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Being a Culturally Responsive Counselor

Multiculturally responsive counseling: Effects on Asian students’ ratings of counselors. By: Zhang, Naijian, Dixon, David N., Journal of Multicultural Counseling and Development, 08838534, 20011001, Vol. 29, Issue 4.

 

As the multicultural nature of the population of the United States grows so does the need for more effective counseling skills. The population of international students in university in the United States has steadily increased from 47,245 in 1950 to 452,635 in 1995, and out of that 261,789 were Asians (Zhang and Dixon, 2001). All international students face many different problems when in the United States but for Asians those problems seem to be slightly amplified. The problems include: “language problems, cultures shock, homesickness, adjustment to U.S. social customs and norms, financial problems, racial or religious discrimination, climate, paranoia, depression , personality problems, role conflict and lack of self-confidence (Zhang and Dixon, 2001).” In order to be able to properly help international students, specifically Asians counselors need to develop effective skills and behaviors, for example this study looked at the effectiveness of cultually responsive counseling.

In order to look at the effectiveness of culturally responsive counseling Zhang and Dixon (2001) matched Asian students with counselors to discuss their adjustment to life in the US and to university life.  The participants were sixty Asian international students who were randomly selected out of the Asian population at a midwestern university, and six Caucasian counselors. The counselors consisted of three females and three males and they were all trained to be able to create a culturally responsive and culturally neutral condition. The counselors also role- played the two conditions until they were able to present them in a realistic manner. They also learned to say phrases in Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Nepalese, and Thai in order to create a more responsive atmosphere.

The culturally responsive condition consisted of a room with crafts and pictures from Asia as well as a map on the table open to continent of Asia. The counselors also greeted the students in phrases that matched their respective native home. During the session the counselors also showed interest in their culture by asking questions about it and by asking them to show them on the map where their hometown is. The counselor also encouraged the students to talked about the non-verbal behavioral difference between their country and the United States. Finally as the session ended the counselor said goodbye in the native language of the student. In the culturally neutral condition none of these things were present, but the counselors did use the same counseling skills and  showed the same interest in both situations. Also in both of the situations the counselors discussed the same topic of cultural adjustment, homesickness, and adjustments to making friends and studying.

Zhang and Dixon (2001) used the Counselor Rating Form to measure the student’s opinion on the attractiveness, expertness and trustworthiness of the counselors. They also used another form to rate the counselor’s openness to different cultures and their ability to connect  and help students from different cultures. The procedure of the study consisted of having the counselors and students be randomly assigned to each other and the two conditions. Then the counselors connected by phone to the students in order to confirm the session between them. Finally the students were given the two forms and rated the counselors. 

The results of the study showed that by being multiculturally responsive the counselors were seen as more favorable by the students and they were seen to have a better ability to help students from different cultures due to their openness and ability to relate to people from  different cultures. The students did not show dislike for the culturally neural condition they just preferred the culturally responsive condition. Of course there were some limitation, such as the student were not really actively looking for counseling, they just volunteered. Another limitation was the lack of exploitation checks for both of the conditions. But in the end the study showed that having the counselors be more culturally responsive allowed the students to be more comfortable with the counselors and were perceived as being better at their job. As our country becomes more and more multicultural as does the schools; therefore, both school counselors and clinical counselors need to learn a new set of skills (being culturally responsive) to better serve their clients. 

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Reed, Charles (2008). Access & Equity for All Students: Students with disabilities and LGBT Students

The article “Access and Equity for all Students: Students with Disabilities and LGBT Students” explores the relevance of both issues and in our contemporary society. In March of 2008, the California State commissioners stressed the importance of equal opportunity for all students. They raised concern that the needs of students with disabilities and LGBT were not being met in the proper manner or has it been sufficiently addressed. These groups of students make up a good percentage of our student population through out our society and have little or no representation regarding research. Rather, the majority of more has gone into non-white and socioeconomic disadvantage students. In a time period of tight economic constraints it is hard to get the funding for research, but it is necessary for it to be done according to the California Post Secondary Education System.

Many LGBT students report being harassed on campus or victims of actual physical assault. These students also feel hesitant disclosing their sexual orientation or gender identity do to the implications it could lead to in their life. The main concern among this group of students is suicide. Suicide is more prevalent among LGBT students than any other student population. According to the article one survey found that gay and bi-sexual men had a three fold increase in suicide risk as compared to the general population and another surveyed conveyed that one third of Transgender students attempted suicide. These findings are a sobering reminder to all professionals to make sure that the needs of all groups of students are dealt with in a proper manner. Other implications for LGBT students are abundant and school personnel must be fully aware of the multitude of issues that these students face. LGBT advocates point out the need for culturally competent services on campuses. These services need to be conducted in a way with which directly addresses the needs of these students.

