Importance of Cultural Competency in Counselors
Counselors must understand the cultural factors relevant to various groups to practice cultural competency, a critical component of counseling. Immigrants may benefit from culturally competent therapists. This, in turn, may facilitate more relaxed and practical therapy sessions. Additionally, it can help the client feel heard and supported and can help overcome any cultural differences between the client and the therapy provider.
Therefore, this paper will discuss the cultural factors counselors must consider when interacting with clients from diverse backgrounds, including refugees, documented immigrants, and undocumented immigrants. The paper will also examine the cultural issues and patterns unique to American regions, including the Hmong in California and Cuban Americans in Florida. In addition, the cultural reflections of Hispanic Americans in the Southwest will be discussed, as will any white ethnic group the counselor may consider investigating.
Documented Immigrants
People who migrate abroad in search of better opportunities are known as immigrants. Counselors who are efficient and successful must acknowledge that immigrants are sensitive to cultural differences and frequently come from backgrounds where psychotherapy is not standard. The priority should be teaching them the fundamentals of psychotherapy and how to reconcile their cultural background with that of the host nation. A therapist should explore immigrants’ customs and culture as well as the stigma associated with mental illness and traumatic experiences (Lau & Rodgers, 2021).
The counselor needs to learn more about their immigration experiences and the cultural upheavals they have experienced. They must consider the difficulties immigrants face in blending in, as well as their age, spoken language, marital status, social standing, and economic status. In addition, they should consider prejudice and obstacles that can make it challenging to manage immigrants from areas with delicate cultural ties. They should keep searching for strategies to break down linguistic barriers and make communication easier.
Undocumented Immigrants
Undocumented immigrants are forced to move unlawfully due to a variety of obstacles they must overcome. Their situation worsens as their preparations come to a standstill, and they are compelled to live in hiding, take on menial jobs that require dirty labor, and conceal themselves to escape being detained and deported. Most immigrants travel for humanitarian protection, but regrettably, it is more difficult to establish legal residency in the receiving nation when there is no controlled paperwork system (Oppedal et al., 2020). In addition, during the trip and their stay, the participants must make tough decisions that could endanger their mental and physical health. For this reason, therapy is necessary to reduce stress and anxiety.
Counselors must consider their clients’ cultural backgrounds when selecting the most appropriate treatment approach for each individual. Many immigrants have encountered bullying and discrimination, but since it is often a part of their development, they lack the foundation for counseling (Garcini et al., 2021). A client’s dual cultural background and opposing expectations and values are shared.
To avoid placing the client in a complex cultural situation, the therapist should adopt an impartial stance and communicate openly before rendering a general judgment. In addition, the counselor ought to acknowledge conventional cultural elements, societal modesty, and perceptions of distress that are unique to a given culture. When providing counseling services to patients, be mindful of culturally particular phenomena, but also approach every client as a unique person and determine the significance of their culture for them.
Refugees
Refugees are those people who flee as a result of hostilities in their country of origin and apply for asylum abroad. Refugees, as opposed to immigrants, are compelled to flee their nations to get humanitarian protection from catastrophes, conflict, and persecution. Since the process jeopardizes their mental health, therapy services are advised(Lau & Rodgers, 2021). Counselors are expected to honor clients’ cultural reflections, including differences in language and religion.
The first step should be examining the reasons behind their departure from their nation. In addition to helping refugees understand the laws and customs of the receiving nation and protecting them from persecution, counselors should also educate them about the receiving nation’s customs and culture. In contrast to the common preconception of particular social groups, the counselor should assess the refugee as a person. Rather than making the refugees feel alienated, they should build relationships with them.
The Hmong in California
The Hmong in California have always had trouble with the US healthcare system since their entry into the country. Within this cultural category, the Hmong believe that ghosts known as the Tlan are responsible for sickness. The majority of their social customs are validated by this clouding of their views and ideas of illness and therapy.
