It is important for a counselor to be aware of his/her own biases and prejudices so that they can handle them appropriately. Counselors are supposed to put away their pre judgements so that they can work with their clients effectively. If a counselor is not aware of or doesn’t suppress these biases, it can be detrimental to the client-counselor relationship. It can also have a negative impact on the counselor’s career. If a counselor refuses to see LGBT clients because of his/her own ignorance/biases to the people in that community then this can make it difficult for them to have a prosperous counseling career. And unless he/she decides to choose a new career choice (which still won’t prevent them from having to interact with this group) he/she will have to come face to face with someone who is a part of that community eventually. That is why it is important for a counselor to be aware and not allow their biases and judgement interfere with the counseling process. I feel as if this will not be an issue for me at all. I have been fortunate enough to live in different areas and countries and interact with different cultures and attitudes to where I have developed an open mind and I also …show more content…
Advocating means being a voice and standing up for someone who may not be capable of doing it for themselves. Some people may not be aware of any wrong doing that is going on because they are not as knowledgeable on the topic as counselors and mental health programs, that is why it is important for those who are aware of the problem to speak up about it. I would take responsibility by asking my clients questions and doing my research to make sure that services provided are up to standard and if I find that anyone is being treated unfairly, speak up and do all that I can to make sure that the right thing is being done from there on
There are many issues that interfere with the health and happiness of those within the Gay and Lesbian community. The National Association Position Statement on Gays and Lesbians is as attempt to abolish such issues within the social work practice. One place that individuals of any sexual orientation practice should feel safe is with those who have chosen the field of social work as a means to helping the oppressed. Social workers must be aware of their own personal beliefs and values when it comes to the fear of and the misrepresentation of working with this divers group. The consequences of not dealing with such issues and may have a latent manifest in dealing with the Gay and Lesbian population, and if not addressed prior to working in this field, maybe devastating to a client.
With the potential language barrier, a counselor could also ask an interpreter to mediate with the client during sessions to make sure there is an understanding between the client and the counselor. Multicultural knowledge includes counselors’ understanding of their own worldview, knowledge of cultural groups with whom the counselor works, and recognition of sociopolitical factors that impact diverse clients’ lives. Beliefs and attitudes encompass counselors’ values associated with different cultural groups, their ability to recognize and hold in check stereotypes of different cultural groups, a celebration of diversity, and an awareness of how their biases and negative attitudes can adversely influence counseling relationships (Ivers, 2012). One of the hardest parts about being a counselor is admitting your own biases and stereotyping before counseling others of different cultural ethnicities. Once a counselor understands their own biases and stereotyping towards others, they are better able to catch themselves from letting their biases affect their counseling.
A counselor should always keep their thoughts to themselves and remain open-minded about the situation. The only time a counselor should share their thoughts is if it helps the client with their situation that they are dealing with. “Counselors must practice only within the boundaries of their competence (Standard C.2.a.), and, if they “determine an inability to be of professional assistance to clients” (Standard A.11.b.), they should facilitate a referral to another provider. (Kocet, M. M., & Herlihy, B. J. (2014). Addressing Value-Based Conflicts Within the Counseling Relationship: A Decision-Making Model. Journal Of Counseling & Development, 92(2), 180-186 7p. doi: 10.1002/j.1556-6676.2014.00146.x).” Keeping your thoughts to yourself is
An example of a bias is when a counselor uses an treatment plan “one size fits all”. Counselor should be careful because not all clients have the same problems and will required additional support then others. According to Snowden (2003) states “Bias occurs in the beliefs and actions of individual clinicians, and it is at this level that it has received the greatest amount of attention. Bias also occurs when unfounded assumptions become normative beliefs shared by members of practitioner networks or treatment organizations. Bias occurs too when authorities and community members become particularly intolerant of minority individuals with mental illnesses and differentially enforce conformity norms of acceptable behavior”. Therefore, counselors
Merriam-Webster’s online dictionary defines an advocate as “one that pleads the cause of another,” or “one that supports or promotes the interest of another” (2014). Bu and Jezewski expanded on this by developing a mid-range theory of patient advocacy to implement into nursing (2007). They describe a patient as being “vulnerable and powerless” when stricken with illness and without knowledge of health care systems (Bu & Jezewski, 2007). The goal of the theory was to give the patient a voice in circumstances where they weren’t able to speak up for themselves and to maintain the patient’s integrity (Bu & Jezewski, 2007). They found three core attributes to what would make up
It is very reasonable to conclude that research on depression of those who identify as gay, lesbian or transsexual is not accurate; there is an underreporting of people who identify as these sexual orientations because of the fear of being different. It is understood that those apart of the LGBTQ community actively hide their identity in hopes to avoid being rejected or abused (Bird, 2013). Once the reporting issue of having a smaller percentage of the actual representation of the LGBTQ population is put aside, there is evidence that highly suggests that lesbians and gay men are at higher risk for psychiatric disorders than heterosexuals (Cochran, 2001). Even after underreporting, there is still enough information to conclude that sexual discrimination can have harmful effects on the quality of life. Common factors that have been observed in lesbians and gays that can potentially increase depression during Cochran's study are anxiety and mood disorders and decreased self esteem. Cochran and her partner also noted that dissatisfaction with how one is treated beca...
