Jade Pearson

Core 2 Reflections
Core 2: SOCIAL AND CULTURAL DIVERSITY

Substandard a: multicultural and pluralistic characteristics within and among diverse groups

nationally and internationally; Substandard c: multicultural counseling competencies

Multicultural and pluralistic characteristics among diverse student populations exist and

are very common. Diversity comes in ethnicity, culture, nationality, gender, age, and sexual

identity, among many other status variables (2a). The counselor needs to be aware of these

characteristics when working with their students to be competent in their profession (2c).

Different cultural groups will have different attitudes toward the counseling relationship. For

example, the help-seeking behavior of African American males may look different than that of

White females. It is also important to note that beliefs toward education vary among cultures.

In my work as a mentor for students in a first-year experience class called University

100 (U-100), I worked with a diverse student population. One of my students was an

Armenian-American student who struggled to balance home expectations and school work. She

expressed her struggles in feeling competent in school and feeling as if she is neglecting her

familial responsibilities. She said that receiving an education was important in her family and

that she should use her energy towards this endeavor. However, the student felt as if the family

held an impossible standard to reach. Although she was expected to spend time studying, she

was also expected to be present when the family visited. The family did not understand

extracurricular activities and how that is instrumental in professional growth and upward

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mobility for the student. Unfortunately, this caused pressure and feelings of confusion in what

her priorities were.

Ultimately, I built rapport with this student and suggested that the student seek out a

support system with friends who also experience the same struggles as her. I was culturally

sensitive when working with this student, considering her collectivistic culture (2a, 2c). I

referred the student to culturally relevant clubs and organizations on campus. When following

up with this student, she expressed that having a friend who understood the pressure she felt

was paramount to persisting in her studies. Using Rendon’s Theory of Validation (2002), I was

able to help the student feel seen and understood, positively impacting her future success in her

studies. Rendon (2002) states that validation is paramount for student involvement and,

subsequently, student persistence.

As a counselor in training, it was vital for me to recognize the dynamic that the student

was describing in a culturally relevant context. To bring honor to the family, the student must be

successful in their career endeavors while also adhering to a familial code that is built upon

collectivistic principles. I needed to empathize with the student while also using culturally

relevant skills such as asking the student about her familial relationship and validating her

experience as an individual in a collectivistic culture. I was able to draw upon my multicultural

counseling skills to help this student feel understood and release guilt feelings.

Substandard b: theories and models of multicultural counseling, cultural identity development,

and social justice and advocacy

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Multicultural counseling can be seen in the framework of theories and models, including

cultural identity development, social justice, and advocacy. Some examples include Critical

Race Theory (Delgado, 2012), Schlossberg’s (1989) Theory of Marginality and Mattering, and

Validation Theory (Rendon, 2002). Counseling professionals should be aware of these models

to help guide them in their work with students from diverse backgrounds.

In my experience working with students at West Ranch High School who were

transitioning into college, I was able to reference a theoretical framework for multicultural

counseling. I worked with a student who immigrated from the Philippines and faced barriers to

accessing higher education and lacked social capital. Patience, multicultural competency, and

understanding were key in working with this student.

This particular student ran into many barriers while applying to college; in fact, her

application would not go through because she was flagged in the application system as a

non-resident. When she came to see me, she was very distraught and discouraged. I was able to

use unconditional positive regard and understand the culture that she comes from, which

emphasizes college attendance to gain cultural and social capital. I used Schlossberg’s (1989)

theory to make my student feel important and appreciated. I found it necessary to let the student

know that I was so proud of how far she’s come and appreciate her sharing her struggles with

me. Additionally, the unanticipated non-event of not going to college was a daunting situation,

mainly because they felt they had little to no control over the situation.

I supported the student through this process and came up with strategies to cope with

this new reality. I reached out to my connections at COC and referred the student to my

colleague and the residency specialist. I helped the student advocate for herself by encouraging

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her to write down all of the questions she wanted to ask and not “feel bad” for asking them. I

went over how to call and email the appropriate party to get the answers she wanted.

Unfortunately, this student decided she needed to take a gap year but was very grateful to have

talked to me about the situation. I let this student know that she now has advocacy tools that

many students her age will not have. I told the student that although the situation didn’t turn out

as she hoped, I believe things will work out for her. This gave the student hope and she wrote a

lovely card to thank me for the help I provided.

Understanding theory is important to working with student populations because they

give you a framework for working with the student’s unique situation. In this case, I utilized

theory to understand my student’s perspectives and help them advocate for themselves. In the

end, the student didn’t achieve the outcome that she’d wanted. However, she came out of the

situation with essential tools to help her in her future career and educational endeavors.

