Chapter 15



Chapter 15

Cultural Factors in Counseling Children

CHAPTER OVERVIEW

With the rise of different cultural groups within the US population, emphasis is being placed on being culturally sensitive and competent. Counselors are encouraged to be aware of cross-cultural counseling issues, as cultural beliefs influence diagnosis and every aspect of the counseling process. With most clients belonging to a minority population and most counselors practicing theories based on Euro-American values, it is important to recognize the need for increased awareness and the ability to modify current beliefs. Effective counselors focus on assessing their understanding of their own culture and their biases, understanding the worldview of their clients, and selecting appropriate interventions.

CHAPTER OBJECTIVES

After completing this chapter, the student will be able to:

1. Recognize the importance of cultural factors in counseling.

2. Discuss the goals, skills, and knowledge needed for multicultural competence as well as barriers to culturally sensitive counseling.

3. Explain worldview and guidelines to using this understanding.

4. Describe common factors to counseling effectiveness.

5. Outline challenges and strategies for working with children from identified ethnic groups.

CHAPTER SUMMARY

Counselors working with children of diverse culture backgrounds face many challenges. Baruth and Manning listed some of the challenges as counselors having communication difficulties, misunderstanding the culture and the impact of the culture on the process of counseling, making faulty assumptions about cultural assimilation, failing to understand differences in social class values and orientations, making stereotypical generalizations and assumptions of cultural bias, and failing to understand the worldview of the client. Pederson suggested the following additional cautions: diagnoses differ across cultures; clients express symptoms differently across cultures; diagnoses may vary according to the categories found most often in the majority population; and most counselors are members of the majority population.

Rather than being daunted by the challenges, counselors are encouraged by the authors to make a commitment to become culturally competent. Pederson suggested a list of goals for the culturally skilled counselor and explained that training in multicultural competence has focused on three areas: (1) increasing one’s awareness of culturally learned attitudes, beliefs, and values; (2) increasing knowledge of culturally relevant facts; and (3) developing skills for interventions that are culturally appropriate.

Awareness is necessary for multicultural competence. Awareness of self involves investigation of the counselor’s own cultural background and the impact it has on his/her beliefs, attitudes, and values. Counselors must also develop extensive awareness of racism, sexism, poverty, individual differences, other culture(s), and diversity. A cross-cultural awareness continuum illustrates levels of this process of understanding.

Knowledge is also necessary for competence in multicultural counseling. Knowledge of the cultural context of behavior incorporates variables such as social class, gender, ethnicity, race, religion, language, age, and exceptionalities. Some terms that cross-cultural counselors need to understand are race, ethnic, ethnicity, worldview, ethnic identity development, and acculturation.

Trevino proposed that worldviews be organized into general views or basic understandings of the world and specific views that represent particular perceptions (e.g., specific views of. marriage, illness, companionship). She wrote that without an understanding of the client’s worldviews, the counselor cannot understand and assess client problems, establish a therapeutic alliance, or formulate effective strategies. The counselor’s role is to work with the client to find a better way of understanding and interacting with the world through cognitive, behavioral, or affective techniques.

Fischer, Jome and Atkinson proposed four common factors as essential to the success of all counseling: (1) a positive, trusting, therapeutic relationship; (2) a shared worldview or a common framework from which the counselor and client conduct their work together; (3) the client’s positive expectation that counseling will be helpful; and (4) rituals or interventions that are effective techniques that both the counselor and client believe will lead to positive outcomes.

Helms proposed three interacting components that influence a person’s ethnic identity: (1) personal component that is related to self-concept; (2) affiliative component that is related to the degree to which the person believes he or she shares whatever happens to other members of the group; and (3) reference group component that is related to the person’s level of conforming to the norms of the group. High levels of ethnic identity predict positive social and emotional adjustment in adolescents. Brown and Trusty suggest that counselors who work with children can use identity development models to understand a child’s perceptions of self and others. Acculturation is the process of becoming like another culture. A bicultural model is based on the idea that one can connect with two cultures simultaneously.

Skills are needed when helping others to resolve problems or to make decisions in ways that are consistent with the client’s culture. Counselors must acknowledge the reality of cultural influences; recognize differences as differences, not as deficiencies; and avoid stereotyping and an ethnocentric perspective. Kincade and Evans discussed several differences among cultures such as differences in boundaries and physical space, emotional boundaries, kinships terms, hierarchy of needs, and trust issues. They suggested the following guidelines:

• Make no assumptions - gather information and re-evaluate personal biases often;

• Learn about the client’s culture from sources other than the client;

• Admit ignorance about the culture - be willing to ask questions and to learn;

• Look for similarities in order to connect - find common ground to share;

• Be sensitive to client expectations and needs - together define counseling.

Holcomb-McCoy has prepared a checklist for counselors to use in assessing their cultural competence.

