Transformative Learning for Counselor Trainees: Implementation of the Multicultural Immersion Experience Model

The Relationship Between Counselors’ Multicultural Counseling Competence and Poverty Beliefs

“…The MSJCCs define and present strategies counselors should utilize when working with and on behalf of diverse client populations (Ratts, et al, ). There are multiple articles, studies, and models for teaching MCC (Coleman, Morris, & Norton, ; Kim & Lyons, ; Priester et al, ; Prosek & Michel, ). The models for teaching MCC are experiential in nature; they include studying and detailing the impact that experiential activities (Kim & Lyons, ), multicultural immersion (Prosek & Michel, ), and student multicultural portfolios (Coleman et al, ) have on student multicultural learning and competence.…”

“…The results of this study imply that there is a distinct and significant relationship between MCC and poverty beliefs. Increasing knowledge and awareness through immersion and service learning positively impact MCC (Coleman et al, ; Kim & Lyons, ; Prosek & Michel, ); poverty competence may also be positively impacted by service learning opportunities through increased knowledge and awareness, and should be considered viable options for counselor education. A specific increase in poverty awareness and knowledge through didactic teaching, service learning, immersion, and other awareness activities may also increase overall levels of MCC, as proposed in previous conceptual research (Baggerly, ).…”

Multicultural and Social Justice Counseling Competency Research: Opportunities for Innovation

“…Scholars across counseling and counseling‐related disciplines have indicated that trainees perceive gains in their overall multicultural competency as a result of a specific culturally based learning activity (Collins, Arthur, Brown, & Kennedy, 2015), multicultural scholarship engagement (Gillem et al, 2016), diversity workshop attendance (Hall & Theriot, 2016), and graduate coursework (Block, Rossi, Allen, Alschuler, & Wilson, 2016; Collins et al, 2015; Gillem et al, 2016; Malone et al, 2016). Although most studies have explored gains in multicultural awareness and knowledge, some research shows further multicultural skill development occurs through culturally relevant practicum or other immersion experiences (Collins et al, 2015; Johnson & Jackson Williams, 2015; Malone et al, 2016; Prosek & Michel, 2016; Singh et al, 2010).…”

“…Experiential training opportunities can enhance trainees’ ability to apply multicultural and social justice awareness and knowledge to action (Chapman & Schwartz, 2012; Collins et al, 2015; Johnson & Jackson Williams, 2015; Malone et al, 2016; Prosek & Michel, 2016). Furthermore, operationalizing the specific experiences helpful to trainees could be used to further operationalize skill development for future assessment procedures.…”

Cultural Immersion in Counselor Education: Trends, Prevalence, and Common Components

“…However, there are limited best practice guidelines regarding how to intentionally use CI to foster MCC for student counselors, and consequently, much of the literature either is conceptual or showcases singular approaches to CI. Other models for intentionally structuring programs exist (e.g., Santos, 2014), yet the multicultural immersion experience (MIE) model (Pope‐Davis, Breaux, & Liu, 1997) stands as a seminal, conceptual model (Prosek & Michel, 2016).…”