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The multicultural movement accentuates theability of counselors from one culture being able toefficiently work with clients of other cultures. A strongemphasis has been on counselors of the majority cultureand their proficiency to cross cultural boundaries tofacilitate productive sessions for ethnic minority clients.While it has been a much needed emphasis due to themajority of counselors being Caucasian, it is time toextend a shift of paradigm in expectations to ethnicminority counselors, especially those who are bicultural.

Bicultural counselors possess a unique advantagewhen working with matching ethnic clientele: they canadvocate for clients and families of their own culturalgroup in ways that others cannot. There exists a greatresponsibility which must be shouldered by ethnicminority counselors to act as cultural brokers betweenthe majority culture and their own minority culture.However, there is no emphasis on this responsibilitynor a systematic pedagogy that addresses teachingethnic minority counselors ways in which they can usetheir unique position to promote mental health amongpeople of their same culture. Consequently, counselorsfrom ethnic backgrounds who are bicultural are not fullyutilizing the resources available to them to foster mentalhealth among their own people.

As a cultural broker, the ethnic minority counselorcan use the self as an instrument by (1) endorsing theutilization of counseling services, (2) modeling health,and (3) developing other bicultural counselors. Thesemethods are ways in which the field can move beyondthe textbook knowledge of multiculturalism whileimplementing practical measures to reach oftenunreachable populations.

Endorsing the Utilization of Counseling Services

Self-AdvertisementA bicultural counselor can be a safe resource for

information concerning counseling services; however,

the surrounding community often is unaware of theexistence of bicultural counselors. Bicultural counselorsshould actively advertise and promote theirbiculturalism both formally and informally. A biculturalcounselor who is bilingual ought to include this vitalinformation in bulletins, phone books, and businesscards as a way to distinguish him- or herself from othercounselors.

Ethnic minorities often do not begin seeking helpwith the recognition that they have certain emotionalsymptoms, but rather this recognition emerges duringthe course of help-seeking through conversationsoutside of the family such as with friends, coworkers,neighbors, and acquaintances of their same culture. Forindividuals with emotional distress, this lay referralnetwork system plays an important role in pathways tomental health care. Often it is in this lay help-seekingnetwork that understanding of emotional disorders areformulated and discussed. One must recognize thatinformation about professional sources of help easilyfilters to minority populations through such informalnetworks. Therefore, asking family, friends, and localchurches and businesses to spread the word about theavailability of a bicultural and/or bilingual counselorin the area will begin this process of informalnetworking. If this channel of information is used asthe main resource to encourage help-seeking behaviors,then service utilization among ethnic minorities mayincrease.

Ethnic minority groups in general have knowledgedeficits regarding resources that are available to them,including mental health services. Knowledgeacquisition on the nonstigmatizing nature of counselingand its focus on situational problems of everyday lifemay encourage utilization rates. Endorsing informationabout the various types and modalities of services, therole of a counselor, and the assurance of clientconfidentiality may promote a positive outlook oncounseling as a viable coping resource.

Article 16

Ethnic Minority Counselors as Cultural Brokers: Using the Self as anInstrument to Bridge the Gap

Josephine M. Kim

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PsychoeducationCounselors have other roles which are quite

distinct from the remedial nature of counseling; it istheir involvement in educational programs that targetprevention. The effectiveness of preventative andeducational modalities of counseling are just as essentialif not more crucial than remedial counselinginterventions. There is wisdom in starting preventionprograms as early as possible, because this investmentcould reduce the burden of suffering and even lessenthe financial costs related to future development ofprolonged problems.

Major archival studies show that both languageand ethnic match between counselor and client arepredictors of length and outcome of counselingtreatment. Based on this premise, it can be said thatpsychoeducation provided by a counselor of matchingethnicity will be persuasive and dynamic when heardby matching clientele. Many immigrant groups valuethemselves as more civilized than any other people, andthey frequently dismiss other races as being inferior.Assistance offered by nonethnic people may beperceived as inappropriate or even controlling anddemeaning. Given the mistrust of mental healthproviders which often exists amongst minoritypopulations, the ethnic minority counselor can take onthe role of a cultural broker between counselors of themajority culture and their own minority populationthrough psychoeducation.

An ethnic minority counselor can destigmatize theprofession of counseling, gaining the trust of those whobelong to the same minority group and changing theirperceptions of counseling. He or she can use his or herbilingual and bicultural skills to endorse counseling ina way that is culture specific and appropriate. Abicultural/bilingual counselor can teach about culture-bound vulnerabilities that place a given minoritypopulation at risk for various emotional distresses whilespreading information regarding professionalcounseling, including benefits of receiving help versusthe consequences of delaying assistance. He or she alsocan educate about the multiculturalism movement as itrelates to a particular minority population.

