Multicultural Competence - Case Study

Running head: MULTICULTURAL COMPETENCE 1
Multicultural Competence - Case Study
Student’s Name
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MULTICULTURAL COMPETENCE 2
Multicultural Competence - Case Study
Case Study: Mental Health Counseling
You are a staff counselor working at a community mental health clinic. Your caseload
includes working clients from diverse backgrounds who have serious and chronic mental
disorders. One of your clients, a 20-year-old man from Central Africa, has been diagnosed with
Schizophrenia. One day his parents are present when you make a home visit. They want to invite
the extended family to a healing ceremony for their son and have asked a local shaman to
perform a ritual to banish any bad spirits that are interfering with their son's cure. Because you
have been successful in establishing a relationship with their son, they respect you and want you
to take part in the ceremony.
Discussion
In counseling, multicultural competence is the ability of the counselor to approach
counseling the context of the client’s world (Ratts et al. 2016). Multicultural competence
expands the roles of counselors as therapists by stipulating them to get in touch with their own
biases, behavior, assumptions, values, and limitations. This allows counselors to assist clients
from a relevant perspective. In knowing this, the 20-year old client, who is currently diagnosed
with Schizophrenia, requires special needs in his case.
There are some key areas of multicultural competence required in working with this 20-
year old client who is currently diagnosed with Schizophrenia. First, counselor awareness of
personal cultural values and biases is needed. According to Constantine, Miville, and Kindaichi
(2008), for the effective counseling process, a counselor needs to cognize any cultural values or
bias they possess and recognize their practice limits. Therefore, before getting involved with the
healing ceremony implemented by the clients’ family, the counselor must understand all
concerns regarding ethics, values, and beliefs of Central Africans and his/her own religious
biases. Another multicultural competence that is needed in this case is the culturally suitable
intervention strategies. Before engaging in the ceremony, the counselor must maintain the
knowledge of the client’s family dynamics, the bias in assessment, hierarchy, and discriminatory
practices that may affect the client.
No one is immune from bias, even us counselors. Personally, I have possesses biases. As
a counselor working on this case, the only bias I can see becoming an issue is the constant
involvement of the family. This would arise, especially if the family works against everything
the client and I have worked so hard to attain and establish. According to Ratts et al. (2016), the
counselor’s bias is one of the main sources of ethical issues that counselors encounter when
working with clients within the context of the professional therapeutic relationship. The ethical
issue arises when the personal values and biases of the counselor clashes with those of their
client. In order to ensure the ethical practice is being followed, I would consult with a supervisor
with concerns. I would also take the necessary steps to ensure my personal biases and view
won’t cloud judgments or distort the clients’ self-esteem.
As a counselor working with this 20-year old Central Africa client, there are several
multicultural counseling skills and intervention techniques that will be helpful. First, the skill of
self-awareness would be very beneficial. It would be essential for me to understand my own
cultural experience and acknowledge how it contributes to cultural biases, privileges, and
prejudices. Another skill that would be helpful is communication. Communication, both non-
verbal and verbal, is a crucial aspect in a therapeutic relationship (Remley & Herlihy, 2014).
Communication skills will help me in understanding Central Africa’s culture. This will be crucial
in effective counseling.
References
Constantine, M. G., Miville, M. L., & Kindaichi, M. M. (2008). Multicultural competence in
counseling psychology practice and training. Handbook of counseling psychology, 4,
141-158.
Ratts, M. J., Singh, A. A., Nassar‐McMillan, S., Butler, S. K., & McCullough, J. R. (2016).
Multicultural and social justice counseling competencies: Guidelines for the counseling
profession. Journal of Multicultural Counseling and Development, 44(1), 28-48.
Remley, T. P., & Herlihy, B. (2014). Ethical, legal, and professional issues in counseling. Upper
Saddle River, NJ: Pearson

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Running head: MULTICULTURAL COMPETENCE 1

Multicultural Competence - Case Study

Multicultural Competence - Case Study

Case Study: Mental Health Counseling

to take part in the ceremony.

In counseling, multicultural competence is the ability of the counselor to approach

with Schizophrenia, requires special needs in his case.

practices that may affect the client.

won’t cloud judgments or distort the clients’ self-esteem.

self-awareness would be very beneficial. It would be essential for me to understand my own

Constantine, M. G., Miville, M. L., & Kindaichi, M. M. (2008). Multicultural competence in

counseling psychology practice and training. Handbook of counseling psychology, 4,

profession. Journal of Multicultural Counseling and Development, 44(1), 28-48.

Saddle River, NJ: Pearson

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