Substandard d: the impact of heritage, attitudes, beliefs, understandings, and acculturative

experiences on an individual’s views of others and Substandard f: help-seeking behaviors of

diverse clients

Our environment and our beliefs shape our worldview and subsequently our view of

others. The Social Cognitive Career Theory explains how career interests, choices, and

successes come about through learned experiences throughout life (Bandura, 1997). A person’s

unique challenges, experiences, and barriers may lead them to understand people from a

selective lens. Subsequently, they may have different views on asking others for help. (2d, 2f).

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Because of this lens that someone may have, it will affect how they interact with the world

around them.

During my master’s program, I wrote a research paper on help-seeking behaviors of the

African American male student population (Major Artifact, “Help-Seeking Behaviors In

Black Male Student Populations”). I chose to focus my attention on this student population

because they graduate college at a significantly lower rate than that of their White peers,

partially due to barriers in asking for help (2f). Although African Americans seek formal help

for their mental illness such as depression, it is at significantly lower rates compared to White

Americans (Roninson et al., 2018). In fact, in comparison with females of most ethnic or racial

groups and White males, African American males significantly have the least likelihood to seek

help for health-related issues (Robinson et al., 2018). This is unfortunate because Black males

also have some of the highest rates in infant mortality, high school dropout, incarceration,

homelessness, unemployment, cardiovascular disease, cancer, HIV, depression, substance abuse,

homicide. These factors lead to poor health outcomes and the lowest life expectancy of any

other race or gender (Robinson et al., 2018).

In my work as a mentor for students in a first-year experience class called U-100, I was

able to work with a diverse student population with different views of counselors and seeking

help (2f). One of my students in particular was a Mexican-American student who had a difficult

time opening up in session. She was initially avoidant when it came to interactions in class and

was one of the students I had a difficult time scheduling a meeting with. When I would ask her

questions, she would give me short answers. I used counseling skills to ask open-ended

questions in order for her to expand a little more. When we started talking about family, I

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learned that she comes from a collectivistic culture. In addition to this, her culture views

counseling as for people who are “crazy.” Because of this stigma, this student was

uncomfortable with the idea of counseling and saw me as someone who was there to “fix” her

problems. She also didn’t understand how the other students were comfortable with seeing a

counselor.

I understood that this was an acculturative experience for her, and so I explained

counseling as something that people can benefit from (2d). In fact, many people who seek

counseling are healthy but need to work through some issues that affect their everyday

functioning. When we began to talk about school, she revealed that she was stressed by the

coursework and that her family didn’t understand the rigor of school. I listened empathetically

and offered validation for her experience regarding the clash of the two cultures. Toward the end

of the session, her body language and affect became more open. When it came to scheduling our

next session, the student was easy to reach and open to seeing me sooner rather than later.

I believe that an individual's heritage and acculturative experiences change their view of

others and subsequently affect their help-seeking behavior. The student I worked with was

avoidant at first in seeking help due to her stigmatized views of counseling and helping

professionals like myself. After our initial interaction, I believe she felt understood and heard,

which is why she was open to meeting with me a second time. Overall, I understood the

student’s perspective on others and counseling to properly help her address the stress that she

was feeling from her coursework.

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Substandard e: the effects of power and privilege for counselors and clients and Substandard

h: strategies for identifying and eliminating barriers, prejudices, and processes of intentional

and unintentional oppression and discrimination

Power and privilege are often seen as something exclusive to White males in society.

However, there are many status variables that can be seen as privileged in this society. These

include socioeconomic status, whiteness, maleness, gender-conformity, citizenship, Christianity,

English-speaking abilities, youthfulness, and cognitive-psychological ability. As affected by

these status variables, identity may affect the dynamics in the counseling session (2e). In

addition to this, counselors need to recognize their areas of privilege in order to become more

self-aware and subsequently more effective in counseling sessions. Counselors may also use

their privilege to address and eliminate barriers, oppression, and discrimination against certain

student populations. This can include educating their clients, advocating for clients, holding

workshops to educate the community, and even writing letters to elected officials to achieve

lasting and positive change (2h).

I am privileged in that I am a middle-class and a U.S. citizen (2e). In my work with

students as part of a first-year experience class called U-100, I was able to counsel students

individually and even facilitate a class presentation. I had three students who were

undocumented and faced barriers with financial aid, travel restrictions, a lack of social capital,

and experience feelings of isolation. One student in particular had feelings of isolation due to

not talking with her friends about the barriers she was facing. Also, she had feelings of disdain

towards financial aid for not providing enough money to live on-campus due to her residency

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status. This student was very vocal about her experiences in class and it gave me an incentive to

educate the rest of the class by facilitating a presentation.

