African Americans and Counseling - PowerPoint Presentation

Slide1

African Americans and Counseling

Presented by:

Jocelyn Williams and

Mollee

ReitzSlide2

Presentation Outline

Introduction of Topic

Video: I Too Am Harvard

Video Discussion

Ethical and Professional Considerations for Multicultural Counseling

Cultural Considerations for African Americans

Counseling Interventions & African Americans

Narrative Therapy and Counseling African Americans

Stereotypes

Discussion Question Activity

ReferencesSlide3

I Too am HarvardSlide4

I Too Am HarvardSlide5

I Too am HarvardSlide6

I Too am HarvardSlide7

I Too Am Harvard

https://

www.youtube.com/watch?v=uAMTSPGZRiI

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Ethical & Professional Considerations for Multicultural Counseling

Be knowledgeable about and adhere to ACA’s Multicultural

Competencies

“For white counselors to become allies to communities of color, they must move beyond simply developing their awareness, knowledge and skill…to effectively partner with and support the needs of communities of color, counselors require more advanced skills and dispositions — such as those possessed by allies” (

Hipolito

-Delgado, 2014)

Having positive experiences with communities of color

Learning from communities of color

Identifying shared values and life experiences with communities of color

Having firsthand experience of the inequities or injustices encountered by communities of color

Receiving encouragement to be an advocate for communities of

colorSlide9

Ethical & Professional Considerations for

Multicultural Counseling (cont’d)

Multicultural Ethical Decision-Making Model (Frame & Williams, 2005)

Identify and define an ethical dilemma

– What is the crux of the dilemma? Who’s involved? What are the stakes? What are the cultural and historical factors that are at play?

Explore the context of power

– Where am I located in the power structures of my culture and community? Where is my client located? How could a power differential between myself and my client affect the welfare of my client?

Assess

acculturation and racial identity development

– Where is my client in th

e process of acculturation? Where am I? How do these levels of acculturation affect my ethical thinking and acting?

Seek consultation

– Who do I know that is a culturally competent counselor? What are the values, beliefs, meanings, cultural traditions of my consultant? What is my consultant’s position in the context of power?

Generate alternative solutions

– How does each of the options available to me fare when examined on the basis of the model’s criteria above? What are my fears or misgivings about each option?

Select a course of action

– What role has my client played in the decision-making process? What are my motives in selecting this course of action? What is my rationale? What is my critique of my decision?

Evaluate the decision

– How does this choice fit with the ethical code? How were my client’s cultural values and experiences taken into consideration? What did I learn from the struggle to resolve this ethical dilemma?Slide10

Cultural Considerations for Counseling African Americans

African Americans seek professional help,

such as

mental health services, at lower rates than other

ethnicities (

Taliaferro,

Casstevens

, &

Decuir

Gunby

, 2013)

Cultural Considerations

Religious/Spiritual Connection (Smart, 2010)

Tend to rely on and draw support from God, ministers, church staff, and prayer

Importance of Community (Smart, 2010)

Strong reliance on

family and friend networks

More

apt to seek advice from family doctor, clergy, or family

memberSlide11

Cultural Considerations for Counseling African Americans (cont’d)

Reluctant self

disclosure (Smart, 2010)

Dedication to personal

and family

confidentiality

“

Ethnic mismatch” – Whites

only (Smart, 2010)

Attitudes toward Mental Health

Counseling

Distrustful (Smart, 2010)

Perceptions of past negative experiences with mental health

care

Many fear that the experience may mirror racism and discrimination – similar to exclusion from schools or problematic contact with the police and justice system

Past experiences of not being treated like a person

Label that Whites give to African American

children Slide12

Cultural Considerations for Counseling African Americans (cont’d)

Inadequate treatment in health services, in general –

Long wait periods, discontinuity of care, inequality in the health care system, perceived unevenness of treatment from white

doctors

More

likely to reject genetic explanations and attribute mental health issues

to (Smart, 2010) -

Upbringing

Bad character

God’s will (spiritual component)

Need to strengthen relationship/spiritual connection with God

Having a weak mind

Poor health

Lack of self loveSlide13

Cultural Considerations for Counseling African Americans (cont’d)

Fear of

judgment/stigma (Smart, 2010)

Shame, rejection,

embarrassment

“

blackballed”, “

outcasted

”

Stigma

is

considered to be the

cause for social distance between those with mental illness and those without, as well as a lack of support for family members who seek mental health

services

Stereotypes and

Myths (Smart, 2010)

Mental illness is contagious, dangers, and unpredictable

No recovery

Mental illness is a curse/weakness

“Crazy” people are sent to the state

psychiatric hospitalSlide14

Therapies that are Considered Viable with African American Clients

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy

Behavior Therapy

Feminist Therapy

Dialectical Behavior Therapy

Narrative Therapy

Why do you think each of these therapeutic techniques is considered to work well with African American clients?

