attacked directly

Non – Western Cultures

Harmony

Indirectly solve problems

Believe in “acts of God”

Time Dimension Barriers to Multicultural

CounselingWestern Cultures

Future

Non – Western Cultures

American Indian focus on the now, no rushing

Hispanics mark time by events

All cultures collectively look at present time

Relational Dimension Barriers to Multicultural

CounselingWestern Cultures

Individual

Achieve oriented society

Non – Western Cultures

Collateral units, not just immediate family, but kinships/cousins

Activity Dimension Barriers to Multicultural

CounselingWestern Cultures

Master/control

Always do things about a situation

Pragmatic and utilitarian view of life

Non – Western Cultures

American Indians/Latinos – being-in-becoming

Asian/African Americans - doing

Nature of People Dimension Barriers to Multicultural

CounselingWestern Cultures

Good/Bad

Non – Western Cultures

American Indians/Asians – emphasize the inherent good in people

Hispanic/African Americans – mixed, good/bad

Generalizations and Stereotypes: Some

Cautions

Barriers to Multicultural

CounselingBe cognizant of the generic characteristics of counseling and psychotherapy (Western civilization oriented)

Be ready to provide adequate multilingual services

Consider providing community counseling services that reach out to minority clients

Realize that minority’s problems and concerns are often systematic external rather than internal psychological

With diversity comes different cultural concepts of the family

Families are a sum of all their parts, cultural, social, political

Be careful NOT to overgeneralize or STEREOTYPE! Be better… Practice Better!

Activity: Circles of My Multicultural Self

Barriers to Multicultural

CounselingOn your paper there are 5 circles.

1. Write your name in the center circle

2. In the 4 outlying circles write a dimension of your identity that you consider to be important, ex. Female, athlete, Jewish, brother, educator, Asian American, middle class, and so on, or any descriptor that you identify with.

3. Write a P next to the dimension that makes you most proud.

4. Write a S next to the dimension that is most painful to be identified with.

Activity: Circles of My Multicultural Self

Barriers to Multicultural

CounselingAt the bottom of your paper there is this sentence.

I am (a/an) _____________________ but I am NOT (a/an)_____________________.

Fill the first sentence in with one of your dimensions/identifiers and the second sentence with a stereotype for that identifier.

Place your name in the center circle of the structure below. Write an important aspect of your identity in each of the satellite circles -- an identifier or descriptor that you feel is important in defining you. This can include anything: Asian American, female, mother, athlete, educator, Taoist, scientist, or any descriptor with which you identify.

Activity: Circles of My Multicultural Self

Barriers to Multicultural

CounselingYour paper should look like this!

I am (a/an) African American

but I am NOT (a/an)

ignorant/ghetto person.

Place your name in the center circle of the structure below. Write an important aspect of your identity in each of the satellite circles -- an identifier or descriptor that you feel is important in defining you. This can include anything: Asian American, female, mother, athlete, educator, Taoist, scientist, or any descriptor with which you identify.

Barriers to Multicultural Counseling

THE END!

QUESTIONS????