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Expanding Personal WorldviewMulticultural CompetenciesPatricia LindsayUniversity of CalgaryExpanding Personal WorldviewMulticultural CompetenciesAs I begin my self-reflection, I think back to the early days of this course in multicultural counselling. Sharing openly and honestly, I was unenthusiastic about it and felt unsure of the worth and purpose of the course. I counsel at a local Women’s Centre, not an immigrant settlement agency or multicultural support service so I questioned the course’s usefulness and applicability to my life. In retrospect, I am shocked at my own close-mindedness and ignorance. Thirteen weeks later, I am convinced of the absolute essentialness of developing multicultural competence, regardless of where one works or what populations they serve. So, what changed for me? When did the light turn on and the journey toward cultural competency begin? Let’s explore.My thirteen week journey began, with me at week one, clearly ethnocentric and encapsulated in my own cultural identity. Little did I know I actually had a cultural identity. Until now, I saw myself as relatively “cultureless”, as just a white, Canadian woman living a life without much cultural influence. I then encountered Lesson 2, Exercise 3, where a chart of concentric circles invited me to examine my personal cultural identity. With reservation, I began the task pondering a quote from the instructions that read, “[the] tendency for many of us is to take these factors for granted and leave them largely unexamined” (EDPS 624, Lesson 2, Exercise 1, p.1). As I scribbled down personal identity factors, cultural, contextual and universal factors, I began to see that I really did have a cultural identity and unbeknownst to me, had begun to develop the first core competency of Domain 1: cultural self-awareness and an awareness of my own cultural identities. Having to compose and share a description of my cultural identity on the Lesson 4 discussion board, made my cultural identity real and defined, which is something I had never considered doing before. In defining my own cultural identity, I became aware of the multiple factors that come together to comprise one’s identity. I began to see the complex layers that determine one’s identity, from gender and sexual orientation, to religious and spiritual beliefs, and so on. Previously, I would have defined culture as simply one’s ethnic affiliation or nationality and had no appreciation for the numerous layers and influences involved. Recognizing that every individual has a cultural identity, and that by extension every interaction is culturally influenced, caught my interest and changed my previously narrow-minded and negative take on the usefulness of this course. Seeing it as practical and necessary, I decided to engage deeply in the course, finally sensing that its value would be priceless.Another byproduct of defining my cultural identity was the recognition of the differences between my cultural identity and that of others, both dominant and non-dominant. Core Competency 2 of Domain 1 was beginning to emerge. Studying the construction of worldview, and considering my own, revealed my inclination to evaluate others based on my culturally induced values and beliefs. Equally important, I realized that others view me through their cultural lens as well – indeed every interaction is culturally infused. Gaining knowledge and considering the perspectives and issues faced by individuals, both dominant and non-dominant, helped me see that my sense of “normal” was completely culturally influenced. I began to question the validity and applicability of the psychological theories I had studied knowing that their basis was predominantly male, European or North American thinking. In fact, I thought back to a major paper I wrote last term that required me to declare a theoretical approach to counselling. I chose a largely CBT based approach and wrote about its merits, drawbacks and applications, but never once did I consider it’s applicability to a client from a different cultural background from my own. I pledge to return to that paper and rework my theoretical stance to account for cultural diversity. Developing an awareness of the impact of culture on the theory and practice of counselling was beginning to occur for me.Armed with a budding awareness of my own cultural identity and worldview, I began to ponder more deeply the identity and worldviews of others, most importantly the clients I counsel at a local women’s centre. As previously stated, I never viewed my work there as multicultural. Many of my clients are white women of European descent, who at first glance are not very different from me. Recognizing that everyone has a cultural identity and unique worldview, I began to apply this new awareness to my work. What struck me most intensely was how impactful Socioeconomic Status is on one’s cultural identity. With my level of education and relative financial stability, I took for granted my SES and failed to see it as part of my identity or how it influenced my worldview. More importantly, I failed to see the privilege and power it affords me and conversely the lack of privilege and power it imparts on others. I never stopped to think about the social barriers imposed by low SES, though many of the issues my clients present with are directly linked to this. Many women cannot afford to pay legal fees to sort out child support payments, pay for suitable housing, mental health care or even food. Their ability to improve their SES is blocked by lack of education, lack of childcare and the negative effects of mental stress and strain. I admit, that before coming to appreciate the impact of SES on identity, I would, as Pope and Arthur (2009) point out, attribute low SES to individual deficiencies such as laziness, stupidity or disorganization. Though I am improving, this reveals my need to reflect on my internalized stereotypes and perceptions of SES group differences and social stigma and how this may be a barrier in my work with clients.Beyond the recognition of the barriers imposed by low SES, my awareness of individual worldviews is helping me be more flexible in my interpretation of a