This often results in their social customs and views on therapy being misunderstood and disregarded (Sue et al., 2019). Healthcare providers need to recognize and respect cultural differences to ensure equal and effective care for all individuals. By acknowledging and accommodating diverse beliefs and practices, the government can build a more inclusive and equitable healthcare system.
The Hmong people of California are refugees from a Chinese ethnic minority who fled to the US following the Vietnam War because of persecution and brutality back home. The disparity between the Hmong individual’s traditional perspectives on illness, medication, and American healthcare delivery constituted a significant cultural problem. The Hmong believed that sickness was a demonic phenomenon. The Hmong people were perplexed by the discrepancy since they were accustomed to shunning the ill, which prevented them from getting medical attention (Sue et al., 2019).
The Hmong people are also renowned for being quiet, reserved, and timid, which inhibits communication. Since they did not use birth control, the Lao people have a different perspective on family. Unlike Americans, who advocated managing households, they believed in large, crowded families. Since the Lao people are highly superstitious, even ordinary events might be seen as portentous. Their lifestyle is different from American culture in that it is industrialized and mechanized. For example, people who are unfamiliar with refrigeration and perishable products may eat contaminated food, which can make them sick.
Cuban Americans in Florida
Following the previous president, Obama’s, declaration of the country’s reestablished connections, the Cuban population in American places such as Florida increased considerably. In addition, after Fidel Castro declared hatred and violence toward those who disapproved of him during communist activity, many Cubans emigrated to the United States. Most groups enter the town through entry ports in search of employment opportunities, such as migration contracts, although some arrive as refugees from military dictatorships (Sue et al., 2019).
The wealthy Cuban exiles used every means at their disposal to get away from Cuba. The majority of Cuban social groups are made up of other Hispanics. They believe timeliness to be unpleasant and are traditional. A Cuban American’s constant concern is of being assassinated. They turn to petty jobs because they have no hope left in life. They are worried that no one will listen to them and that they might even go to jail for speaking up, which is why they are afraid to participate in important events.
Hispanic Americans in the Southwest
Hispanic Americans are apprehensive about engaging in pursuits that could lead to intra-group rivalry. Since birth, they have been taught not to believe any European Americans, which has made them usually disbelieving. Their lives are significantly impacted by their close relationships with their families. Given how solid their connections are and how challenging it is to separate them, it is difficult to intervene in their lives (Sue et al., 2019).
While men are expected to be dictatorial, women are expected to perform household duties and be subservient. Hispanics account for a sizable share of the unskilled labor force due to high school dropout rates. Hispanic Americans are reluctant and rarely divulge personal information before building a relationship. Hispanics are ready to claim that they will resolve the problem among themselves and seldom seek help regarding any inherent mental health concerns.
Italian
The largest Italian migrant group in the United States comprised individuals who arrived in large numbers, stayed, and then departed. Italian immigrants migrated to the US with the intent to provide labor. Italians usually perceive political authority with suspicion. The most common misconception about Italians is that they enjoy fine cuisine, cherish small moments, and uphold Italian customs whenever possible (Sue et al., 2019).
They were cruelly and suspiciously treated, which led them to cling to other Italians. Americans who were primarily protestant shunned them because of their predominantly Catholic religion. Italians are generally thought to be very involved in crime. Italian Americans nowadays enjoy luxurious lives and have desirable accents.
References
Garcini, L. M., Daly, R., Chen, N., Mehl, J., Pham, T., Phan, T., Hansen, B., & Kothare, A. (2021). Undocumented immigrants and mental health: A systematic review of recent methodology and findings in the United States. Journal of Migration and Health, 4(4), 1–18.
Lau, L. S., & Rodgers, G. (2021). Cultural competence in refugee service settings: A scoping review. Health Equity, 5(1), 1–14.
Oppedal, B., Keles, S., Cheah, C., & Røysamb, E. (2020). Culture competence and mental health across different immigrant and refugee groups. BMC Public Health, 20(1), 1–18.
Sue, D. W., Sue, D., Neville, H., & Smith, L. (2019). Counseling the culturally diverse: Theory and practice(8th ed), (pp. 243–348). John Wiley & Sons, Inc.