Research LGBT is basically non-existent and that creates many constraints for advocating for this student population. The lack of research is a direct result of the societal constraints that come along with being in the LGBT category. The societal climate affects students from being open about their sexual orientation, thus, limiting the amount of formal research do to the pressured silence of this group. K-12 system lacks agencies and student groups to help assist students. Agencies such as school wide “Gay-Straight Alliances” and “Project-10” are implemented to help students in the LGBT population and prepare them for postsecondary education life on campus.

Implications for counselors:

The impact of the societal influence on this particular group adds to the constraints that the LGBT student population faces on a daily basis. Society states the “norm” and if this norm is challenged or somebody goes against the grain- you are perceived to be different and that leads to a negative label placed on you by society. Fair by no means and unjustifiable in every aspect imaginable; it is the world we live in. As counselors we must always be aware of the multitude of issues that each particular student will be dealing with. As long as we are aware these issues can be dealt with and advocated for.

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Uwah, C., McMahon, G., & Furlow, C. (2008). School Belonging, Educational Aspirations, and Academic Self-Efficacy among African American Male High School Students: Implications for School Counselors. Professional School Counseling, 11(5), 296-305.

      This article studies the relationship between perceptions of school belonging, educational aspirations, and academic self-efficacy among forty African American Male students.  The article mentions the achievement gap between White students and African American students.  Research shows that the gap has increased in the past ten years with African Americans accounting for 14.7% of the dropout rate, twice the rate of White students.  But, research also shows that lower-income and minority students often attend underfunded schools, with limited course offerings and under qualified and inexperienced teachers.  

            This study tests African American males’ psychological sense of belonging, academic self-efficacy and educational aspirations.  Psychological sense of belonging is defined as students’ feelings of being welcomed, valued and respected by others in the community.  Research indicates that this sense of belonging has a strong influence on education, including higher grades, academic motivation and high school completion.  Academic Self-Efficacy is a student’s confidence in their ability to succeed academically.  And lastly, educational aspirations refer to early impressions of one’s own academic abilities and the highest level of educations they wish to obtain.  All these aspects were tested in the study.

            Two hypotheses were used during this study.  The first stated that perceptions of school belonging would be positively related to self-efficacy among a sample of African American male 9th and 10th graders.  The second stated that measures of perceptions of school belonging and indicators of educational aspirations would positively predict academic self-efficacy scores. 

            The method for this study included forty African American males from a small African-American school in a large Southeastern city.  Students completed a demographic questionnaire, including questions such as grade level and family income, a Psychological Sense of School Membership Scale (PSSM), which was an eighteen item questionnaire that measures sense of belonging in a school, and an Academic Self-Efficacy scale which measures abilities compared to other students their age as well as future plans. 

            Findings were very interesting.  For example, 10% of students expected to earn just a high school diploma, 7.5% expected to earn a bachelor’s degree, 60% expected to earn a master’s degree and 22.5% intended to earn a doctoral degree.  This shows African American males are academically motivated.  The first hypothesis was not supported, but the results did indicate that the most important aspect in perceptions of school belonging were that these students felt they were the recipients of direct, targeted invitations to participate in school programming, both academic and extracurricular.

            This article presents many implications for school counselors.  School counselors must build a sense of community within their school for all nationalities.  They must create a learning environment that supports academic, career and social success of all students.  School counselors could also invite groups of African American males or individuals to discuss their school experiences.  This way, they will receive one on one attention, and will receive guidance on how to participate in school activities and will learn to feel comfortable speaking to a counselor in a time of need.  It is also important for school counselors to have a great sense of knowledge in regards to the African American culture, and to develop a relationship with each student.  If students feel understood and valued, they will do better in school and obtain help when they need it, whether it is academically or socially.  This article was very interesting and presented great ideas for school counselors as well as a better understanding of certain cultures within our society.

           

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Therapists’ Helpful and Unhelpful Situations with LGBT Clients

Israel, T., Gorcheva, R., Walther, W.A., Sulzner, J.M., & Cohen, J. (2008). Therapists’ Helpful and Unhelpful Situations With LGBT Clients: An Exploratory Study. Professional Psychology: Research and Practice. 39(3), 361-368.