I was able to do research on America’s immigration history and educate myself on the

current political climate concerning immigration policy (2h). By doing so I created a

presentation called “Undocumented Student Populations” (Minor Artifact) I felt it necessary

to help my students’ peers understand the barriers that undocumented students face, especially

in light of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program phase-out.

Additionally, I felt it important to add a humanistic perspective by going over the term “illegal

immigrant” and how that further isolates those who have undocumented status. I went over a

section titled “Social and Psychological Impact” which included decreased feelings of

self-efficacy, shame, anxiety, and fear of seeking help. Toward the end, I was able to give the

students tips for advocacy which included understanding and acknowledging the person’s

reality, educating ourselves on policy, and advocating for human rights.

Oppression and discrimination affect the client’s functioning level and should be

addressed when working with students (Remley, 2019). Istudent’n my interactions with

students, I’ve had to work through my privilege to understand what my student was

experiencing. Also, I’ve had to understand how systemic barriers cause hardships in the lives of

minority populations. Being an African American woman, I am familiar with the difficulties and

obstacles that others face because I face my own. I believe this gives me a level of

understanding and empathy for my clients.

Substandard g: the impact of spiritual beliefs on clients’ and counselors’ worldviews

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Spirituality is a part of the human experience, and many students may be in the process

of developing their own beliefs. In the Fall of the first year of my master’s program, I wrote a

literature review on Fowler’s (1981) Theory of Faith Development addresses this process in

seven stages (Minor Artifact, “Fowler’s Faith Development Theory). Depending on the stage

that the student is at, they may possess certain narratives about the world around them. Many

college students are at stage four, which is called individuative-reflective faith (Fowler, 1981).

In this stage, students become self-authors of their faith, beliefs, and commitments. It is

important to note that addressing clients’ religious beliefs is instrumental in approaching the

career counseling process. Worldviews will vary among each individual, and depending on the

student’s belief system, the counselor will help them to explore accordingly. For example, a

client who feels that they have a calling to help others because it’s in line with their spiritual

beliefs should be encouraged to explore these feelings further.

In my work as a mentor for students in a first-year experience class called U-100, I was

able to work with students at different stages of spiritual and moral development. One of my

students identified with catholicism and expressed her faith with me. This student felt shame

and cognitive dissonance at her actions that were in contrast with her beliefs. This student was

experiencing a crisis in her beliefs. She moved from a dichotomous way of thinking to more of

a multiplistic perspective (Perry, 1981). She also seemed to be in Fowler's stage three which is

characterized by an abstract understanding of the religion which gives personal meaning but

requires external validation to affirm decisions (Fowler, 1981). This student was not receiving

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external confirmation for her decision and was forced to look at her faith through a different

lens.

In working with this student, I needed to put aside my own views in order to see things

from her perspective. I was able to feel empathy for the student and help them understand that

nobody is perfect and we all make mistakes; thankfully, that’s what grace is for. This statement

truly helped the student as she felt heard, understood, and relieved towards our session’s end.

One thing I am sure of is that empathy is universal. Regardless of my faith, I should be able to

help students of any religion and any stage of their faith development journey. Counselors have

a unique duty to help their clients in mind, body, and spirit, as these elements are interrelated.

Additionally, counselors need to be comfortable with integrating spirituality in counseling as

appropriate.

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References

Bandura, A. (1997). Self-efficacy: The exercise of control. W H Freeman/Times Books/ Henry

Holt & Co.

Delgado, Richard. (2012). Critical race theory : an introduction. New York :New York
University Press.

Fowler, J. W. (1981). Stages of faith: The psychology of human development and the quest for
meaning. San Francisco: Harper & Row.

Perry, W.G. (1981). Cognitive and ethical growth: The making of meaning . In A. W.
Chickering (Ed.), The modern American college (pp. 76-116). San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

Remley, Theodore P. Jr. and Herlihy, Barbara P., "Ethical, Legal, and Professional Issues in
Counseling (6th Edition)" (2019). Counseling & Human Services Faculty Books. 26.

Rendón, L. I. (2002). Community College Puente: A Validating model of Education.

Educational Policy, 16(4), 642-667.

Robinson, M.A., Jones-Eversley, S., Moore, S.E. et al. Black Male Mental Health and the Black
Church: Advancing a Collaborative Partnership and Research Agenda. J Relig Health 57,
1095–1107 (2018). https://doi-org.libproxy.csun.edu/10.1007/s10943-018-0570-x

Schlossberg, N. K. (1989). Marginality and mattering: Key issues in building community. New
Directions for Student Services, 48, 5–15. https://doi.org/10.1002/ss.37119894803

Minor Artifact, “Undocumented Student Populations” Presentation

Minor Artifact, “Fowler’s Faith Development Theory
Major Artifact, “Help-Seeking Behaviors In Black Male Student Populations”

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