Discourse represents the languages, ideas, and images that together shape one's understanding of the world. In counseling, discourse determines clinical practice. The authors posit that dominant discourse in counseling promotes an intrapsychic status quo that discounts the relationship between individuals and their environment, which often leads…

Limited literature is available applying specific theoretical orientations with American Indians. Solution-focused therapy may be appropriate, given the client-identified solutions, the egalitarian counselor/client relationship, the use of relationships, and the view that change is inevitable. However, adaption of scaling questions and the miracle…

Social justice is considered the 5th force in counseling and has largely been aimed toward advocating for oppressed individuals and groups by creating change in the societal structures that maintain oppression. However, there is a lack of information for counselors who work with clients who oppress others. This article addresses assessment,…

The authors present an experiential activity, the token activity, that increases student awareness of power and privilege dynamics. Student feedback is incorporated to offer perceptions and knowledge gained from their experience.

Accurate assessment of ethnic minority clients is often hindered by clinician bias and lack of culturally sensitive instruments. Multicultural guidelines can enhance clinician awareness and sensitivity in conducting assessments with diverse populations. These guidelines are illustrated using an Asian Indian American character from Lahiri's (2008)…

Affirmation approach to counseling offers counselors a flexible set of verbal skills that permit rapport with reluctant, Black, male clients while avoiding damage to self-esteem that occurs when these clients are persuaded to change by counselor-influencing techniques. Affirmation techniques enable counselors to deal with each Black, male client…

Describes one approach to helping counselors-in-training increase their understanding of the differences in backgrounds, values, and life-styles of minorities. (Author/BL)

The author, a Caucasian doctoral student of clinical psychology, examined her ongoing interaction with Elaine, an adult woman of African and Native American descent. Incidents of learning during the interaction process are reviewed and qualitative and quantitative assessments are provided to examine the effectiveness of such interactions in a…

Increasingly, the psychological literature has begun to address both feminist and multicultural concerns, although these fields have rarely incorporated each others' diverse and vibrant ideas. This article explores the connections between feminist and multicultural psychology, and encourages the profession to more fully embrace and affirm both…

Appalachians have been referred to as the forgotten people and are often overlooked in multicultural counseling. A case study is presented using the extended case method to enhance counselor awareness and demonstrate how counselors can apply knowledge of the Appalachian culture in the provision of best practices for this population.

During their professional career, counselors may encounter a client who is deaf; however, they may feel unprepared to work effectively with this population. Counselors who have an understanding of individuals who are deaf through their history, language, and other important considerations might be better prepared to work with this unique and…

Clinical psychology trainees attain multicultural competence not only by reading the relevant literature but also by working directly with multiculturally diverse clients. This article is an examination of this type of interaction that occurred between the author (a doctoral clinical psychology trainee) and a Latina.

This article describes a training design to help counselor trainees perceive the positive and negative messages in a client's internal dialog. Twenty graduate counselors-in-training produced 2 10-minute interviews with simultaneous feedback from an anticounselor (gives explicit negative messages) and a procounselor (gives explicit positive…

The Hmong in the U.S., a refugee population from Southeast Asia, brought a rich culture with them. To maximize therapeutic success with Hmong clients, counselors must acknowledge and understand Hmong history, culture, and acculturation and the value placed on family and community. This article provides background information and suggestions for…

The 3 major topics discussed begin with a recommendation of family counseling as the primary therapeutic modality for Korean Americans. Second, the article recommends various culturally congruent joining strategies, presented in 5 general groups. The 3rd major section of the article offers the cross-cultural counselor strategies for therapeutic…