 

Summary

According to the researchers, individuals who are gay and lesbian often seek therapy, and investigating the procedures conducted by licensed counselors and psychologists working with these individuals is crucial in discovering the most beneficial therapeutic techniques.  People who are gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered also have very high rates of suicidal behavior and depression, which places a demand on licensed counselors to gain more expertise in working with LGBT persons.  The current study focuses on not only gay and lesbians, but also bisexual and transgendered clients, which is not often seen in past research.  The purpose of this study was to examine patterns in unhelpful and helpful situations for LGBT clients as described by the therapists.  Furthermore, the researchers looked to identify exactly what caused the situations to become helpful vs. unhelpful.

The researchers conducted phone interviews with therapists across the United States who had worked with LGBT clients.  Prior to this study, the researchers performed a content analysis of phone interviews with LGBT therapy clients.  The participants consisted of 14 therapists, out of whom seven identified themselves as being heterosexual, three as gay, two as bisexual, one as queer, and the final participant did not respond to this question.  The mean interview length with the participants was 49 minutes, and the interviews had a predetermined set of questions.  The participants were asked questions regarding aspects of therapeutic relationships, counseling experience, consequences of the situation, etc.  The researchers found that in helpful situations the therapist tends to be knowledgeable, helpful, and appropriate or affirming of the client’s sexual orientation.  In helpful situations the therapist should display a positive attitude toward LGBT issues, even if that is not the reason why the client is seeking therapy.  The researchers also found that more positive the therapeutic relationship, the more beneficial it was to the client.

 

Key Issues Counselors need to be aware of

The researchers of this article believe that a positive therapeutic relationship is vitally important with all clients, but is especially important with LGBT individuals.  Because lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgendered people are a minority, therapists with these types of clients should always acknowledge and affirm this issue with the client even if that is not the reason why they are in therapy.  The therapist should also demonstrate a positive attitude regarding this issue with the client.  LGBT individuals are at high risk for depression and suicide, which is why therapists should pay close attention to these clients and tend to their needs as best they can.  Overall, the researchers believe that therapists should not view homosexuality as a disorder, and should not blame the client’s issues on their sexual orientation.  The therapists should be knowledgeable about the possible consequences of coming out, but should not use a heterosexual frame of reference for other sexually oriented relationships, and should not express degrading beliefs about homosexuality.

 

Implications for School Counseling

            Although the researchers do not directly relate the information in the article to school counseling, this issue is still very relevant to the school environment.  This article implies that school counselors should make an effort to develop a relationship with individuals who are LGBT.  This would allow the students to feel more welcome to speaking with the counselor, and if an issue were to come up which the student required services, they would be more likely to discuss their sexuality with a counselor whom they already have that relationship with.  Furthermore, school counselors should work toward developing a positive environment for LGBT individuals, such as a “safe zone” where these students can feel comfortable and free of judgment in these settings.  School Counselors should do their best to exude their acceptance of LGBT people, and should always affirm this issue if it comes up in a counseling session.  In conclusion, School Counselors should work toward an optimal therapeutic relationship.

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First-generation Asian Americans and the Model Minority Concept

Wendy Postlethwaite

Article Review


Zhou, Zheng; Peverly, Stephen T.; Xin, Tao; Huang, Annie S.; and Wang, Weidong. (2003) School adjustment of first-generation Chinese American adolescents. Psychology in the Schools, 40(1), 71-84.

Background

The literature on multicultural issues uses the term ‘model minority’ to describe a particular subset of the population that is more successful — academically and socioeconomically — than its peers. Members of this model minority may feel proud to be described that way. On the other hand, the model minority concept may be a myth that does harm to the minority in general. In this case, the term becomes a racial stereotype that opens a backlash of opinion. It also sets the bar too high for less able Asian American students, reducing their self-esteem and raising their rates of depression.1 Unfortunately, the model minority idea may actually deprive this low-achieving population of access to mental health and academic services. A system that believes in the model minority is not quick enough recognize the needs of unsuccessful or un happy students; this kind of system may even minimize the extent of criminal and gang behavior among Asian American youth.

Zhou et al’s research compares first-generation Chinese American to two peer groups, Chinese adolescents in mainland China and European American adolescents in the United states. Since 90% of first-generation Asian American adolescents identify with China rather than the US, the cross-cultural comparison might offer insight into factors that govern how the model minority concept  plays out.

Methods

The study included 106 first-generation Chinese American middle schoolers, 120 students of the same age in China, and 131 European American middle schoolers. As an aside, the research describes the experiences of only first-generation Chinese American adolescents; the study makes no attempt to generalize the findings across students whose families have lived in the States for at least two generations.

