Introduction
Psychologists possess adequate skill sets that guide them to provide personalized services to their clients. In the studied case, the beneficiary was affected by depression. From the exercise, the patient indicated that he was unwilling to pursue his life goals. Being a pagan, the individual remained cautious and skeptical throughout most of the counseling sessions. He indicated that he was not ready to follow any guideline or idea associated with Christianity or Islam. The aspects of such a scenario explain why it resulted in a counseling predicament. As a professional, I always consider the importance of applying the best approaches and guidelines to minimize the possible impacts of the witnessed cultural conflict (Rampold et al., 2020). The initiative would increase chances of mitigating the dilemma, thereby supporting the delivery of desirable results.
Hay’s Addressing Model
Four aspects of cultural identity were evident in the selected conflict. For social aspects, individuals belonging to the middle-class tend to possess higher power in comparison with the available laborers. This reality contributes to conflicts whereby the less fortunate view successful people differently, thereby triggering social and cultural tensions (Gopalkrishnan, 2019). Ethnicity describes individuals’ racial backgrounds whereby Euro-Americans tend to possess additional power in comparison with minority and underserved groups. The aspect of religion was evident from the case since the beneficiary was a pagan, a scenario that triggered a unique cultural conflict. In terms of age, the patient was 19, a situation that compelled him to develop a negative perception regarding the counseling process.
Relevant Biases
Personal biases are usually inappropriate and capable of affecting psychologist-patient relationships. Some of the issues disorienting my professional practice revolve around my view of atheists and how I perceive their ability to benefit from counseling procedures. Due to such biases, sometimes it becomes impossible to offer the necessary professional support. With such challenges, an evidence-based approach is recommendable to address each of these two biases (Akkuş et al., 2020). The identified one is that of lifelong learning and it presents a new opportunity to learn more about different cultures, people’s belief systems, and how they pursue their goals. This strategy will result in improved cultural competence, thereby being in a position to achieve my professional aims.
Best Practices When Working with Religion
The cultural competency model remains instrumental in the professional interaction with clients. The framework begins with self-awareness whereby individuals develop desirable behaviors and skills to deal with diversity concerns. Though continuous practice, experts become more aware and responsive to cultural differences (Rampold et al., 2020). They will act appropriately from a cultural perspective and focus on the best ways to bridge the recorded gaps through positive communication. Through the power of this best practice, I will be in position to engage the client, navigate through the established relationship, and consider new ways to mitigate the conflict. I will become more mindful of the client even if he is a nonbeliever.
Best Practices When Working with Social, Ethnicity, and Age
The identified theory or best practice model will guide me to provide personalized therapy sessions that reduce the identified biases. Through continuous experimentation, I will find it easier to reduce tension, remain involved, empower the client, and eventually transform my professional philosophy (Rampold et al., 2020). The beneficiary will realize that I am not biased or concerned about his social status or racial background. The ultimate aim would be to maximize cooperation and ensure that the targeted individual benefits from every therapy session.
Conclusion
The completed exercise has guided me acquire several lessons and ideas. Specifically, I have realized that the possession of cultural competencies is necessary to mitigate conflicts that might emerge. Hay’s model offers a powerful framework for identifying and addressing such concerns. Through the power of lifelong learning, professionals could become more culturally aware, offer personalized support, and eventually succeed in their respective careers.
References
Akkuş, B., Postmes, T., Stroebe, K., & Baray, G. (2020). Cultures of conflict: Protests, violent repression, and community values. British Journal of Social Psychology, 59(1), 49-65. Web.
Arias-Valenzuela, M., Amiot, C. E., & Ryder, A. G. (2019). Identity configurations and well-being during normative cultural conflict: The roles of multiculturals’ conflict management strategies and academic stage. European Journal of Social Psychology, 49(5), 970-991. Web.
Cuddy, A. J. C., Wolf, E. B., Glick, P., Crotty, S., Chong, J., & Norton, M. I. (2015). Men as cultural ideals: Cultural values moderate gender stereotype content. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 109(4), 622–635. Web.
Gopalkrishnan, N. (2019). Cultural competence and beyond: Working across cultures in culturally dynamic partnerships. The International Journal of Community and Social Development, 1(1), 28-41. Web.
Rampold, S., Coleman, B., Bunch, J., & Roberts, R. (2020). Exploring students’ cultural competence development during a short-term international experience: A Q-sort study. Advancements in Agricultural Development, 1(2), 65-78. Web.
Wall-Bassett, E. D., Hegde, A. V., Craft, K., & Oberlin, A. L. (2018). Using Campinha-Bacote’s framework to examine cultural competence from an interdisciplinary international service learning program. Journal of International Students, 8(1), 274-283. Web.