A Holistic Approach to Multicultural Rehabilitation Counseling

Abstract

This article proposes a holistic multicultural counseling approach, using a case illustration, that teaches rehabilitation counselors to recognize and appreciate both the individual uniqueness and human commonalities among persons with disabilities. This approach includes, but is not limited to: racial/ethnic identity, religious affiliation, gender, disability and socioeconomic status. A key supposition underlying the proposed approach is that effective counseling is individualized and an emphasis should be on understanding what is useful or meaningful to the client as a person, rather than viewing the person only as a representative of a certain racial/ethnic/cultural group.

Counselors' Multicultural Competencies and Vocational Rehabilitation Outcomes in the Context of Counselor—Client Racial Similarity and Difference

“…Key assumptions associated with the RCDI mandate to train more ethnic minority counselors to work in state VR agencies are that counselors who share a common racial or cultural background with their clients will exhibit greater sensitivity, provide more effective services, and achieve better rehabilitation outcomes with clients. Similarly, the greater attention given to multicultural issues in rehabilitation counselor education programs has had two important goals: (a) enhancing counselors' sensitivity to cultural and racial differences and (b) increasing the awareness, knowledge, and skills of counselors in their work with clients who have different racial backgrounds and values than the counselor (Leal-Idrogo, 1997;Stebnicki, Rubin, Rollins, & Turner, 1999).…”