This culture-specific focus creates an educationalchannel that can be used to orient specific populationsto aspects of mental health that pertain exclusively tothem, increasing their consciousness of mental healthissues that they would not otherwise have an initiativeto explore. A spectrum of psychological matters shouldbe presented to a targeted group of people, addressingmental health issues that are acutely specific to thatcohort. Cultural specificity ensures the disseminationof information on the culture-bound vulnerabilities thatplace specific populations at risk for various emotional

distresses; this full knowledge of risk factors is anecessary prerequisite for primary and secondaryinterventions. Thus, without a clear acknowledgementof such risk factors, it is unlikely that one would seekprofessional counseling services, let alone benefit fromprimary and secondary interventions.

Modeling Health

BiculturalismA bilingual, bicultural minority counselor who has

not only experienced the culture-bound vulnerabilitiesand risk factors of that specific culture on a personallevel but has also provided mental health services toboth his or her own ethnic population, as well as to thegeneral public, can serve as a role model. Such acounselor gives the clients a sense of hope, because theclients can perceive that it is possible to successfullycope with these risk factors. Immigrants bring with themtheir own indigenous patterns and conceptions of mentalillness, some of which can only be identified andrecognized by a counselor of the same ethnic group.Fully aware of these factors, a bicultural counselor canassist clients to attain biculturalism in lieu of theircultural background and experiences.

Many counselors have learned to be bicultural andcan help clients become so as well by passing on theirunderstanding of how to retain community traditionswhile entering and succeeding in the majority society.In guiding youths, counselors can draw on positive andnegative aspects of their past experiences, reflectingon the sources of their own success. Minoritypopulations often lament the scarcity of positive rolemodels in their communities, and counselors can fillthis void.

Positive Coping StrategiesBicultural counselors can use their personal stories

to instill hope and to model appropriate and productivecoping strategies. Ethnic minority counselors can playa key role in helping their clients feel confident andsafe in their neighborhoods, learn alternatives toviolence, gain educational experiences, and acquire thebicultural skills needed for success in school and insociety by sharing a common language and similarfamily history with clients. Bicultural counselors cannormalize acculturative stress and symptoms related tothe acculturation process, especially regardingintergenerational conflicts. Informing clients of theuniversality of the issue often brings hope and relief.

In times of rapid cultural change, parents do notknow all their children need to learn to survive andflourish, so sources of guidance must be found beyondthe family. Through community-based programs, and

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neighborhoods, links across generations can be forged.These loosely knit networks can also foster newgenerations of leadership with the cultural skills thattoday’s children need to succeed in an increasinglydiverse world. The counselor can use his or her personalstories as a parallel process and case example to presentpractical methods of brokering among thesemultifaceted cultural gaps.

Developing Other Bicultural Counselors

More education and prevention efforts need to bemade by bicultural counselors who are currently in thefield, while shouldering the responsibility of recruitingand training future ethnic counselors.

RecruitingBicultural counselors should make the recruitment

of future ethnic counselors their responsibility. Theyshould promote the counseling career, and identifypeople who possess counselor-like qualities. Theyshould actively participate in career centers and engagein career-oriented seminars, proactively making theprofession known to the people of their own ethnicgroup. Presenting the need and the benefits of biculturalcounselors, as well as the existing opportunities forgrowth and development, will serve to demystify theprofession and instill a sense of responsibility. Oneshould clearly identify the steps needed to be taken inorder to become a counselor in a certain state, beingcareful to answer questions that may arise regardingthe field.

TrainingBicultural counselors who have been working as

cultural brokers should pass on their well-learnedknowledge to the incoming generation of counselors.As a counselor educator and as an active member ofcounseling associations, a bicultural counselor shouldmake it his or her priority to train future counselors inways in which they, too, can use their biculturalism andtheir own personal experiences to become a culturalbroker. They should help to instill a shared sense ofresponsibility for their own cultural group, trainingfuture counselors on how to promote health and well-being in their own culture.

A stereotypical assumption that an ethnic minoritycounselor is automatically an expert in multiculturalissues prevents counselors of various ethnicbackgrounds from further developing this edge to servethe profession and their own people. This long-standingmyth also prevents counselor educators from utilizingpedagogical material that enhances growth in ethnicminority counselors. However, this responsibility

cannot be fulfilled unless a minority counselor is taughttechniques and skills in using one’s personal culture-centered experiences as an instrument to bridge the gapbetween the majority culture and one’s ethnic culture.There is power in shared experiences, and using one’sown personal culture-centered experience as aninstrument allows one to advocate, empower, and fosterchange in families of one’s own ethnic group in a waythat is nonstigmatizing and nonthreatening.

Conclusion

A bicultural counselor can endorse counselingservices through self-advertisement and psycho-education. He or she also can model health by modelingbiculturalism and the productive coping strategies thatallowed him or her to advance this far in society and inlife. Finally, a bicultural counselor must uphold theresponsibility of developing future counselors withinhis or her own ethnic group, being careful to recruitand train them for the purpose of reaching others intheir own culture.