The team collected the data simultaneously in the fall of the same year using a number of measurement tools:

  • The Reynolds and Kamphaus’ (1992) Behavioral Assessment System for Children (BASC) (translated and modified to suit Chinese life) collects impressions of behaviors and perceptions. It uncovers psychological, academic, interracial, and emotional dysfunction using true/false ratings by parents, teachers, and children themselves. The test is valid in Western countries; this research says there are indications of good reliability in China. (Any questions about the cross-cultural validity of the test may put the findings in doubt.)
  •  The Suinn-Lew Asian Self-identity Acculturation Scale measures language, identity, friendships, behaviors, generational/geographic backgrounds to determine the level of acculturation. This is the test that uncovered the high level of identification with China among first-generation Asian Americans.
  • A semistructured clinical interview engaged students in a one-on-one conversation that probed their personal sense of their own academic and social adjustment.

The researchers worked hard to make all testing equally valid across the two cultures. For example, while the US test talked about daily newspapers, the Chinese test substituted daily radio broadcasts. While the US students received Blockbuster gift cards, the Chinese received notebooks and colored pens.

The study analyzed the data across two dimensions:

·         Academic dimensions include:

·         Resenting or disliking teachers based on the belief that teachers are unfair and uncaring

·         Feeling inadequate and academically unsuccessful

·         Disliking all aspects of school, across all arenas

·         Emotional dimensions include:

·         “Depression (feeling sad, unhappy, and dejected)”

·         “Anxiety (irrational worries and generalized fears; being overwhelmed by problems)”

·         “Social stress (stressful personal relationships and feeling isolated from social activities)”(p. 75-76)

Findings

There were differences in the levels that each of the groups experienced the six dimensions.

For these variables …

 … the responses of first-generation Asian American middle schoolers were:

Academic dimensions

 

Resenting or disliking teachers based on the belief that
teachers are unfair and uncaring

·         More negative than the mainland Chinese

·         More negative than the European Americans

·         (Mainland Chinese and European Americans scored the same)

Feeling inadequate due to perception of being unsuccessful in academic endeavors and unable to achieve goals

·         More than the mainland Chinese

·         More than the European Americans

·         (Mainland Chinese and European Americans scored the same)

Disliking all aspects of school, across all areas

·         More negative than the mainland Chinese

·         The same as the European Americans

Emotional dimensions

 

Depression (feeling sad, unhappy, and dejected)

·         More than the mainland Chinese

·         More than the European Americans

·         (Mainland Chinese and European Americans scored the same)

Anxiety (irrational worries and generalized fears; being overwhelmed by problems)

·         More than the mainland Chinese

·         Equal to European Americans

·         (Mainland Chinese and European Americans scored the same)

Social stress (stressful personal relationships and feeling isolated from social activities)

·         More than the mainland Chinese

·         More than the European Americans

·         (Mainland Chinese and European Americans scored the same)

The research found correlations among the academic and emotional dimensions. In particular:

·         Negative feelings about teachers correlated with …

·         Depression and social stress among Asian Americans

·         Depression and anxiety among mainland Chinese

·         Nothing significant among European Americans

·         A sense of inadequacy correlated with …

·         Depression, anxiety, and social stress in all three groups of children

·         Negative feeling about school correlated with …

·         Depression among Asian Americans

·         Depression and anxiety among mainland Chinese

·         Nothing significant among European Americans

 

Responses to the various self-reporting tools uncovered factors that had a important impact of first-generation Chinese American middle schoolers.

 

These factors …

 … had these effects on first-generation Chinese American middle schoolers

The difference between the two cultures

  • Increased the incidence of distress and school adjustment problems

The emphasis on academic achievement as a form of respect in Chinese American families
  • Increased demands on self to improve academically

Internalization of the causes of academic failure
  • Increased anguish, self-criticism, and alienation

Feeling obligated to parents who made sacrifices to born the family to the States
  • Raised feelings of guilt and anxiety

Different teacher expectations[Chinese teachers value formality, quiet, respectful interaction, and American teachers reward “spontaneity, assertiveness, and informality.” (p. 73) ]

 
  • Raised feelings of inadequacy
  • Instilled expectations that teachers are unhelpful to and dislike Asian Americans; this is based on the very real misunderstanding — on teachers’ parts — of students reticence, passivity, and withdrawal

American children misinterpreting the reserved, polite Asian American behavior … as meek and defenseless