The authors provide suggestions for working with children from different ethnic groups. Blum explained that children of different ethnic groups may experience the following stressors: clashes at home if they are acculturated more quickly than other family members; more limited opportunities to succeed; and victimization at school in the form of verbal rejection, discrimination, physical attacks, and social isolation. Counselors should be aware of these possible stresses as well as being cautious about within group differences while attending to ethnic descriptors. Ho recommended individual counseling (e.g., short-term supportive therapy, cognitive-behavioral therapy, music therapy and play therapy) when serious stressors, previous trauma, or serious behavioral problems are present. He suggested that small group therapy may be advisable when isolation, socialization, and acculturation issues are predominant.

Fascoli and Kottman have each suggested that counselors who work with children investigate various aspects of the family life. A list of suggested questions is included in the text. Counselors who inquire about the child and family have greater potential for effective counseling.

Information and guidelines for counseling with children of five specific ethnic backgrounds are provided. Brief highlights of these follow.

African American Children:

• Some things that may cause African American children difficulties may be related to not having developed a strong cultural identity, being subjected to racism and inappropriate value judgments, being unable to overcome the perception of being “problem children” and contending with issues of interpersonal relations, autonomy, academic performance and future planning.

• Vontress emphasizes way young Black males may be overwhelmed by their world and by their unhelpful habits. He says they may need help to understand themselves better and to relate more effectively with others.

• Counselors refrain from denying the existence of racism on the lives of African Americans and work on modifying any system that maintains the barriers of racist policies and practices.

• Counselors must be aware of a healthy wariness children may have toward counseling. People of color may have been required to go to counseling and may perceive it as punishment. Therefore a counseling focus on weaknesses or deficits should be replaced by an emphasis on strengths and on an understanding of how economic status, education, health care, housing, racism, and other ecological factors affect the child.

• Locke, Clemente and Lee and Bailey suggested that the counselor should encourage young people to talk about themselves, their families and their experiences; focus on strengths; ask about social class status rather than making assumptions; ask for descriptions of holiday celebrations, kinship networks, and the role of religion in their lives; solicit their concerns, and consider using music and dance as areas of special interest. Those others suggest a solution-focused, problem solving approach to counseling.

• Involving the church may be helpful in bolstering self-esteem.

• Also important are the processes of confronting racism and defining the African personality in order to achieve a greater congruence with cultural essence.

• Barriers to effective counselor are counselor bias, ignorance, rescuing or oversympathizing as well as client resistance, mistrust or bias. A combination of peer groups, individual and family counseling are recommended.

American Indian and Alaskan Native Children:

• Knowledge of and respect for the American Indian and Alaskan Native children’s worldview is essential, with special attention given to the social contexts and roles that helpers play. In Native American culture most often an individual’s problem is seen as a problem of the community.

• Herring recommended that the counselor sensitively and openly address issues of ethnic dissimilarity; take into consideration ethnic identity and the degree of acculturation of the young person; consider having open-ended sessions free from time constraints; include family members and tribal elders or have sessions in the home; consider the use of art, dance, music, storytelling, story reading, puppetry and games; and include natural healing practices.

• Cognitive behavioral interventions are appropriate for helping clients see themselves in relation to the familial and cultural influences on development as well as their unique strengths and resources.

Asian American Children

• The phrase Asian American represents a diverse set of ethnic groups and counselors are cautioned to avoid stereotypes of this or any group.

• Several authors have suggested that counselors ascertain individual strengths and weaknesses and determine the degree of acculturation.

• In working with Asian-American children counselors should recognize their difficulty in self-disclosure. Counselors should acknowledge the meaning of restraint as an attribute of emotional maturity; recognize that an individual’s problems may be seen as shaming the family; keep questions relevant to the problem and avoid asking too many personal questions. Counselors should minimize confrontation; keep the focus on present time and on resolutions; learn common concerns of Asian-American children; ask about the culture; and work to gain an understanding of nonverbal communication.

• Strong family orientations and restraint in expression may influence the counseling process.

• Counselors should acknowledge the importance of harmony in interpersonal relationships, the need to avoid loss of face, preferences for more subtle forms of communication, and the impact of issues of individualism and collectivism.

• Counselors can assume an active role but should allow the young person to evaluate options and make decisions.

Latino Children:

• The Latino population exhibits varied English/Spanish language proficiency and various levels of acculturation, urban and rural lifestyles, and educational and economic backgrounds.

• Latino young people experience more anxiety-related and delinquency behaviors, depression and drug use, and report more suicidal ideation and attempts than other young people.

• Loyalty to the family, respect for authority figures, adherence to gender roles, and the importance of religion should be considered when working with members of this group.

• Some questions to use with Latino clients involve how they identify themselves, their primary language, their friends, their holidays, and family expectations.

• Family counseling can be an effective tool.

• Counselors should make every effort to understand the client’s belief system as well as symptoms, determine the degree of acculturation and experiences, and learn more about the roles of economics and institutional racism, language differences, or other discriminatory factors on the client’s beliefs and behaviors.

• Counselors may use a more formal stance with these children and may want to provide a tentative solution to the problem. Counselors should reassure the youth that the sessions are confidential.

Multiracial Children:

• Multiracial children may be confused and stressed as they try to understand and adapt to the history and culture of each parent. Others exhibit high self-esteem and a strong ethnic identity.

