Enforceable Standards Regarding Competence
Psychologists who provide services to others must work within the boundaries of their competence. Competence is based on supervised experience, education, professional experience, and consultation studies. Psychologists are expected to have knowledge about the different areas of competencies and the foundational areas of psychology. When providing services to children, adolescents, and adults, you must possess knowledge of appropriate assessments, therapeutic techniques, intervention procedures, and the ability to perform, plan and implement your areas of demonstrated competence. Maintaining competence throughout your professional role as a licensed psychologist is crucial. Psychology is continually
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Most psychologists do acknowledge and accept religion and spirituality as important aspects of human diversity. A client’s culture is the embodiment of their worldview and is passed on through their values, beliefs, morals, and religious and spiritual traditions “Because spirituality and religion are less important to psychologists overall than their clients, they may have been neglected as important aspects of multicultural competency” (Ammondson, Lukoff, Pargament, Pilato, Scammell &Vieten, 2013, p.132). Incorporating spiritual and religious competencies in psychology is a form of multicultural competence. Multicultural competencies strive for psychologists to understand the world views of culturally different clients without being biased. Psychologists need to implement delicate, and pertinent intervention techniques with clients who culturally differ. Cultural differences extend into a client’s religion and spirituality beliefs. Multicultural competence is predominant for psychologists when working with clients in any type of therapeutic environment. Psychologists who are culturally aware have insight into how their cultural biases influence the counseling process, are comfortable with clients’ culture, and respect clients’ religion and culture (Sue, Arredondo, & Mc Davis, 1992a, 1992b). Multicultural skills and competencies are illustrated when psychologists actively seek out educational workshops that are culturally sensitive to elevate their proficiency and training in multicultural practices. Acquiring multicultural competence is a continuous process that includes self-awareness, and reflection. Cultural competence and knowledge affect the counseling process by allowing psychologists to implement culturally sensitive counseling strategies. Effective
In this meta-analysis of integration of spirituality and religion in the counseling field, the authors seek to understand the skills and attitudes needed to integrate these variables into counseling. Among those that were studied are awareness of one’s own culture and heritage, respect for the diversity found in people concerning spirituality and religion and recognition of one’s helping style and how it may be perceived by clients (Walker, Gorsuch, & Tan, 2004).
“Cultural competence is the ability to engage in actions or create conditions that maximize the optimal development of client and client systems” (Sue & Sue, 2013, p. 49). Multicultural competence includes a counselor to be aware of his or her biases, knowledge of the culture they are evaluating, and skills to evaluate a client with various backgrounds (Sue & Sue, 2013). Client assessment involves gathering information pertaining to the client’s condition. Making a culturally responsive diagnosis involves using the DSM-IV-TR axis (Hays, 2008). Following the axis backwards is ideal to discovering the client’s diagnosis, understanding the client’s ADDRESSING outline will help to come to a closer resolution for a diagnosis.
Culture can be defined as behaviors exhibited by certain racial, religious, social or ethnic groups. Some factors in which culture may vary include: family structure, education, and socioeconomic status (Kodjo, 2009). Some may think cultural competence is something that has an end point, however, when the big picture is seen, it is a learning process and journey. From the writer’s perspective, the client-therapist relationship can be challenging. Culturally competent therapists must realize that behaviors are shaped by an individual’s culture. Many changes are taking place within the United States cultural makeup. Therapists and healthcare professionals are being challenged to provide effective and sensitive care for patients and their families. This type of culturally sensitive care requires the professional to be open and seek understanding in the patients diverse belief systems (Kodjo, 2009).
Remember, self-reflection is vital to becoming a culturally-competent counselor. The counselor should consistently re-examine their worldview and personal beliefs about diverse individuals and other cultures. The idea is for the counselor to explore their own prejudices, emotions, and preconceived notions of those that differ from themselves. Remaining curious and willing to learn about culturally distinct groups is a practical way of working effectively with varied clients in counseling and understanding what barriers and prejudices are typical in their
Cultural competence has to do with one’s culture. Culture affects among other factors, how children are raised, how families communicate, what is considered normal or abnormal, ways of coping with issues, the way we dress, when and where we seek medical treatment, and so forth. I should know because I come from a very cultural home where it is considered bad to talk to a male doctor about anything gynecological.
