Culturally Effective

Counselors
BY:
PROF. MADYA DR. FATIMAH YUSOOFF

www.themegallery.com

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Awareness of Self

Counselors should develop an

awareness of their own cultural
heritage and how it has shaped their
cultural beliefs, attitudes, and values,
especially those involving other
people

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Self-awareness also includes

developing an awareness of how
ones own cultural background and
experiences influence ones attitudes,
values, and biases about
psychological processes

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1.
2.
3.
4.

Counselors should be able to do the following :

Identify the history of their culture in relation to

educational opportunities and current worldview

Identify relevant personal cultural traits and explain their

influences on cultural values

Identify social and cultural influences on cognitive

development
Identify social and cultural influences in their history
that have influenced their views (which would affect
counseling)

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5.

3.
4.

Counselors should be able to do the following :

Articulate the beliefs of their own cultural and

religious groups as these relate to sexual orientation,
able-bodiedness, etc, and the impact of these beliefs
on the counseling relationship

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1.
2.
3.
4.

Counselor should also be able

to do the following :
Identify the culture (s) to which they belong

Identify specific cultural groups from which they derived

fundamental cultural heritage and significant beliefs and attitudes

Recognize the impact of their beliefs on their ability to

respect others
Identify specific attitudes, beliefs and values from their own
cultural heritage that support behaviors demonstrating respect
and valuing

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5.
6.
7.

Counselor should also be able

to do the following

Engage in an on going process of challenging their own beliefs

and attitudes that do not support respecting and valuing of
differences
Appreciate and articulate positive aspects of their own heritage
that provide them with strengths in understanding differences

Recognize the influence of other personal dimensions of identify

and their role in self-awareness (Arredondo et.al., 1996)

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Arredondo and colleaguess (1996) list of

multicultural counseling competencies is
based on the dimensions of the personal
identity model (Arredondo & Glauner,
1992):

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I. Counselor Awareness of Own Cultural

Values and Biases

A. Attitudes and Beliefs :

1. Culturally skilled counselors belive that cultural self-awareness
and sensitivity to ones own cultural heritage is essential

2.
3.
4.

Culturally skilled counselors are aware of how their own cultural

background and experiences have influenced attitudes, values and
biases about psychological processes

Culturally skilled counselors are able to recognize the limits of

their multicultural competency and expertise

Culturally skilled counselors recognize their sources of

discomfort with differences that exist between themselves and
clients in terms of race, ethnicity and culture

I. Counselor Awareness of Own Cultural

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Values and Biases

B. Knowledge:
1.
2.
3.

Knowledge about their own racial and cultural heritage

Knowledge and understanding about how oppression, racism,

discrimination and streotyping affect them personally and in their
work

Knowledge about their social impact on others

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I. Counselor Awareness of Own Cultural

Values and Biases

C. Skills:
1.

Seek out educational, consultative, and training experiences to

improve their understandings and effectiveness in working with
culturally different populations

2.
Seeking to understand themselves as racial and cultural being and
are actively seeking a nonracist identity

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II. Counselor Awareness of Clients Worldview
III. Culturally Appropriate Intervention Strategies

A. Beliefs and Attitudes

1.

Culturally skilled counselors respect clients religious and

spiritual beliefs and values, including attributions and taboos,
because these affect worldview, psychosocial healing and
expressions of distress

2.
Culturally skilled counselors respect indigenous helping practices
and respect help-giving networks among communities of color

3.
Culturally skilled counselors values bilingualism and do not view
another language as an impediment to counseling
(monolingualism may be the culprit)

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B. Knowledge:
1. Have a clear and explicit knowledge and understanding of the
generic characteristics of counseling and therapy

2.
3.
4.

Counselors are aware of institutional barriers that prevent

minorities from using mental health services

Counselors have knowledge of potential bias in assessment

instruments from use procedures and interpret findings in a way
that recognizes the cultural and linguistic characteristics of the
clients

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4.
5

4.

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Counselors have knowledge of family structures, hierarchies,

values and beliefs from various perspectives

Culturally skilled counselors should be aware of relevant

discriminatory practices at the social and the community level that
may be affecting the psychological welfare of the population being
served

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C. Skills:
1. Culturally skilled are able to engage in avariety of verbal and
nonverbal helping responses

2.
3.
4.

Culturally skilled counselors are able to exercise institutional

intervention on behalf of their clients

Culturally skilled counselors are not averse to seeking

consultation with traditional healers or religious and spiritual
leaders and practitioners in the treatment of culturally different
clients when appropriate

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Continued.

Culturally skilled counselors take responsibility for interacting

in the language requested by the client and if not feasible make
appropriate referrals

5.

Culturally skilled counselors have training and expertise in the use

of traditional assessment and testing instruments

6.

Culturally skilled counselors should attend to as well as work to

eliminate, biases, prejudices and discriminatory contexts in
conducting evaluations and providing interventions and should
develop sensitivity to issues of oppression, sexism heterosexism,
elitism and racism

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7.
2.
3.
4.

Continued.

Culturally skilled counselors take responsibility for educating

their clients to the processes of psychological intervention such
as their goals expectations legal rights and the counselors
orientation

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