multicultural counseling in schools torrent

multicultural counseling in schools torrent Clinicians fall into diff erent camps regarding the importance they place on
cultural issues. Some, who tend to minimize cultural issues, have what we
would call beta bias (Berg-Cross, 2003). Th is is the tendency to see the universal
commonalities among cultures—for example, how all cultures value
family. Th ese clinicians assume that all human beings are fundamentally alike
and that the core human issues overshadow the strong and distinctive diff erences
among groups. In our view, counselors with a beta bias have a naïve
worldview, because they assume that others will surely share their thought
processes and values. Minority clients who see such a counselor may fi nd it
diffi cult to form a therapeutic alliance, because the counselor does not understand
their roots, their community, and their way of thinking. Th ey may conclude
that the counselor is well-meaning but just “doesn’t get it.”
Th e opposite bias—alpha bias—is the tendency to stereotype others, to
tint and magnify one’s perceptions based on cultural affi liations. Counselors
with an alpha bias risk exaggerating cultural diff erences and thus
overlooking the similarities among diff erent minority groups and between
minority groups and the majority culture. Clients who have a counselor
with a strong alpha bias may feel that the counselor does not see who they
are as individuals—only their race, religion, ethnicity, or sexual orientation.
Th ey may see the counselor as racist, naïve, or demeaning.
It takes great skill and sensitivity to fi nd the right balance between universal
and cultural themes, to understand the particular role culture plays in
the adjustment and problems of a given student. Further, sensitive counseling
requires focusing on an individual’s multiple group affi liations, including,
but not limited to, culture and ethnicity, race, gender, religion, social class,
and geography. What’s more, individuals diff er enormously in their relationship
to their various group affi liations. In regard to students’ culture, the values,
interpersonal styles, and cognitive interpretations associated with their not even part of their socialization experiences. One has to examine closely to
understand how much a given student’s culture plays in his or her problems
and is a potential positive force for change.
Culturally competent clinicians strive to use clients’ culture to promote
change or to challenge distressing aspects of their lives. Some cultural behaviors
and attitudes can be mobilized to help clients reach goals. Other cultural
behaviors and attitudes may need to be modifi ed. A clinician who knows
how to work with cultural concepts in therapy can help clients explore which
aspects of their culture should be retained, modifi ed, or rejected in striving
toward a particular goal.
Counselors also need to be alert to students’ reactions to them, and to their
own reactions to students, based on cultural and racial similarities or diff erences.
In psychodynamic language, one must be aware of culturally induced
transference and countertransference reactions. Whether explicitly discussed
or not, these reactions are always in the room (as are reactions to the other
person’s gender, age, perceived sexual orientation, level of attractiveness,
clothing, and voice). But we shouldn’t presume to know beforehand a given
client’s (or counselor’s) reaction to cultural and racial diff erences. One Latino
student may prefer to work with a Latino counselor. Another, for his or her
own reasons, may feel more comfortable speaking to a counselor from a different
background.
Should white clinicians ask students of color their reactions to working with
someone from a diff erent race? Should therapists of color raise this issue with
white students? College clinicians have diff ering opinions. Our own view is
that the question should certainly be raised if the student appears to have a
negative reaction to the therapist—fear, mistrust, or guardedness: “You seem
hesitant talking. I was wondering if you have any feelings about working with
a white counselor.” It’s also advisable to explore this theme if the therapeutic
relationship itself is central to the treatment. On the other hand, if the working
relationship appears to be solid and the treatment is narrowly focused on specifi
c problems—roommate diffi culties, a recent romantic breakup, or career
uncertainty—then explicitly addressing reactions to the counselor’s culture
or race may be viewed as off the topic and distracting. Sensitive counselors
should be able to judge when the topic of race and culture ought to be raised.