  • Limited interpersonal interaction and academic effort
  • Increased the likelihood of being bullied, teased, and made the but of physical and verbal violence

Being the victim of bullying and physical and verbal abuse
  • Increased distress and  anxiety
  • Reduced school performance
  • Increased demonstrations of hostility, ADHD-like symptoms and delinquency
  • Increased alienation, isolation, and despair

All factors combined
  • Lowered confidence in themselves
  • Increased a sense of academic incompetence
  • Reduced commitment to schoolwork
  • Led to feelings of frustration and anxiety

Key issues

  • Newly arrived students find that getting accustomed to the American way of life is a traumatic process. The pressure may cause students to feel stressed and do poorly in school.
  • Teachers and parents are often unconscious of these cultural conflicts; it is likely that they are misinterpreting behavior in a disapproving way.
  • Asian American adolescents do not expect teachers and other school personnel to be trustworthy, reliable, and sympathetic.
  • At the same time, Chinese tradition puts a high value on education, so not being able to work with teachers and do well in school may be devastating for Chinese American adolescents.
  • These students also want to hide any problems at school from both parents and teachers, so they do not seek assistance. Most often, they turn to peers when they need help; if the problem involves social or even antisocial behavior, the stakes are raised.

In short, the very positive stereotype of the Asian American student can wreak havoc on students’ internal lives because it:

·         Ignores and thus devalues the experiences of those who cannot or do not achieve success

·         Assumes high quality social and mental health, resulting in disregard of actual problems

·         Gives students un unrealistic model against which to measure themselves

Implications

Teachers and school counselors et al should:

Educate school personnel about the model minority concept and its drawbacks.

  • Keep an eye out for students seeking help from other students, which may indicate some sort of problem.
  • Watch how European American students respond to ‘overly’ polite and respectful Asian Americans.
  • Encourage Chinese American students to seek academic and psychological services.
  • Reinterpret Asian students’ humility, modesty, introversion, conforming, etc., as respect rather than passivity, etc.
  • Prevent and stop bullying against them.
  • Encourage Asian Americans to talk about — and even research careers in — mental health.
  • Apply one’s understanding of all these issues proactively to open one’s ears and mind to the Asian American’s experience, offering them the empathic and unconditional listening they deserve. [2]

 

 

 

[1] Mental health and depression in Asian Americans. Published by The National Collaborative for Asian American Women’s Mental Health. http://www.hawaii.edu/hivandaids/Mental_Health_and_Depression_in_Asian_Americans.pdf

[2] Noh, Eliza. (2008) Asian American suicide and depression: voices of women survivors. Presentation at the Asian American Center on Disparities Research, University of California, Davis. October 30, 2008.

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Child-Centered Play Therapy with Hispanic Children

By: Amanda M. Eggers

Garza Y. & Bratton, S. (2005). School-based child centered play therapy with Hispanic children: Outcomes and cultural consideration. International Journal of Play Therapy, 14(1), 51-80.

 

         In recognizing that the United States is a melting pot for innumerous different races, religions, and customs, one must also acknowledge the necessity of having culturally competent school and mental health counselors. This study specifically examines the county’s largest and fastest growing minority group. Hispanic children account for 35% of the public school population, and that number is only expected to climb in the coming years. Unfortunately, it appears that many of these children face an uphill battle as they progress through the school system. The National Center for Education Statistics has identified this population as having the highest dropout rate. Many of the students who fail to thrive in an academic session also go on to battle substance abuse addiction, teen pregnancy, and behavioral problems. The authors of this study go on to cite recent literature that suggests that Hispanic families “are not likely to utilize community mental health clinics, resulting in significant unmet psychosocial needs for these children,” leaving them “misdiagnosed and underserved.” Garza and Bratton hypothesize that the intervention of play therapy will best serve Hispanic children in counseling setting. They believe that culturally competent counselors who implore this child-centered technique will be most effective in fostering the developmental needs of this unique population. As the study details, many advocates suggest that Hispanics “tend to prefer interpersonal relationships that are nurturing, loving, intimate, and respectful.” By combining therapist congruence and empathy with cultural responsiveness, the authors believe that behavior problems in Hispanic children will decrease.

