Essay Sample on How the History and Theories of Counseling Have Both Benefited and Oppressed Cultural Groups

Introduction

In counseling people from different cultural diversities usually come together, for the counselors they belong to a given cultural identity. About this clients seeking counseling may find part of tactics to be either useful or ineffective in addressing a specific issue. Therefore history and theories of counseling are vessels of benefit and too of oppression as depicted below.

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Oppression - Majority of counseling therapists usually train with a given approach, for this reason, they lack the skills and know-how to operate in with culturally diverse people seeking counseling services. The model used conflicts with the cultural fabric of a particular group of clients, thus termed as inappropriate as it tends to lower the status of one cultural group in the eyes of another raising the eyebrows of superiority (Sue & Sue, 2016). The magnitude based on the fact that, the model of psychotherapy about the counseling theories fueled by customs beliefs and dominance of a selected high rated society.

Benefits - In such a diverse cultural setting, in order for people seeking counseling services to reap positives from their predicaments, they would require services from culturally competent counselors proven to have skills operating in diverse cultural setting enabling them to understand various cultural contexts for the benefit and inclusion of every client (Lee & Zaharlick, 2013). Above eliminates the element of biases and more trust is built over time especially when the counselor relates and borrow some notes from the history of a client.

Briefly describe the experience of a specific cultural group to support the points made in your explanation

To support sentiments made above consider an Asian cultural diversity, a client from the Asian origin might feel offered by a gesture where a counselor may suggest a Gestalt empty seat exercise to a woman, the thought of her father on the same seat telling him to tell her what opinions are on her mind. Considering in Asian culture respect for elders is of paramount relevance, as expected the client will feel offered to reveal her feelings to her father (Sue & Sue, 2016). A counter effect to the humiliation she may decide to end the counseling process, thus oppressed by the cultural theory as she ends up hurt as her woes taking her to counsel are not solved as she had anticipated (Pedersen, Lonner, Draguns, Trimble & Scharron-del Rio, 2015). Given the above experience of Asian cultural interaction help better understand how both history and cultural theories of counseling either benefit or oppress an individual.

One aspect of the history and its current impact on the worldview, attitudes, beliefs, values, and behaviors of group members

Let us consider in history archives the World War II and its effects across the globe. One notable impact was the decrease in the artificial intelligence quotient (IQ). A faulty equation of Intelligence on one's IQ resulted in misclassification of many Latino, African-American and Native American children were believed to be mental dwarfs with low reasoning as such would have emanated from the trauma of the war plus the residues of explosives used (Jared, 2015). Due to various engagement of diverse cultures in this war and the role played by each, the emergence of superior powers took center stage drawing lines of ethnic and racial differences. Africans participation and contribution were limited to some factors due to resources. The co-drivers of the war engaged Africans as servants to them terming them as less civilized. Where they were subject of discrimination, and they ended into slaves trade. Overtime Africans believed the whites were more superior and had a higher IQ compared to them. To date, the wounds and racial lines drawn are felt and have resulted in the emergence of various human rights bodies fighting for equal rights and cohesion.

Why an understanding of these aspects of history important for cultural competence

Cultural competence has over time become a vital tool in the creation of a conducive habitable environment for diverse cultural grouping. Understanding history aspects help build on a robust attitude towards a range of cultures, interacting with them and developing a common understanding of the different diversities (Lee & Zaharlick, 2013). The importance of this iron out instances of operation and cultivates the element of inclusion of all cultures. Understand the history is known to promote mental wellness and positive behavior and to engage the community for a common purpose.

It is critical to have in mind that cultural competence trigger achievement by identifying that every given cultural group brings tenets which help bring about the concept of a truly cohesive society. In this case can be done by a continued approach in exploring one's culture, beliefs, and values that give them an identity. Also an individual believing they can interact with people of diverse race and ethnicity. An assumption that there is heterogeneity within an ethnic group, but that the basis of cultural values is likely to be homogenous. Last engaging in dialogues with various people within one's circle would result in increased cultural literacy.

References

Sue, D., & Sue, D. (2016). Counseling the culturally diverse: Theory and practice (7th ed.). Hoboken: Wiley.

Jared, K. (2015). Handbook of Research on Promoting Cross-Cultural Competence and Social. Dakota USA: IGI Global.

Lee, M., & Zaharlick, A. (2013). Culturally Competent Research: Using Ethnography as a Meta-Framework. United States of America: Oxford University Press.

Pedersen, P., Lonner, W., Draguns, J., Trimble, J., & Scharron-del Rio, M. (2015). Counseling Across Cultures (7th ed.). Los Angeles: SAGE Publication Inc.