Cultural competence is essential in counseling both as the means of establishing a rapport with the client and as the tool for adjusting the selected therapy approach to the client’s needs. A culturally competent counselor is aware of the significance that cultural specifics have in therapy, which is why incorporating the client’s background into the chosen therapeutic approach is deemed as one of the key priorities (). To become a culturally competent counselor, one must develop critical faculties and analytical thinking as the main tools in addressing biases that may emerge in the course of cross-cultural communication.
Another important concept to consider when implementing counseling practice is the etic vs. emic debate as the argument about the nature of the factors shaping one’s psychological and personal development. In counseling, etic is referred to external factors, primarily, societal ones, whereas emic encompasses the internal contributors to one’s development and personality (Cobas et al., 2018). Therefore, the specified dichotomy can be paralleled with the nature vs. nurture discourse.
Applying developmental models to counseling cases is vital for understanding clients’ needs properly. Taking my case as an example, I must mention that my mother is from Belize, whereas my biological father was of a mixed Canadian and Ukrainian descent. Based on the specified information, the Biracial Identity Development Model should be applied to my experience. However, given the lack of impact of my biological father’s cultural heritage on my development, the Latino Identity Orientations framework could also be suitable in this case. Specifically, the Latino identified framework should be utilized in order to understand my cultural background since I accept both Latino and White cultures but identify with the former.
Reference
Cobas, J. A., Feagin, J. R., Delgado, D. J., & Chávez, M. (Eds.). (2018). Latino peoples in the new America: Racialization and resistance. Routledge.