client’s problems and the goals for therapy. I am reminded of one of my clients, a middle-aged, Italian women struggling with the complexities of divorce, who I initially viewed as similar to me in worldview. As our work together unfolded, which incidentally was during this course, I began to realize that I was interpreting her problems and finding solutions based on my own worldview. It seemed I wanted her to do things that went against her values, but adhered to mine, and I often couldn’t understand her resistance. When I began to consciously acknowledge her worldview, I was able to validate her thinking and offer more congruent support and guidance. I failed to consider how SES was profoundly impacting her life in a negative way, or how salient her religious values were, and how they informed her need to avoid a relationship with another man before her divorce was final. This example shows me that cultural differences exist between all people, even if their cultural identity is not visibly discernible or apparent immediately. It also proves my emerging awareness of the cultural identities of my clients.Increasing my knowledge on the interplay between personal culture and health and well-being has been an eye-opening experience. Initially, I struggled to see how western theories of counselling and psychology, and definitions of health, did not apply to all. I figured that the criteria for health and well-being were universal. For example, understanding the value different cultures put on individualism vs. collectivism, or family goals and commitments vs. individual goals and commitments, proved that health and well-being are not defined in the same way universally. In realizing this, I am now more able to see the shortcomings of western theories and practices and can attempt to alter my approach and interventions to accommodate the values and needs of a more diverse population.Becoming aware of the socio-political influences that impact on the lives of non-dominant people was a moving experience. The readings about forced migration as a result of war, torture and violence, especially Ivana Djuaskovic’s (2010) story, made real the impact of things I have only witnessed on the evening news. It also provided a way to help individuals who suffer mental health problems as a result of their forced migration experience. Helping a client to see the links between their symptoms and experiences, and not pathologizing their conditions, allows them to externalize and validate their problem and move towards restoration and repair of their identity. This kind of intervention would be classified as a culturally competent approach and has helped me to appreciate the link between socio-political factors and mental health.When contemplating the vastness of cultural identity, it is daunting to think of acquiring sufficient knowledge about them all. The overview of specific groups given in this course provided a base to grow from and also helped me to identify areas of interest, strength and weakness. I feel most uncomfortable, or unsure of my competence, with First Nations individuals. Perhaps my discomfort comes from the dark and unjust history of Canada’s treatment of First Nations people. Regardless of the reason, I must seek to identify it and work to overcome my bias. Conversely, I feel more competent to work with girls and women, as all of my counselling experience is with this population. Lastly, I have the most interest in the LGBTQ population, and find myself focusing my efforts on ameliorating my knowledge of this group. My interest and inspiration was rekindled during my cultural interview with “Guy”, a gay man who shared his incredible story with me. One of my professional goals is to support LGBTQ clients in the future, and my work during this course further solidified that goal.In summary, my multicultural awareness and competency has increased monumentally since the dawn of this course. I shudder at the ethnocentric and encapsulated view I had at the outset, and would rate my initial competency as very low. Mere months later, I can honestly claim improved multicultural awareness and competency. I am still a neophyte, but believe that my newfound awareness of the need for culturally sensitive counselling will motivate an ongoing commitment to increased competency.A Plan for Competency GrowthA commitment to ongoing competency requires a plan of action. My approach is to begin from what I know, and that is with my work at the women’s centre. Though my interactions there have been largely with women from the dominant culture, a significant portion of our clientele are members of non-dominant populations. Making an intentional effort to engage with women of diverse cultures would give me valuable exposure to culture related issues and worldviews. Furthermore, requesting to participate, and maybe ultimately facilitate, one of the many groups at the centre, is another opportunity for growth. In fact, the women’s centre runs a Spanish social group which I could observe or participate in to increase my knowledge of that particular culture.In my work as a counselor at the women’s centre, I will continue to apply the theories and methods that I learned in this course and begin a journal where I can reflect on my experiences, successes and areas for improvement. Using the culture-infused counselling competencies chart (Arthur & Collins) and my own competency chart, at regular intervals to evaluate progress towards my goals, would be a prudent exercise.Reaching beyond the women’s centre, much competency development can be done in my personal life. I am fortunate enough to belong to a book club with my mother, which is comprised mostly of her older, Ukrainian friends. This club has been, and will continue to be, a rich source of information about my ethnicity. Often they share stories of their parents’ migration to Canada and the challenges and triumphs they experienced, which serve to increase my knowledge of that aspect of my Ukrainian identity. Furthermore, our book selections often take us around the world to cultures very different from our own and I truly believe that one can learn a great deal by travelling vicariously, through literature, to diverse locations.The reading