             The present study was completed in a Southwestern United States school district whose Hispanic population is approximately 35%, a number that closely reflects that of the national population for this minority group. The thirty participants selected ranged from 5 to 11 years of age. All of the children were native Spanish speakers and had been referred to counseling services for behavioral issues. The group was then randomly divided, with half the participants assigned to the Child Centered Play Therapy (CCPT) intervention treatment. The remaining 15 children were to receive curriculum-based small group counseling. The authors found it interesting to note that although all participants were identified as “Hispanic” in their school records, 13 children were identified as “Mexican” by their parents because they were born in Mexico, not the United States. It is possible that these families are simply more traditional in their Mexican culture and identify more closely with that ethnic label. The interventions were 30 minutes long and occurred once a week for 15 weeks. All treatment providers were bilingual and gave children the choice of speaking in English, Spanish, or a combination of both. The experimental group received the CCPT treatment in playrooms equipped with special toys that were culturally specific (utensils with Mexican designs, dolls with darker skin tones, fake foods common to Mexican culture, etc.). The comparison group was treated for the same length of time, but in a different manner. Children worked in small groups alongside a leader who facilitated discussion and play-based activities involving self-esteem, problem-solving, and improving peer relations. For both groups, parents and teachers of the subjects were asked to complete the Behavior Assessment Scale for Children (BASC). This instrument, which was available to parents in both Spanish and English, was used to rate a child’s internalizing and externalizing behaviors.

            After the post-test data was collected, a two factor ANOVA was used to assess the significance (if any) of the results. Overall, it was found that play therapy had a significant treatment effect on decreasing externalizing behaviors, when compared with no treatment. Parents of children in the experimental group also reported improvement in self-control and compliance with rules. Children that received the CCPT also showed a decrease in internalizing behaviors, such as anxiety. Though a moderate treatment effect was seen, these results were not statistically significant. Researchers also collected some supplemental subjective data after the treatment. School personnel noted that referrals for negative behaviors decreased for some children following the CCPT. Also, some of the more withdrawn students had begun to participate and interact more with others.

            This study on CCPT has brought up a number of key issues that must be considered by school counselors working with the Hispanic population. The statistics clearly depict the challenges that Hispanic students face. Counselors must be aware of the increased likelihood these children have of dropping out before completing high school, and the dangerous behaviors they are prone to picking up as a result. Lack of parental knowledge of available services is also a significant problem. School personnel must collaborate in finding a way to break the cultural barrier and aid parents in finding help for their children when they need it. The lack of Spanish-speaking counselors also acts as a barrier for Hispanic students. Counselors who will be working in school districts with a large Hispanic population may chose to learn at least the basics of the language in order to best serve these families. The article also notes previous studies that have found that Hispanic children respond positively to person-centered approaches. It is important that counselors be aware of the therapeutic tactics that will be most effective.

        The positive findings of this study are quite relevant to the field of school counseling. Professionals in this area must strive to be culturally competent, working as advocates for each and every student. This research illustrates how important culturally responsive services are to the goal of providing equal access to educational support for these children. Counselors must embrace the uniqueness of each student and work to respect the different aspects of the culture that he or she comes from. The present study also demonstrated the excitement of the Hispanic children when given the opportunity to play with the more culture-specific toys during therapy. Counselors who decide to use play therapy with minority populations in their school (Hispanic or other), should try to find toys that make the students feel most at home. When given the opportunity to play in a setting that is more in their natural element, it seems that there is a better chance for positive development. In closing, this study recommends that all school counselors strive to be informed. Consults with colleagues and parents, researching cultural customs, working alongside community organizations and other actions will help school counselors provide the best means of support to minority populations.

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Person-Centered Counseling with LGBT Adolescents

Lemoire, S., & Chen, C. (2005, March). Applying Person-Centered Counseling to Sexual Minority Adolescents. Journal of Counseling & Development, 83(2), 146-154.

 

In this article, the authors explore the therapeutic potential of Carl Rogers’ person-centered counseling theory in helping lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender/sexual (LGBT) adolescents who are working toward the acceptance and disclosure of their sexual identity.  The person-centered counseling approach seems to have the potential to create the necessary conditions that counteract stigmatization of these adolescents, allowing them to cope with their sexual identity in a manner that is more constructive for them.  With this in mind, the authors present both the strengths and limitations of using person-centered counseling in this particular helping context.

 

First, the authors consider the sexual identity development of the LGBT populations and why the person-centered principle pertains to this identity development.  The core characteristics of person-centered counseling (congruence, unconditional positive regard, and empathy) seem to form a practical rationale for helping intervention for LGBT clients for several reasons.  With a congruence attitude, the counselor is a genuine helper who does not wear a mask in the helping process.  The counselor’s unconditional positive regard reaches out to the client with a nonjudgmental acceptance, regardless of his or her sexual orientation.  Finally, the communication of empathy allows the counselor to enter the client’s phenomenological world, understanding the LGBT identity from the unique perspective of each individual client.

