Introduction
In today’s increasingly diverse world, a well-rounded counselor needs to have a decent grasp of the concept of multiculturalism and apply its best practices on the job. When pursuing the path of a counselor, one should expect that the global tendencies will influence and transform their work approaches. One’s professional development may expose them to foreign populations abroad or diverse communities in their home country, which will necessitate them to improve their cultural communication skills. This paper argues that multicultural counseling is an indispensable element of the counseling profession and provides the rationale for multiculturalism in counseling practice as well as contemporary diversity-related issues.
Counselor in the Changing World
Multicultural counseling is defined as an approach that encompasses effective interventions for culturally diverse clients. A qualified counselor should take into account a client’s race, ethnicity, and cultural background. Other factors to be considered since they influence a client’s worldview and life circumstances are their gender and gender identity, sexual orientation, age, socioeconomic status, religion, and health.
The rationale for the focus on these demographic properties and lifestyle choices is motivated by global changes. In the report submitted by the United Nations (2017), it is stated that between 2000 and 2017, the share of migrants worldwide has risen from 2.8% to 3.4%. Some countries have unusually large migrant populations: for instance, in the United States, every fifth person is a migrant (19.1%), while in Australia, almost one-third of the population (29%) was born overseas. Taking these factors into account, it is safe to say that a counselor is likely to meet a client whose background and life experiences are much different from their own.
Contemporary Trends and Issues
Cultural counseling is especially important during the time dominated by two opposing tendencies. On the one hand, in developed countries, people grow more accepting of minorities. For example, as McCarthy (2019) reports, ever since the introduction of marriage equality in the US in 2015, the support for gay marriage has been stable at 63%. It seems that more people than ever feel comfortable with “coming out” (being open about their sexual orientation): according to Newport (2018), the US self-reported LGBT population has risen to 4.5%.
On the other hand, there are counter-movements to tolerance and equality that still make the lives of those in the underprivileged communities more challenging. Simmons (2017) writes that the Texas House of Representatives attempted to issue a bill that would allow foster houses to prevent gay couples from becoming adoptive parents. These conflicting trends of acceptance and oppression apply to other minority groups as well. It is essential that a counselor understands the realities of these people’s lives and intervenes in an appropriate and culturally informed way.
Some other issues that counselors should be aware of are the effects of discrimination and the availability of services. Molina and James (2016) researched African-American and African-Caribbean populations of the United States and revealed that experiencing racial discrimination increased participants’ odds of suffering from a major depressive disorder. The evidence of such kind suggests that counselors who ignore the cultural side of their interaction with a client coming from a minor community might overlook some of the root causes of his or her issue.
Another example is the availability of services that prevent minorities from seeking the necessary help. Mantovani, Pizzolati, and Edge (2017) studied African-American communities in the United Kingdom and discovered that many of the respondents felt ashamed of their mental issues. They felt pressure from their peers and parents to be strong, hide their weaknesses, and resolve their problems on their own without a specialist’s intervention. Being familiar with these issues should be a part of counselors’ cultural training as they might want to remove the stigma and help their clients to be more proactive.
For the reasons mentioned above, it is essential that organizations have cultural and linguistic standards of services. If they do, when minor communities will feel welcome and be able to receive the help that they need. From a linguistic standpoint, translation and interpretation for diverse communities will eliminate confusion regarding specialists’ advice and prescription. This will promote adherence to intervention and treatment plans. On a personal level, introducing comprehensive standards will improve the lives of the people affected. On a national level, standardization will help to reduce the burden of disease and lead to economic efficiency.
Conclusion
With the rise of globalization, multicultural counseling has become a legitimate and well-recognized subfield of this profession. In their practice, counselors are likely to meet people coming from diverse backgrounds whose life experiences may differ a lot from what counselors themselves have lived through.
A well-rounded counselor needs to understand how he or she fits with global trends. Depending on a person’s race, ethnicity, gender, and sexual orientation, a specialist needs to devise an appropriate intervention plan that would be culturally informed. In the process, the cultural beliefs that having mental disorders is shameful and something to be concealed may impede the process of recovery, especially when it comes to traditional communities where mental health awareness is not particularly high. A counselor needs to adhere to the standards of service and make sure that the client is receiving the recognition that they deserve.
References
Mantovani, N., Pizzolati, M., & Edge, D. (2017). Exploring the relationship between stigma and help‐seeking for mental illness in African‐descended faith communities in the UK. Health Expectations, 20(3), 373-384.
McCarty, J. (2019). U.S. support for gay marriage stable, at 63%. Web.
Molina, K. M., & James, D. (2016). Discrimination, internalized racism, and depression: A comparative study of African American and Afro-Caribbean adults in the US. Group Processes & Intergroup Relations, 19(4), 439-461.
Newport, F. (2018). In U.S., estimate of LGBT population rises to 4.5%. Web.
Simmons, N. (2017). Seven striking statistics on the status of gay rights and homophobia across the globe. Web.
Sue, D. W., & Sue, D. (2013). Counseling the culturally diverse: Theory and practice (6th ed.). Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons.
The United States. (2017). International migration report. Web.