Rose discussion:
In order for counselors to effectively assist clients who are of a different cultural or religious background then their own, it is required that they become multiculturally competent. In highlighting the importance of being multiculturally competent, Hays and Erford (2014) explained that shifts in demographics, and an increased diversity in the counseling profession lead to the thought that multicultural competence was a necessary precursor to general competence for counselors (Hays & Erford, 2014, p. 21). This resulted in an increased focus on multicultural issues in general and multicultural competencies more specifically in counselor training, research, and practice (Hays & Erford, 2014, p. 21).
Response
According to Hays and Erford (2014) a culturally competent counselor is defined as one who has self-awareness of values and biases, understands client worldviews, and intervenes in a culturally appropriate manner (Hays & Erford, 2014, p. 21). The authors added that these standards were developed to primarily address racial and ethnic factors, the intersection with other cultural identities, such as gender, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, and spirituality, is increasingly being addressed (Hays & Erford, 2014, p. 21).
Hays and Erford (2014) explained that there are three overarching multicultural counseling competence (MCC) dimensions with corresponding competencies, objectives related to counselor attitudes and beliefs, knowledge, and skills. According to the authors, they are as follows:
I. Counselor Awareness of Own Cultural Values and Biases Attitudes and Beliefs: Counselors are aware of themselves and their clients as cultural beings and appreciate these cultural differences. They also understand how their cultural backgrounds affect the counseling process (Hays & Erford, 2014, p. 22).
II. Counselor Awareness of Client's Worldview Attitudes and Beliefs: Counselors are aware of how stereotypes and other negative reactions they hold about minority clients affect the counseling relationship, process, and outcome (Hays & Erford, 2014, p. 22).
III. Culturally Appropriate Intervention Strategies Attitudes and Beliefs: Counselors identify and respect community-specific values (e.g., spiritual beliefs), and actively integrate them into counseling interventions. Skills: Counselors engage in both verbal and nonverbal helping responses that are congruent with the helping style of their clients. During helping, counselors understand and articulate expectations and limitations of counseling assessments and interventions (e.g., language match, spiritual leadership) (Hays & Erford, 2014, p. 22).
Biblical World View
There are several Scriptures that emphasize the importance of seeking effective counsel. The bible verse I chose, discusses the impact of good counsel and is found in the Proverbs 12 verse 15, which reads, "The way of a fool is right in his own eyes, But he who heeds counselis wise" (Proverbs 12:15, NKJV).
The verse mentioned above I believe, highlights the significance of effective counseling. A counselor is not using their Christian faith effectively if they challenge the religious beliefs or moral values of clients. In the article titled Interventions that apply Scripture in psychotherapy, Garzon (2005) discussed a multitude of ways in which counselors can use Scripture that are not overtly religious. However, he added, that counselors have to respect for the client's autonomy, they also have to mindful of the client's religious and spiritual beliefs, and lastly, they must be flexible and responsive to the client's religious and spiritual beliefs (Garzon, 2005, p. 115).
References
Hays, D. G., & Erford, B. T. (2014). Developing multicultural counseling competence: A systems approach (2nd ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson.
Garzon, F. (2005). Interventions that apply Scripture in psychotherapy. Journal of sychology and Theology, 33(2), 113-121.