 

Second, the authors argue that person-centered counseling embodies six aspects that are particularly helpful to LGBT adolescent clients, as they begin to engage in dialogue and exploration, leading to sexual identity disclosure.  These six identifiable strengths of person-centered counseling are: (a) shows unconditional positive regard, congruence, and empathy; (b) adopts the client’s perspective; (c) encourages the client’s locus of evaluation; (d) emphasizes the client’s notion of self-concept; (e) believes in the client’s potential for growth; and (f) ensures that the growth process is client-directed.

 

Lastly, the authors suggest that to overcome possible limitations of the person-centered approach in this helping context, counselors should take into consideration the special needs of this group of clients.  To do so, counselors should focus on three interconnected aspects in the helping process, namely, explicit identity validation (reassurance), guided risk assessment regarding possible disclosure, and exposure to positive sexual minority communities and socialization that are appropriate for their age group.

 

Implications for School Counselors:

It is critical that counselors offer safe and supportive therapeutic environments when working with LGBT adolescents, especially in the school setting, where they are often bullied and teased.  The school counselor should also assume a combination of roles in this helping process.  These roles may include that of a person-centered facilitator, an information provider, and a supporter and advocate.  The counselor’s proactive role, combined with the complementary helping strategies, will have great potential for working with LGBT adolescent clients.  This also implies that school counselors may need to become more flexible and open in varied helping contexts that will foster appropriate client-directed growth in the process of sexual identity formation and liberation.

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Attitudinal Familism and Latino Youth

Esparza, P. & Sanchez, B. (2008). The Role of Attitudinal Familism in Academic

            Outcomes: A Study of Urban, Latino High School Seniors. Culture Diversity and

            Ethnic Minority Psychology, 14, 193-200.

 

This purpose of this study was to look at Latino students and the role that family importance (familism) plays regarding academics.  In the Latino culture, the sense of obligation regarding the family is much greater than many American families.  Latino children in American schools today though do not graduate at a higher rate than any other ethnic group and there have been many studies done to attempt to find out why that is.  This study took a look at group of Latino children that rarely are study, one’s in an Urban, underachieving school that are on course to graduate.  They hypothesized that a greater sense of family importance would positively correlate with greater academic results.  Also, those students that had more highly educated parents would have a higher sense of familism and academic outcomes.    

Students that participated came from an urban high school where 80% of the students received free lunch and had a 53% graduation rate.  They were all Latino seniors (n=143) that were on the path to graduating.  The students were assessed in nine different categories: demographics, familism, acculturation, Spanish Language Preference, Perceived Discrimination, parents’ education level, academic motivation, academic effort, and academic achievement and truancy.

After examining the results the level of family importance did not predict motivation, success, intrinsic value, nor the students’ GPAs.  If familism was high it did predict lower truancy and more academic effort though.  One finding that contracted all other previous research was the relationship between the mother’s educational level (father was found to be insignificant) and familism and GPA.  In this study they found that greater importance of the family when the mother’s education level was at least a high school diploma predicted a lower GPA, where the lower education level and high familism was related to a higher GPA.  They believe the surprise in their hypothesis regarding the mother’s education level can be described because of the environment they live in (low SES).  The students with high familism whose mom has a higher education level are still attending a school and living in an area where 80% of the students qualify for free lunch.  They could conclude that education is not the answer and they realize they need to find other ways to be a help in their family.  Secondly they concluded that students with high familism and mothers with low education levels obtained higher GPA could still feel as though education is the key to helping their family.

In schools, Latino students are looked at negatively.  In the previous paragraphs it was noted that this ethnic group has the highest dropout rate and continues to under perform in schools.  Because of this, there is generally a negative twist when researchers want to examine Latino’s in a school setting.  This article wanted to examine steer away from the Latino students that have typically been researched in the past and focused on the one’s that were succeeding in school.  Using what is known about the strong family togetherness in the Latino culture and how it relates to students success with this group of students has not been done before and very useful knowledge for schools to have.

Implications for school counselors would start with the understanding of the Latino culture.  Having the knowledge regarding the importance’s that Latinos place on family, education, etc would be very helpful for a counselor.  This would be helpful as a counselor to see the differences between cultures and have a better understanding of what their culture values compared to others.  If you are a counselor in an environment such as this one, understanding that many Latino students have an obligation to their families and that in some cases this drives them to succeed, but also force them to place academics on the backburner would help clarify their levels of academic success.  It would allow the counselor when meeting with a Latino student that does not have strong academic success to not just assume they are unmotivated but rather place stronger values in other places.

