Multicultural Counseling Critique Essay -- Counseling

Multicultural Counseling Critique: Counseling Utilization by Ethnic Minority College Students Although the practice of counseling has evolved considerably since its inception, the concept of multicultural competence remains novel. Engrossed in the lives of every clinician are underlined biases and prejudices that act as filters in which every interaction with a clients is affected. Current research on the topic of multicultural counseling has shown that although multicultural awareness is on the rise there is still a remarkable gap in research regarding the use of counseling service and outcomes for racial and ethnic minorities (Kerney,Draper, & Baron, 2005). Insights such as these have encouraged researchers to investigate multicultural counseling, on many different levels of delivery. One such level is that of the university counseling center setting. Kerney, Draper, & Baron (2005) suggest that in order to address the need for research on the effectiveness of therapy for minorities, one must examine the current effectiveness of therapy on university campuses and the coincid ing utilization of counseling services by racial and ethnic minorities. In order to do this the researchers examined the differences among African American, Asian American, Latino, and Caucasian students in therapy attendance after intake, and the severity of distress at both intake and last session (Kerney,Draper, & Baron, 2005). The current paper will critique the research conducted by Kerney, Draper, & Baron, in order to gain further awareness into multicultural competent methods of working with ethnic and racial minorities. The current research addressed the issue of ethnic and racial minorities’ utilization of counseling services in a university setting... ...nd racial minorities, an increased amount of attention should be focused on normalizing counseling for ethnic and racial minority students. In doing so the stigma of counseling may be decreased and increased usage of services might occur. Upon review of the current literature concerning multicultural counseling, it has become evident that a competent counselor is an individual both aware of his culture, and dually aware of his client’s cultural point of view. In order to be a counselor who is competent in his craft, an understanding of other cultures must first be accomplished, and integrated as part of a counseling modality that is both flexible and able to accommodate client concerns in whatever manner they manifest. This incorporation is crucial in becoming a more culturally aware and sensitive counselor, and is a component worth integrating into practice.