Johnson, L., & Federman, E. J. (2014). Training, experience, and attitudes of VA psychologists regarding LGBT issues: Relation to practice and competence.. Psychology of Sexual Orientation and Gender Diversity, 1(1), 10-18. Retrieved April 21, 2014, from http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/sgd0000019
Values, Morals, and Beliefs are components that play a role in an individual’s self-identity. The establishment of these components shape human nature, behavior, and the development of an individual’s purpose. The basis of these fundamentals has contributed to my desire to become a counselor. This paper will discuss my views of human nature, factors of behavior changes, goals of therapy, the roles of a therapist, and the counseling approaches that I chose to incorporate in a practice.
The core of social justice is equality and fairness, specifically concerned with addressing a person or a group of people that society marginalizes or diminishes the power the person has. The goal of any social justice movement is to empower individuals to regain the power and dignity and/or to change the situation that is oppressing people. Counseling is also a practice centered on change and empowerment (Brackette, Rezaei, & Kuyinu, 2015). It is evident that professional counseling and social justice go hand in hand, yet the how and the deeper why need to be considered and explored so that counselors can fulfill their calling and client can regain dignity and the journey to wholeness. Counselors can engage in social justices practices on
Theoretical Perspective: This semester in procedures of counseling class we discussed a lot of different types of counseling theories. We also did a lot of practicing with each theory with our partners. I found that person-centered therapy best fits my personal attitudes and style of counseling. I think this would be a good style of counseling for me because I can see myself better helping people as a whole than trying to fix an actual problem.
Cross-Cultural Mediation Introduction This paper discusses a cross-cultural conflict scenario in which a mediator must apply the appropriate skills to resolve the conflict. In order to resolve these types of conflicts, mediators must apply a non-bias approach to the conflict because the mediator must perceive and identify the cultural differences in order to appropriately resolve the conflict. The mediator must facilitate communication, and they must invoke trust with the disputants for successful cross-cultural conflict resolution. The conflict discussed in this paper revolves around a custody dispute in which the disputing parties are a divorcing couple who are having conflict over the cultural difference in which each parent would like their daughter raised.
The definition of advocacy is the act of speaking on the behalf of or in support of another person, place, or thing. In its simplest form it means standing up for what one believes in for both self and others. Nurses may act as an advocate by supporting knowledgeable decisions, by acting as liaisons or by interceding for another individual. The objectives of a nurse as an advocate are to notify, enhance independence, and respect the decision of the patient (“Patient, Subordinate and Professional Advocacy, n.d.). Simply put, the nurse is most often the go-between or mediator between the healthcare system and the patient. Advocacy is mannered by the nurse’s code of ethics. These codes impact the profession across-the-board. While certain codes may vary from country to country, the central principles are created for the relationship between the nurse and the patient.
Implications and Learning Each person’s cultural background influences the type of counselor they will be. Biases, values, beliefs and much more influence how a counselor approaches counseling. A main influence a counselor’s background has on their practice is the theory in which they identify.
There is many different factors that determine personality and development, from environmental, genetics, and of course, the culture someone grows up. This can vary across the globe in different geological locations. It is impossible to say how much influence culture has on specific psychological development or personality. Some emotion such as happiness can be subjective and it is hard to measure the rate of happiness when contrasted with a different part of the world. Many scholars point out that wealthier and developed nations report higher feelings of well-being. (Eunkook M. Suh) Despite this association with income and well-being, there are other factors at play. In developed Western societies, they have more social services that could influence personal happiness within cultures.
It is imperative to study counseling theories when beginning field based work. Counseling theories provide a foundation to be able to learn and develop my own techniques. Some ideas that exemplify the significance of counseling theories are; research, application of theories, and case studies.