CHAPTER 7 BARRIERS TO MULTICULTURAL COUNSELING AND THERAPY: INDIVIDUAL AND FAMILY PERSPECTIVES

Challenge for counselors Reach out and understand the worldviews, values and circumstances Free self of own cultural conditioning Develop new and sensitive approaches Play new roles of helping 13

Counseling and Therapy A process of interpersonal interaction, communication, and social influence. 19

Characteristics of Counseling/Therapy For effective therapy to occur, the therapist and client must be able to send and receive both verbal and nonverbal messages appropriately and accurately.

Effective therapy Breakdowns in communication Social influence Misunderstandings Culture clashes in the cultural episode 20

Generic Characteristics Of Counseling/Therapy 1. Culture-bound values—individual-centered, verbal/emotional/behavioral expressiveness, communication patterns from client to counselor, openness and intimacy, analytic/linear/verbal (cause- effect) approach, and clear distinctions between mental and physical well- being. 2. Class-bound values—strict adherence to time schedules (50-minute, once or twice-a-week meeting), ambiguous or unstructured approach to problems, and seeking long-range goals or solutions. 3. Language variables—use of Standard English and emphasis on verbal communication.

Generic Characteristics of Counseling Western based Shared common components of White culture values and beliefs Mainly middle and upper class values Have influenced the actual practice of counseling See tables on pages 182-184 21

YAVIS syndrome( Schofield, 1964) Therapists preference Young Attractive Verbal Intelligent successful 22

QUOID (Sundberg, 1981) Therapy is ‘not’ for Quiet Ugly Old Indigent Dissimilar culturally 23

Hence the 3 Major Barriers Class-bound values Language bias and misunderstanding Culture-bound values May be impediments to effective counseling. 24

Culture Those things that people have learned to do, believe, value, and enjoy. Totality of the ideals, beliefs, skills, tools, customs and institutions into which each member of society is born. 25

Marginal Person A person’s inability to form dual ethnic identification because of bicultural membership. Pressure to conform to dominant culture ‘different is bad’ or deficient 26

Class-Bound values Low socioeconomic class stressors undermine mental and physical health of clients Financial resources and class biases affect delivery of services Classism and discrimination can appear in assessments, diagnosis and treatment Insight vs. survival ‘Minority standard time’ Present time vs future time Unfamiliar with process vs. resistant 30

Problems and concerns of many groups… Are related to systemic and external forces rather than internal psychological problems. Dealing with such factors may be more helpful than self-exploration and insight. 31

Be careful not to… Overgeneralize or stereotype. Avoid being rigid. 34

CULTURE BOUND VALUES OF COUNSELING/THERAPY 1. Focus on the Individual Counseling promotes individualism, autonomy, and achievement, YET Many people of color operate in a more collectivistic fashion.

Individualism versus Collectivism Competition Status Recognition Achievement ‘own person’ Autonomy ‘I’ Family Group Collective society ‘We’ 27

CULTURE BOUND VALUES OF COUNSELING/THERAPY 2. Verbal/Emotional/Behavioral Expressiveness Many counselors and therapists tend to emphasize the fact that verbal/emotional/behavioral expressiveness is important in individuals, YET Many cultural groups value the restraint of strong feelings.

Expressiveness versus non- expressiveness Verbal Articulate Express thoughts and feelings clearly Assertive Stand up for rights Silence may be valued Patterns of communication (status) Maturity and wisdom Control is valued 28

CULTURE BOUND VALUES OF COUNSELING/THERAPY 3. Insight This characteristic assumes that it is mentally beneficial for individuals to obtain insight or understanding into their deep underlying dynamics and causes, YET Several cultural groups and those from a lower socioeconomic status (SES) often do not perceive insight as appropriate or helpful.

CULTURE BOUND VALUES OF COUNSELING/THERAPY 4. Self-Disclosure (Openness and Intimacy) Most forms of counseling and psychotherapy tend to value one’s ability to self-disclose and to talk about the most intimate aspects of one’s life, YET Some cultures may not value self-disclosure for fear it brings shame to the family, and others may not feel comfortable self-disclosing to White therapists due to mistrust and oppression.

Other culture variables Cause and effect vs. intuition and natural Linear, rational, analytical Mental and physical functioning Ambiguous vs. structure 29

CULTURE BOUND VALUES OF COUNSELING/THERAPY 5. Scientific Empiricism Counseling and psychotherapy in Western culture and society have been described as being highly linear, analytic, and verbal in their attempt to mimic the physical sciences, YET Many cultural groups emphasize the harmonious aspects of the world and minimize the importance of analytical inquiries.

CLASS-BOUND VALUES OF COUNSELING/THERAPY To effectively work with lower-class clients, counselors need to: understand their own biases, understand how poverty affects the lives of people, be cognizant that sometimes behaviors for survival are pathologized, and consider information-giving activities and a more active approach.

Language Barriers The practice of using children as interpreters can cause several problems for families of color and other cultures. More bilingual counselors are needed. Use of Standard English in health care may unfairly discriminate against those from a bilingual or lower SES background.

Language-Barriers Children translators Regional differences within countries Nonverbal cues Ebonics Emotion is hard to translate Language problems with assessments and tests 32

“American” Cultural Assumptions And Multicultural Family Therapy Counselors need to become culturally aware of their own values, biases, and assumptions about human behavior (especially as it pertains to the definition of family). It is important to become aware of the worldview of the culturally different client and how that client views the definition, role, and function of the family. Appropriate intervention strategies need to be devised.

Value Preference Considerations Time Dimension Relational Dimension Activity Dimension People-Nature Relationship Nature of People Dimension People-Nature Relationship Traditional Western thinking believes in mastery and control over nature and therapists operate from a framework that subscribes to the belief that problems are solvable and that both therapist and client must take an active part in solving problems via manipulation and control However, many Asian cultures emphasize harmony within the family and the environment leads to harmony within the self.--dependence on the family unit and acceptance of the environment seem to dictate differences in solving problems and Asian cultures tend to accommodate or deal with problems through indirection Time Dimension U.S. society may be characterized as preoccupied with the future American Indians and African Americans tend to value a present time orientation, while Asian Americans and Hispanic Americans have a combination past-present focus Relational Dimension The U.S. can be characterized as an achievement-oriented society, which is most strongly manifested in the prevailing Protestant work ethic Almost all racial/ethnic minority groups in the United States tend to be more collateral in their relationships with people. Activity Dimension One of the primary characteristics of White U.S. cultural values and beliefs is an action (doing) orientation: (a) We must master and control nature; (b) we must always do things about a situation; and (c) we should take a pragmatic and utilitarian view of life. In counseling, we expect clients to master and control their own life and environment, to take action to resolve their own problems, and to fight against bias and inaction It appears that both American Indians and Latinos/”Hispanics prefer a being or being-in-becoming mode of activity-the American Indian concepts of self-determination and noninterference are examples--value is placed on the spiritual quality of being, as manifested in self-containment, poise, and harmony with the universe and on the attainment of inner fulfillment and an essential serenity of one’s place in the universe

Implications for Practice Become aware of the generic characteristics of counseling. Advocate for multilingual services. Provide community counseling services in the client’s natural environments (schools, churches, etc.). Help clients deal with forces such as poverty, discrimination, prejudice, and immigration stress in contrast to developing personal insight through self- exploration.

Implications for Practice Understand the different cultural conceptions of family. Families cannot be understood apart from the cultural, social, and political dimensions. Learn the definition of family for specific groups. Be careful not to overgeneralize or stereotype.