• They may encounter problems with racial-ethnic identity, social marginality, sexuality, autonomy, as well as with educational and occupational aspirations.

• Herring emphasized the importance of developing a trusting relationship in counseling, understanding that the presenting problem may mask a deeper ethnic identity concern, being aware that biracial students will often identify with the minority culture, being familiar with the customs of all students, permitting children to ventilate their feelings about their identity and its meaning in society, assisting in building self-esteem, understanding the link between ethnic confusion and other developmental concerns, and involving the family.

In conclusion, counselors must be prepared to bridge cultural gaps and adopt techniques and procedures to meet the needs of many different children and families.

KEY CONCEPTS

1. Culturally sensitive counselors must be concerned with cultural beliefs and practice.

2. A foundation of cultural self-awareness, skills and knowledge is imperative.

3. A framework of common therapeutic factors may guide successful counseling. Those factors are the relationship, a shared worldview, client expectations, and rituals or interventions.

4. Counselors who choose appropriate counseling interventions for clients will acknowledge differences in establishing boundaries and kinship systems.

5. Children from different ethnic backgrounds may require different counseling approaches.

KEY TERMS, CONCEPTS AND PERSONALITIES

Acculturation – The process of understanding, accepting, and integrating the cultural values of a group.

Ethnic – The various situations in which a group have lived and acted together, one’s values and a shared style of life; the long-standing group dynamics of thinking, feeling, and behaving.

Ethnic identity – A person’s incorporation of the group patterns; acceptance of the beliefs, feelings, and actions as one’s own.

Ethnic identity development – A process or series of stages a person may go through as he/she incorporates values and behaviors of one or more cultures.

Ethnicity – A person’s sense of membership in a group and the associated thoughts, feelings, and behavior; the group patterns.

Multicultural counseling – A helping process that addresses the cultural views and needs of both the client and the counselor.

Race – Anthropological classification system based on physical characteristics of hair texture, skin color, eye color, and facial features used to categorize people into four groups: Asian, Black, White, or American Indian. These are considered to be scientifically meaningless.

Worldviews – The ways in which individuals understand the world, including attitudes, values, opinions, and concepts that influence how a person thinks, makes decisions, and behaves.

REVIEW QUESTIONS

1. Multiracial children may be stressed because

A. There are so few of them

B. They are placed in separate classrooms.

C. They are trying to adapt to two cultures

D. They have language barriers

2. Pederson’s goals (1994) for the culturally skilled counselor include all of the following except:

A. Is aware of other cultures.

B. Voluntarily increases knowledge about other cultures.

C. Asks questions in order to gain insight about other cultures.

D. Promotes long-term counseling as a viable solution for problems.

3. All of the following are issues that can interfere with culturally sensitive counseling except:

A. professional self-awareness.

B. client inconsistent attendance.

C. similar priorities.

D. differing cultural values.

4. Which of the following interventions is considered to be most effective with Native American children?

A. cognitive behavioral

B. psychodynamic

C. client-centered

D. none of the above

5. From which cultural group are children often less competitive in order to avoid standing out?

A. American Indian and Alaska Native

B. Asian American

C. African American

D. Latino

6. A process or series of stages a person may go through as he/she incorporates values and behaviors of one or more cultures is known as:

A. worldview.

B. ethnic identity development.

C. development of career identity.

D. resolution of racial crisis.

7. Worldviews are basic understandings of the world, and are formed:

A. through internal beliefs about members of one’s culture.

B. through personal experiences based on interactions with members of one’s culture.

C. through educational resources based on various cultures.

D. all of the above

8. Churches most frequently provide help in increasing the self-esteem of which of the following cultural groups?

A. Latino

B. Hispanic Americans

C. African Americans

D. American Indian and Alaskan Native

9. The use of natural healing practices is recommended for use with members of which cultural group?

A. African Americans

B. American Indian and Alaskan Native

C. Asian Americans

D. Latino

10. General guidelines for multicultural counselors include all of the following except:

A. Make general assumptions.

B. Be sensitive to client needs.

C. Learn about the client’s culture from sources other than the client.

D. Try to connect with similarities or find the common ground.

11. Radhika lived in Pakistan until she was eight when she moved to Oregon. Now she talks, dresses and acts like the other seventh graders in her middle school. There is some evidence that Radhika has become

A. acculturated

B. enmeshed

C. disengaged

D. constant

9. Locke recommends which of the following steps to building an understand of African American young people.

A. ask about their families

B. focus on their strengths

C. ask about their celebrations

D. all of the above

ESSAY QUESTIONS

1. Discuss the skills necessary to be an effective counselor with clients of various cultures.

2. Discuss the role of personal awareness needed for culturally effective counseling.

3. Describe the process of selecting appropriate counseling interventions for clients who are culturally different from the counselor.

ACTIVITIES

1. Choose two cultural groups to compare with your personal culture and comprise a list of similarities and differences.

2. Create a school-wide intervention to increase cultural awareness.

3. Imagine that a teacher has referred a American Indian child for counseling due to his social withdrawal and his poor academic performance. Describe in detail how you would approach this situation.

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