Conference Strand

Social Change, Leadership, and Advocacy

Abstract

The United States (U.S.) is known as the “melting pot” and is characterized by diversity (Matthews, Barden, & Sherrell, 2018). While the U.S. is culturally diverse, it is not culturally equal. Racial tensions have escalated recently, and psychologically harmful microaggressions are experienced by minorities across a multitude of settings, daily (Davis, DeBlaere, Brubaker, Owen, Jordan, Hook & Van Tongeren, 2015). Counselors must demonstrate cultural humility to be effective counselors in relationships where worldviews and values will inevitably clash (Davis et al., 2015, Hook, Watkins, Davis, Own, Van Tongren, & Ramos, 2016). Being culturally humble is a “lifelong commitment to self-evaluation and self-critique, to redressing the power imbalances… and to developing mutually beneficial and nonpaternalistic clinical and advocacy partnerships with communities” (Tervalon & Murray-Garcia, 1998, p. 117). Counselors should promote diversity and celebrate differences, but more importantly, counselors should be advocates and a force for social justice. How to best prepare counselors to be culturally aware, competent, and humble is a matter of great concern (Prosek& Michel, 2016; Celinska, & Swazo, 2015; Malott, Paone, Maddux, Rothman, 2010). The courageous conversations movement suggests an open dialogue is a great first step to addressing difficult topics (Mallot et al., 2010; Singleton & Hays, 2008).

Description

This session is a courageous conversation for counselors, counselor educators, site supervisors, and graduate students. How can we be comfortable having uncomfortable conversations about race and culture? This content session explores the topic of cultural humility in the counseling relationship, including an introduction to the courageous conversations protocol.

This discussion-based session has the following program learning goals:

1. Explore the cultural humility trend in the field

2. Discuss how cultural and racial issues arise in the counseling relationship

3. Identify the difficulties in addressing cultural and racial differences

Evidence

Davis, D.E., DeBlaere, C., Brubaker, K., Owen, J., Jordan, T.A., Hook, J.N., & Van Tongeren, D.R. (2016). Microagressions and perceptions of cultural humility in counseling. Journal of Counseling and Development, 94, 483-493.

Day-Vines, N. L., Ammah, B. B., Steen, S., & Arnold, K. M. (2018). Getting Comfortable with Discomfort: Preparing Counselor Trainees to Broach Racial, Ethnic, and Cultural Factors with Clients during Counseling. International Journal for the Advancement of Counselling, 40(2), 89-104.

Goforth, A. N. (2016). A cultural humility model of school psychology training and practice. In Trainer’s Forum, 34, No. 1, pp. 3-24).

Hooks, J.N., Watkins, C.E., Davis, D.E., Own, J., Van Tongeren, D., Ramos, M.J. (2016). Cultural humility in psychotherapy supervision. American Journal of Psychotherapy, 70(2), 149-166.

Singleton, G.E. & Hays, C.A. (n.d.). Beginning courageous conversations about race.

Sue, D. W., & Sue, D. (2012). Counseling the culturally diverse: Theory and practice. John Wiley & Sons.

Tervalon, M., & Murray-Garcia, J. (1998). Cultural humility versus cultural competence: A critical distinction in defining physician training outcomes in multicultural education. Journal of Health Care for the Poor and Underserved, 9(2), 117-125.

Young, G. (2003). Dealing with difficult classroom dialogue. In P. Bronstein & K. Quina (Eds.), Teaching gender and multicultural awareness: Resources for the psychology classroom.(pp. 347-360): American Psychological Association.

Format

Individual Presentations

Biographical Sketch

Original presenters- replaced in conference program.

Nivischi Ngozi Edwards, Ph.D., LMHC, LPC, NCC, BC-TMH

Dr. Nivischi has specialized in Marriage and Family Counseling. Dr. Nivischi has also done research on Black female faculty success and presented research findings at national conferences. Her teaching and research interests include healthy relationships – including those relationships with self and others.

Dr. Arleezah Marrah

Dr. Marrah has specialized in counseling and trauma. Dr. Marrah has presented research on racial trauma and research mentorship for Black women in doctoral programs. Her teaching and research interests include the areas of racial trauma, racial minorities experiences in higher education, standardized testing, academic self-efficacy, and play therapy

Location

Session Five Breakouts: Embassy Suites Salon C

Start Date

2-8-2020 10:00 AM

End Date

2-8-2020 11:15 AM

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Feb 8th, 10:00 AM Feb 8th, 11:15 AM

Courageous Conversations in Counseling about Race

Session Five Breakouts: Embassy Suites Salon C

The United States (U.S.) is known as the “melting pot” and is characterized by diversity (Matthews, Barden, & Sherrell, 2018). While the U.S. is culturally diverse, it is not culturally equal. Racial tensions have escalated recently, and psychologically harmful microaggressions are experienced by minorities across a multitude of settings, daily (Davis, DeBlaere, Brubaker, Owen, Jordan, Hook & Van Tongeren, 2015). Counselors must demonstrate cultural humility to be effective counselors in relationships where worldviews and values will inevitably clash (Davis et al., 2015, Hook, Watkins, Davis, Own, Van Tongren, & Ramos, 2016). Being culturally humble is a “lifelong commitment to self-evaluation and self-critique, to redressing the power imbalances… and to developing mutually beneficial and nonpaternalistic clinical and advocacy partnerships with communities” (Tervalon & Murray-Garcia, 1998, p. 117). Counselors should promote diversity and celebrate differences, but more importantly, counselors should be advocates and a force for social justice. How to best prepare counselors to be culturally aware, competent, and humble is a matter of great concern (Prosek& Michel, 2016; Celinska, & Swazo, 2015; Malott, Paone, Maddux, Rothman, 2010). The courageous conversations movement suggests an open dialogue is a great first step to addressing difficult topics (Mallot et al., 2010; Singleton & Hays, 2008).