I completed during this course exposed me to cultural groups that I had limited knowledge about. Earlier, I expressed my discomfort at the notion of working with First Nations people. I feel compelled to explore this aversion more closely to understand the origins of my discomfort with the goal of overcoming it. Working through Lesson 10’s exercise in uncovering bias, The Socialization and –ISM Prism, with specific attention to First Nations people will be a concrete place to begin.On the other hand, I have also unearthed a profound interest in other cultural groups, and I think it is fair to devote time to increasing knowledge about them. My extensive exposure to women at the centre gives me a chance to exercise newly discovered knowledge and approaches with this group. Also, I will continue my exploration into the complex world of LGBTQ people and culture, and have sourced extensive books from the local library in an effort to do this. With my passion for LGBTQ issues, I recognize that this offers an area for me to exercise social responsibility and advocacy. Currently, little information or services are offered at the women’s centre for lesbian, bisexual, transgender or questioning women. I personally vow to increase the availability of information relevant to this group, and will seek to impart knowledge to my colleagues at the centre.While small steps can be taken towards social advocacy at the women’s centre, I cannot overlook the opportunity I have for social justice advocacy in my own family. As the mother of two young children, I have a responsibility to educate them about different cultures and ways of life. We are an openly gay affirmative family, as important friends and family are gay, and I would hope to extrapolate this acceptance and openness to all other groups in our community and society at large. Conversing openly, and addressing questions about differences honestly, pointing out examples of social injustice, discrimination and stereotyping, and general exposure through books, travel, movies and interactions with society, are all ways to improve my family’s cultural awareness and, by extension, be advocates and role models for equity and acceptance.Waxing poetic about possible methods, activities and resources I could use to increase my multicultural competence are relatively easy. The difficult task is in commitment, execution and evaluation of my progress. As my last activity in this course, I have developed my own version of a framework for cultural competency (based on Arthur and Collins’ chart), that will serve as my compass and guidebook on my life-long quest for multicultural competence.Domain I:Cultural Self-AwarenessActivitiesResourcesGoalsAwareness of own cultural identitiesContinue interactions with book club members about Ukrainian heritageStoriesArtworkPhotosIncrease knowledge of personal experiences pertaining to culture and migrationRead books on Ukrainian cultureLibraryChurchBook Club MembersRead one book per year specific to Ukrainian cultureAwareness of differences between my cultural identity and others’Conduct counselling that recognizes and incorporates client’s worldview and provides interventions that are congruent to themWomen’s Centre clientsSuccessful treatment outcomes for my clientsKnow cultural groups prevalent in my communityIncorporate cultural auditing into all counselling interactionsWomen’s Centre clientsHeightened awareness of cultural influencesComplete exercise on bias – The Socialization and –ISM Prism I – considering First Nations specificallyEDPS 624, Lesson 10, Exercise 1Arthur & Collins text:Chapter 11 – Engaging the Elder WithinIdentify source of bias/discomfortWork to neutralize biasEngage in interactions with First Nations peopleImpact of culture on theory and practice of counselling.Revisit paper on personal theoretical approach and incorporate multicultural interventions and considerations into my approach Arthur & Collins textEDPS 624 readingsEDPS 624 postsRevise paper to include adequate accommodation of multicultural concernsPersonal and professional impact of discrepancy between dominant and non-dominantJournal about interactions with clients and their experiences with barriers and oppressionWomen’s Centre clientsSociety in generalReflect on journal entries and summarize impactsBecome more knowledgeable of services available to non-dominant populationsHalton Multicultural CentreWomen’s Centre Resource LibraryBe able to refer clients to specific services and programs that will meet their needsDomain II:Awareness of Client Cultural IdentitiesActivitiesResourcesGoalsAwareness of cultural identities of clientIntentionally engage in counselling with diverse womenWomen’s CentreIncrease knowledge and comfort level with diverse womenParticipate in multicultural groups at Women’s CentreWomen’s CentreContribute materials to groupsFacilitate groupParticipate in Spanish Social Group at Women’s CentreWomen’s CentreMake connections with women from the culture and learn about their challenges and issuesRelationship of culture to health and well-beingExtension of Journal Activity – diagram the intersection of client identitiesWomen’s CentreComplete diagram for 50% of clients I counselSocio-political influences that impact non-dominantAdvocate for LGBTQ at Women’s CentreLGBTQ groupsIncrease the amount of materials pertinent to LGBTQIncrease knowledge of the resources available to LGBTQIncrease the general knowledge and awareness of my colleagues at Women’s Centre.Continued advocacy and role modeling with familySchoolCommunityTravelBooksMoviesContinue to foster open-mindedness and acceptance with children.Domain III:Culturally Sensitive Working AlliancesActivitiesResourcesGoalsEstablish trusting relationships that account for cultural differencesConduct and environmental audit at Women’s CentreWomen’s CentreEliminate ethnocentric, heterocentric, etc… messages, materialCollaborate with Clients for culturally responsive goalsApply cultural auditing technique when counselling at Women’s CentreWomen’s CentreApply cultural auditing habitually and continuallyRead case studies and scholarly journals U of C WebsiteRead one case study per month ................
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