Multicultural Counseling Presenting Issues the Presenting Issues

Multicultural Counseling Presenting Issues The presenting issues evidenced by the client include self-identity and self-esteem issues. In particular the client appears to be confused about which culture she belongs to and which values and behaviors are 'acceptable.' The client may be described as having a 'dual identity' which she is attempting to reconcile to the point where she can be comfortable both with her American home and her traditional Chinese traditional family. The subject is having difficulty blending her Asian background with her American surroundings.

In addition the patient is having a hard time reconciling the very detached manner in which she was raised, that did not allow close bonds to form between her and her dad and mother.

There is evidence to suggest that Sally was to some extent physically abused by her mother, and while she presents a rather submissive attitude at home, the person she presents to her friends is described as 'gregarious and outgoing.' This may be more the result of cultural differences that exist between Sally's family history (Chinese) and the American culture system she is raised in.

In addition there seem to be issues with Sally's father who may be having trouble reconciling his own identity issues having moved to the States and losing his status as a 'revered' chemist because of cultural and language barriers. His own 'shame' or dissatisfaction at his position may have impacted the girl in many ways, including causing identity confusion for her.

The client seems to have a very distant relationship with her father, and from the case study it appears that the client is having difficulty living the 'demur' or traditional role of female with her family combined with her outgoing and takes charge role that she enjoys when interacting with individuals outside of the family environment. Sally seems to want to come to a place where she can accept the differences that exist between her family's beliefs and her personal beliefs.

At this point it is not evident that she wants to adopt 'one or the other' perspective but rather is looking to blend both in a manner that is comfortable and acceptable. Counseling Goals The goals of counseling will help Sally to identify her true personality and sense of self, and reconcile any problems she is having with being both Asian and American. The purpose will be to help Sally find an 'identity' that happily blends her Chinese culture with her American upbringing.

In addition Sally will have to learn to become comfortable with her dual cultural and more understanding of the differences in her upbringing that resulted from her parents varying experiences. From a cultural context, Sally was raised in a very traditional Chinese family, where hitting for example, is a more acceptable form of discipline that it is in the United States.

In addition, in the culture that Sally's family was raised, it is more acceptable for female members of the family to act in a more demur manner, which is not the case with females being brought up in the United States. Thus the counseling goals will also include helping the client to reconcile these differences so that she may be more at ease with the differences, and decide on a comfortable balance between the two, one that is acceptable for her.

Sally needs to decide what course of action will result in the best possible outcome for her regardless of parental or familial influences. Course Treatment / Cultural Context Within the counseling arena it is important to acknowledge that counselors are often subject to potential biases particularly when working with culturally different clients, thus it is vital to the relationship that the counselor is able to understand the client's life from her specific cultural context in order to avoid any unintentional bias (Kwan, 2001).

From a counseling perspective racial identity is considered an "interactive, process variable" rather than a variable attributed only to the client, and this variable influences the counseling relationship (Kwan, 2001). Specifically positive identity realization and change within the client will be contingent upon the ability of the counselor to maintain a state of racial identity that is more advanced than that of the client so that a progressive relationship may be built (Hargrow, 2001; Kwan, 2001).

Thus the first step in the course of treatment will be for the counselor to recognize any personal biases or identity issues they may have and relinquish them in order to provide a supporting and encouraging role for the patient. The counselor must then work with the client to examine their attitudes and beliefs, support system, discomforts with their current status and individualistic orientation in order to determine a course of therapy that will work best for Sally in this situation (Kwan, 2001; Arredondo et. al, 1996).

It will be important during the course of treatment to acknowledge the cultural differences that have arisen as a result of Sally's very traditional Chinese upbringing. The client should be encouraged to discuss her concerns, opinions, beliefs and confusion regarding her traditional upbringing and the environment in which she currently lives, with the intent of helping the client find a 'happy medium' where she can come to terms with the differences that exist between her home life and her personal life.

The goal of counseling will be to help the client identify social and cultural factors that have influenced her sense of social belonging, their motivation, their interpretations of their behavior and their thoughts in relation to other institutions, and then help the client to contrast their perspectives with others and come to agreement about what an acceptable middle ground will be (Kwan, 2001). In addition the counseling should help the client.