Professional Counsellors’ Perceptions and Experiences of Multicultural Counselling in Malaysia: A Qualitative Study

Abstract

Background and Purpose: The contemporary status of multicultural counselling field in Malaysia is ambiguous as there is limited research in this field. Even though Malaysia is deemed as a multicultural nation, there are still some issues and concerns with regards to the understanding and practice of multicultural counselling. Hence, the present research aims to: (a) explore the definitions of the term ‘multicultural counselling’ as perceived by professional counsellors; (b) identify the dimensions of multicultural competence as perceived by counsellors’ community sample; (c) identify the characteristics of a multiculturally competent counsellor; and (d) explore the most challenging cases or anecdotes experienced by professional counsellors when counselling culturally different clients in the local context.
 
 Methodology: Semi-structured in-depth interviews were employed to gather 22 professional counsellors’ reflections on lived counselling experiences and their perceptions of multicultural counselling concepts. Thematic analysis was used to analyse the interview data, but with some adaptation to suit the functions of NVivo 9.
 
 Findings: Several themes and categories emerged based on four probing topics (understanding of multicultural counselling, definition of multicultural competence, characteristics of a multiculturally competent counsellor, and challenging multicultural cases).
 
 Contributions: The results seem to suggest that Malaysian counsellors need to continuously engage in professional development training and to actively seek practice opportunities with culturally diverse clients. The education sector and local professional bodies for counsellors also need to better train and educate pre- and in-service counsellors in order to become multiculturally competent practitioners.
 
 Keywords: Counsellor education and training, Malaysian counselling profession, multicultural counselling, multicultural counselling competency, professional counsellors.
 
 Cite as: Aga Mohd Jaladin, R., Simmonds, J. G., & Joseph, C. (2020). Professional counsellors’ perceptions and experiences of multicultural counselling in Malaysia: a qualitative study. Journal of Nusantara Studies, 5(2), 261-281. http://dx.doi.org/10.24200/jonus.vol5iss2pp261-281

Relationship between Multicultural Counseling Competency Level with Length of Service and Gender

“…Furthermore, the results of the study show that there is no significant relationship between the level of multicultural counseling competency and length of service. The results of this study are in line with the findings of the respondents who stated competency will be improved through personal experience and continuous multicultural counseling practice especially throughout the service (Jaladin et al, 2020). This means that the duration of professional experience has nothing to do with the level of competency.…”

“…Furthermore, it has an impact on the self-efficacy and efficiency of school counselors in conducting effective guidance and counseling services. The contemporary status of the field of multicultural counseling in Malaysia is still unclear as there is limited research in this field as there are still some issues that need to be addressed in relation to the understanding and practice of multicultural counseling (Jaladin et al, 2020).…”

A Counselor’s Cultural Identity: Implications from A Multicultural Counseling Perspective in Malaysia

“…Researchers have pointed out that the contemporary status of multicultural counseling in Malaysia remains unclear, due to the lack of studies in this field (Voon & Jaladin, 2017). Besides, Rafidah Aga Mohd Jaladin et al (2020) have listed a few serious concerns about (a) cultural relevance of counselling theories applied by Malaysian counsellors, (b) the extent of adjustment or modification, made by Western-trained counsellors based on Malaysian"s culture, and (c) the status of multicultural counseling practices among professional counsellors. Therefore, it is suggested that there is an imminent need for Malaysian professional counsellors to improve their multicultural counseling competencies.…”