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Transitioning to High School: Issues and Challenges for African American Students

Holcomb-McCoy, C. (2007) Transitioning to High School: Issues and Challenges for African American Students. Professional School Counseling, v10, n3, 253-260.

There are many developmental challenges facing students during their adolescent years and can make the process of transitioning from middle school to high school difficult. The transition from middle school to high school has been found bring on increased stress levels, decreased self-esteem, declined academic performance, and heightened risk for maladjustment. Another source of anxiety during the transition period for students is the importance from peers of fitting in and belonging. The transition brings a new environment, new rules and behaviors for the student. The effects of the transition are determined by the students ability to cope and deal with the change to the new environment.

There have not been many studies that looked at the effects of the transition from middle school to high school for African American students. Evidence does suggest that minority students have a hard time with this transition. Students academic performance and their perception of themselves was largely influenced by their teachers. One study found that minority students who graduated from high school and those that dropped out of high school, both had decreased grade point averages following the transition from middle school to high school. These changes in performance may be linked to more than just the adolescent development; it may be affected by the experiences, academic and social environments. There are five challenges that African American adolescents face: stereotyping, scarcity of positive role models, lack of culturally competent schools, ethnic identity development, and emotional/behavioral reactions to discrimination.

In the school setting, African American males in school settings have been stereotyped as hostile, volatile, academically inferior, and emotionally disturbed. The negative stereotypes can be internalized, which undermines the students’ incentive to achieve. A factor that can have an impact on the academic success of African American students is the presence of a positive role model. The media and many communities and schools are lacking appropriate African American role models. In the media most African Americans suffer from substance abuse, delinquency, incarceration, homicide, low academic achievement, unemployment, poverty. A lack of cultural congruence with minority students and their families can also influence the transition from middle school to high school. Researchers have argued that schools perform a social disservice by creating self-doubt in their African American students, by perpetuating existing social inequalities and by their depreciation of African American culture and accomplishments. African American students start to explore their identity by considering who they are and what makes them unique individuals. This can be complicated by the mixed messages they receive about their identity. African American parents don’t socialize their children regarding racial issues and prejudice; this exposes the children to racial stress.

Implications for School Counselors:

African American students know the importance of education but can struggle to meet the academic demands and challenges of high school. Counselors need to provide academic support programs for African American students transitioning into high school; this could be in the form of tutors and study skills courses. A mentoring program may help provide a positive role model for African American students. Counselors should provide resources to help the African American students manage the stress and demands of the transition. The resources should help provide motivation, goals, transitioning into the new environment and problem solving skill (to help them work through stereotyping and discrimination). Counselors also need to help African American students see the importance of education. This can be done by focusing on their strengths, and working with African Americans in the community to assist in mentoring and guiding the student.


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Online Multicultural Counseling Assignment

Your task is to  find resources related to counseling in general, or school counseling in particular, related to the population mentioned in the area (category) you have  been assigned to.

To help this become a useful repository of information on working with people of diverse backgrounds, each person in the group needs to find a different source of information, and list the primary implications for counseling that the source states.

Each person in the group is required to summarize the article, provide a list of the key issues the article asserts counselors need to be aware of, and then discuss implications related specifically to school counseling practice.  That’s three paragraphs, at a minimum!

There is no shortage of articles on each of these topics available via ERIC/PsycINFO/PsychArticles.  You can also use other credible, Internet-based resources.  Simply provide information on the source in your post so that other people can find the article – web address for internet-based articles, and author names, year, title, and journal name for other articles.

I expect that this assignment can be done entirely online. The only ‘hard part’ is making sure that you and a classmate do not choose identical articles.

If you have any questions, let me know.

TO COMPLETE THE ASSIGNMENT:

1 – find your article and write your summary; save in a word processing document
2 – log into our course blog by using the login area on the right side of this page
3 – click this link to write a new post

4 – give the post an appropriate title, and paste the text of your article into the ‘post’ box.  No need to include your name or class information.
5 – choose your assigned category from the ‘categories’ area.
6 – click Publish on the right side, and check to ensure it appears as you would like it to.  You can click the ‘Edit’ link under the title to edit your post.
7 – rinse, lather, repeat as necessary to achieve desired results.
8 – submit the word document to me via Blackboard’s digital dropbox