preparing the new counselor

Multicultural Counseling Instruction: A Challenge for Faculties in the 21st Century

“…This is particularly true in light of the fact that counselors have propagandized through their standards and accreditation bodies on the concept of individual uniqueness, dignity, and freedom to grow. Shocking, indeed, it is then to learn through professional experience and research (Axelson, 1985;Gunnings, 1971;Midgette, 1988;Sue, 1981White & Parham, 1990;Williams, 1971) that persons of color believe that counseling is unresponsive to their needs.…”

“…When in counseling with a therapist, persons of color frequently feel disowned, devalued, demeaned, disinvited and misunderstood, and, in fact, counseling has contributed to negative racial and ethnic attitudes of a very serious nature (Gunnings, 1971;White & Parham, 1990;Williams & Kirkland, 1971). Despite its so-called appreciation of cultural differences, the counseling profession must awaken at this late date, and counselor educators and programs must begin to take seriously their obligation to attack the problem of appropriate multicultural emphases in the training experiences of counselors.…”

“…The basis of most counseling and psychology programs is preparing counselors to shape the individual to fit into society and preparing the counselor to play the omnipotent role of determining what is best for the individual. Students and faculty have been trained to work with White middle-class clients whose problems are in no way similar to the persons of color with whom they are inevitably going to work (Gunnings, 1971). Counseling programs fail to give their students practicum experiences with persons of differences.…”

“…Their practicum experiences should be a testing ground for the theory they have learned, a chance to make sure that the theory fits their needs. According to Gunnings (1971), an expert in systemic counseling, counselors should be trained to bring about changes in the system because most of the problems brought to the counselors are ones that the ill-fated system has perpetuated. The effective multicultural counselor must be willing to take on the system-a system that has so obviously created inferior inner city education, a system that has dehumanized people of color, and a system that has oppressed rather than freed minorities (Gunnings, 1971).…”

Counseling Mexican Americans: A Multimodal Approach

“…Cultural insensitivity is inherent in traditionally based psychotherapeutic approaches in which sociocultural variables are not acknowledged (Gunnings, 1971;Smith, 1973). The appropriateness of diverse therapeutic orientations for Mexican Americans and other minorities has been a source of debate for some time.…”