Do any of these techniques reflect the cultural considerations we discussed earlier?Slide15

Narrative Therapy

Narrative Therapy explores the human condition via the stories that clients bring to therapy (

Semmler

, 2000).

Clients are able to prescribe their own value and meaning to each of their stories (

Semmler

, 2000).

What clients know about themselves and the world around them is largely influenced by “the cultural practices in which we are all, clients and counselors alike, embedded” (

Semmler

, 2000).

Therefore, narrative therapy allows a client and therapist to explore what views, cultural assumptions, and beliefs are influencing that client and his or her life story. Slide16

Narrative Therapy Steps (Simplified)Slide17

Narrative Therapy with African American Clients

A key belief in NT is the idea that a person’s problems or dilemmas result from his or her social context rather than the individual.

Therefore, “oppressive ideas and practices” are the causes of racism and similar social issues, rather than the victim. However, “

internalized racism

” is also placed outside the client and viewed as the result of these practices and “habits of action” (

Semmler

, 2000). Slide18

Narrative Therapy with African American Clients (cont’d)

NT “acknowledges roles that socially oppressive discourses, such as racial stereotypes, can play” (Taliaferro et al, 2013, p. 38).

NT also acknowledges the distinctions between dominant and non-dominant cultures (Taliaferro et al, 2013).

Therapists must be able to acknowledge cultural differences, racism, and prejudice in order to effectively use NT. Ignoring these issues could prevent a client from discussing race or cultural issues and as a result prevent the counselor and client from fully addressing the client’s problem(s). Slide19

Narrative Therapy with African American Clients (cont’d)

NT can help increase awareness of the impact of race, gender, and other social constructs in the client’s life.

NT can help African American clients develop a healthy racial identity, manage social stigma, and prevent the internalization of negative racial stereotypes and prejudices that often occur at the pre-encounter stages of race-identity formation (

Semmler

, 2000). Slide20

Fact vs. Stereotype

A fact is an absolute statement whereas a stereotype is an oversimplified idea or representation of a person or thing.

When treating any group of people it’s important to remember that certain traits, such as collectivism, may be more common, but that does not mean they are applicable to all people in that group. Assuming any trait is present without evidence or discussion is a form of stereotyping. Slide21

Discussion Question ActivitySlide22

References

Frame, M. W., & Williams, C. B. (2005). A model of ethical decision making from a multicultural perspective.

Counseling & Values

,

49

(3), 165-179.

Hipolito

-Delgado

, C. P. (2014, March 27). Beyond cultural competence. Retrieved March 31, 2014, from Counseling Today website: http://ct.counseling.org/tag/multiculturalism-diversity/

Murdock

, N. L. (2013).

Theories of Counseling & Psychotherapy A Case Approach

(3rd ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson.

Rockquemore

, K., &

Laszloffy

, T. A. (2003). Multiple realities: A relational narrative approach in therapy with Black-White mixed-race clients.

Family Relations: An Interdisciplinary Journal Of Applied Family Studies

,

52

(2), 119-128. doi:10.1111/j.1741-3729.2003.00119.x

Semmler

, P., & Williams, C. (2000). Narrative therapy: A storied context for multicultural counseling.

Journal Of Multicultural Counseling And Development

,

28

(1), 51-62.

doi:10.1002/j.2161-1912.2000.tb00227.x

Smart, J. S. (2010).

Mental health utilization among

african

americans

: The relationship between attitudes towards seeking professional help and coping responses.

(Order No. 1486678, California State University, Long Beach).

ProQuest Dissertations and Theses,

, 98. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/759608574?accountid=14868. (759608574).

Taliaferro, J. D.,

Casstevens

, W. J., &

Decuir

gunby

, J.,T. (2013). Working with

african

american

clients using narrative therapy: An operational citizenship and critical race theory framework.

The International Journal of Narrative Therapy and Community Work,

(1), 34-45. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/1417521447?accountid=14868