Introduction
Evidence-based practice (EBP) is one of the key and essential concepts in the health and well-being areas, such as medicine, nursing, and counseling. The core ideas are centered around building and developing procedural interventions and assessments based on the acquired data and empirical evidence. Cultural competence (CC) is also a highly relevant aspect of the practice, which focuses on multicultural elements of the counseling process. Both EBP and CC share the common goal of utilizing key skills in ensuring optimal development of a client, but the former uses the latest research evidence, and the latter is based on cultural differences.
Main body
One should be aware that cultural competence is one of the essential aspects of multicultural counseling. A professional needs to understand unique cultural differences among his or her clients. The given knowledge is critical in utilizing the necessary skills for adjusting the practice according to the underlying cues, which might hinder the optimization. Similarly, EBP tries to change by integrating the most relevant evidence as to the basis for client transformation.
Moreover, both systemic approaches can effectively utilize scientific literature to improve counseling practice. Although it is a necessary aspect of EBP, CC is also interested in implementing the recent knowledge on multicultural dynamics. Improving intercultural communication is one of those areas in which a simple accumulation of psychological knowledge and the awareness of cultural characteristics is not enough. The future belongs to the development of ethnocultural competence using special teaching methods which make it possible to integrate knowledge and practical experience. It is important to remember that psychologists, and the representatives of other helping professions, are not able to completely free themselves from the problem of ethnic stereotypes, including auto-stereotypes, of their group. They are also subject to the influence on social events, interpersonal conflicts, communication experience, which needs awareness and change of prejudices, shifts in ways of interaction with the representatives of other cultures. Therefore, CC is an ever-evolving process that requires a deliberate effort for increasing self-awareness. This is critical to improving the understanding of how biases, values, and cultural practices affect interactions with culturally diverse populations.
However, the key difference lies in the fact that EBP utilizes research data, whereas CC uses cultural value distinctions. Culture in itself is a highly complex notion, which cannot be categorized and divided into easily manageable elements. Therefore, a culturally competent counselor needs to be aware and knowledgeable of various intricacies of each individual cultural background. The most important role in the selection of the most effective medicines belongs to evidence-based medicine. Evidence-based analysis of the counseling and medical literature is an important aspect of the counselor’s work. The consequence of this approach to the study of the literature is the correct professional activity of the counselor. Thus, the major distinctions can be observed in the key elements, where culture is less definitive and more complex than solid empirical evidence.
Conclusion
In conclusion, both CC and EBP seek to achieve optimal development of a client by utilizing effective interventions. Another similarity lies in the fact that both optimization measures can be based on the latest scientific literature. However, the difference is manifested in the notion that the use of empirical evidence is mandatory for EBP, whereas it is not a central component for CC. The primary reason is the implausibility of solidified categorization of cultural aspects due to its changeability and complexity.