According to the American Association of Christian Counselors (2014); in ES1-500: Cultural Regard in Christian Counseling- A Call to Dignity Cultural, ethnic and racial diversity are important factors for consideration in the delivery of counseling related services (p. 25). Counselors need to have some level of knowledge and awareness when it comes to religious and spiritual beliefs. In ES1-510, it discusses how Christian counselors will need to recognize and acknowledge that all people have been created in the image of the Holy God and all clients have the right to be valued and respected, receive ethical care, and to be treated with dignity. “In 1-520: Cultural Competency Christian counselors earnestly strive to develop and maintain culturally
Ethical Issues in Multicultural Counseling are very prevalent today. Counselors may or may not know how to counsel people of different race, ethnicity, gender, sexual identity socioeconomic status, disability, age or spirituality. Due to their lack of knowledge in that area, ethical issues may arise. In order for a counselor to gain knowledge of Multicultural Counseling, the counselor must begin to gain an understanding of their clients past and culture. It is also important that the counselor does not categorize the client based his/her race, ethnicity, gender, sexual identity socioeconomic status, disability, age and spirituality. The counselor also must consider and respect the client’s culture, when trying to comprise the client’s treatment
Clinical psychologists can treat a wide range of patients, from mental disorders to emotional problems. To get an easier and simpler idea of what a clinical psychologist does, Ferguson's Career Guidance Center's definition gives a good picture of a clinical psychologist’s job description, “Clinical psychologists concern themselves with people's mental and emotional disorders. They assess and treat problems ranging from normal psychological crises, such as adolescent rebellion or middle-age loss of self-esteem, to extreme conditions, such as severe depression and schizophrenia.”According to Careers in Psychology, a clinical psychologist has three main jobs, to assess the patient, diagnose disorders, and recommend a possible treatment. When a clinical psychologist assesses a patient it usually involv...
Cultural advisory competences allow counselors to be aware of their own cultural values, and prejudices. A great strength is they aware, of how the cultural background influences the attitudes, values and prejudices that are held. On the other hand, counselors can recognize the limits of their multicultural competence (Arredondo, Toporek, Brown, Jones, Locke, Sanchez & Stadler, 1996). The knowledge received in the literature is complete, and interesting. As counselors we must know the reality of multiculturalism in a general way. But in the professional practice two recommendations that I give are the following.
Multicultural counsellors are those counsellors who are aware of cultural assumptions they have learnt, able to articulate the relevant information and facts about the culture of a client and can skillfully go between and bring out a positive change. As a result of behaviors being learnt and displayed in different contexts, multicultural counsellors should be able to address the cultural context of each client. Nevertheless,
On the down side there are a limited number of educational programs that adequately deal with the issue of incorporating religion and spirituality in therapeutic/counseling settings. This can be attributed to the fact that counseling is based in psychology, a scientific field, which has traditionally neglected issues of a spiritual nature (Nelson, Kirk, Ane, & Serres, 2011) as well as the practice used within the United States to separate education and religion (Cashwell and Young, 2011). This then results in a significant portion of therapist and counselors who are not prepared to address the issue of spirituality and religion with their clients. One would think that with the value many Americans place on the topic of religion and spirituality that there would come a time when a client would want to address this topic during his or her session.
Many different types of skills are needed in the area where the job takes place. Analytical, communication, and observation skills are essential abilities that a good psychologist should possess (“Psychologists”). Mrs. Trottman says, “A good psychologist needs to have good writing skills to produce understandable reports in a timely manner and good organization skills. Along with these skills, a psychologist needs good ability to work with children and other adults and to express the results of complicated assessments in an understandable way or under the stress of giving results which may not be agreed with or welcomed” (Trottman). Logics and knowledge are important to possess as a psychologist, and in addition, practical ways of thinking and relating closely with the clients is also very crucial. For example, in the case of a psychologist working with children, it is important to also work together with the children’s parents for the children’s benefits (Trottman). Necessities that a psychologist is required to have are involved with many of psychological and emotional factors; nevertheless, excellence in academic fields is also
According to National Center for Cultural Competence at Georgetown University, Cultural competence is a set of congruent behaviors, attitudes, and policies that come together in a system, agency, or among professionals to work effectively in cross-cultural situations (Cross et. al., 1989). As for international development, it is a wide concept focusing on the level of development on an international scale such as developing country to least country. The linkage between cultural competence and international development understands how each country works in order to be effectively in cross-cultural situations. In this case, it can help them adapt to other customs and see the cultural contexts of the communities they will serve.
As a clinician I feel that self-awareness is crucial in a therapeutic session. Hence, I try to be attuned to my client. As an ethnic minority therapist, I believe in being respectful of other’s culture and values. Understanding the client’s view point through their cultural lens is needed in therapy. At times, therapists from cultures different from the client’s may interpret the latter’s viewpoints based on their own cultural background. In such a situation, a therapist should let the client know what his or her interpretation is and ask the client to reflect on the counselor’s interpretation. The art of therapy lies in integrating the belief system of the client and the cultural understanding of the counselor and presenting it to the client.
Many associate psychology with sitting in a chair in a small office as someone taking notes, asking how you feel about a certain event or feeling, or analyzing your deepest secrets and memories. However, it branches off into many other fields. A clinical psychologist’s main job is “to reduce the distress and improve the psychological wellbeing of clients” (Bond). This can include anything from depression, eating disorders, and addiction, to mental illness, family and personal relationships, and learning disabilities (Bond). A clinical psychologist usually will choose to have an emphasis in a certain field such as children and learning disabilities and work in schools or social work facilities, or mental illness and work in a hospital (Bond).