When Being “Essential” Illuminates Disparities: Counseling Clients Affected by COVID‐19

Abstract

The 2019 novel coronavirus (COVID‐19) has highlighted social disparities in the United States. This article examines how preexisting racial and ethnic disparities, exacerbated by COVID‐19, have negatively affected communities of color that tend to be overrepresented in lower socioeconomic groups, have limited access to health care and education, have an undocumented status, and work in jobs considered “essential.” Counselors are encouraged to use creative strategies to design and facilitate telecounseling and reduced‐ or no‐cost workshops in which attendees can participate safely. Specific cultural considerations, aspects of crisis management, and creative interventions that can be used with clients of color at an appropriate social distance are discussed. Counselors can also instill hope in their clients by promoting sociopolitical development. As the impact of COVID‐19 will be felt for years, it is crucial that counselors be prepared to address the needs of those disproportionately affected.

Effects of COVID‐19‐Related Racial Discrimination on Depression and Life Satisfaction Among Young, Middle, and Older Chinese Americans

“…Following the COVID‐19 pandemic, communities of color, including Chinese Americans, are forced to contend with challenges that are not shared by their White counterparts (Litam & Hipolito‐Delgado, 2021 ). The findings from this study highlight the need for professional counselors to endorse an intersectional approach that considers the role of age and gender when counseling Chinese Americans facing COVID‐19‐related racial discrimination.…”

Advocating for Students During Distance Learning: The Role of the School Counselor

“…Thus, the American School Counselor Association (ASCA, 2019) Professional Standards and Competencies call on school counselors to understand the impact of social, cultural, and environmental conditions on student success. The COVID-19 pandemic has surfaced various educational and social inequities in the United States (Litam & Hipolito-Delgado, 2021), particularly for students from marginalized communities. Many of these inequities predate the pandemic, but the shift to distance learning has magnified inequities and created new barriers to educational access and achievement.…”

Introduction to the Special Issue

“…COVID-19 and racial violence often conflate to demonstrate that racism does not exist in isolation but frequently exists in tandem with ageism, classism, genderism, ableism, and heterosexism. In the height of the pandemic, COVID-19 precipitated a more urgent response to the confluence of ageism and racism, given that older adults of color are subject to underlying medical conditions and mental health issues (Fullen et al, 2020;Litam & Hipolito-Delgado, 2021). To this end, intersectionality recenters efforts that cultivate activism, advocacy, and community partnerships as intricate approaches to systematically address social, policy, and mental health implications.…”