Multicultural guidelines: Implementation in an urban counseling psychology program.

How do faculty create culture-centered programs? The recent American Psychological Association (APA) Guidelines on Multicultural Education, Training, Research, Practice, and Organizational Change for Psychologists suggest that "As educators, psychologists are encouraged to employ the constructs of multiculturalism and diversity in psychological education" (APA, 2003, p. 386). This article presents a rationale for a culture-centered approach to psychological education and training and the present challenges to that approach. Seven areas of best practices are presented (including statement of philosophy, recruiting a diverse group of faculty and students, fair admissions process, culture-centered curriculum, and evaluation). The article concludes with an evaluation of an urban counseling psychology program coping with the challenges and trying to incorporate best practices in creating a culture-centered program. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Race/ethnicity, color-blind racial attitudes, and multicultural counseling competence: The moderating effects of multicultural counseling training.

Increasing trainees' multicultural counseling competence (MCC) has been a hot topic in counseling. Scholars have identified predictors (e.g., race/ethnicity, color-blindness) of MCC, and educators provide multicultural training for trainees. Using a sample of 370 psychology trainees, this study examined whether multicultural training (a) moderated racial/ethnic differences on MCC and (b) changed the relationship between color-blindness and MCC. Results indicated a significant interaction effect of race/ethnicity (i.e., White vs. ethnic minority) and multicultural training on multicultural awareness, but not on multicultural knowledge. Specifically, at lower levels of training, racial/ethnic minority trainees had significantly higher multicultural awareness than their White counterparts; at higher levels of training, no significant difference was found. Described differently, more training significantly enhanced Whites' multicultural awareness, but did not enhance racial/ethnic minority trainees' awareness. Additionally, there was a significant interaction effect of color-blindness and multicultural training on multicultural knowledge, but not on multicultural awareness. The association between color-blindness and multicultural knowledge was stronger at higher levels of multicultural training than at lower levels of training. Alternatively, the effect of training on enhancing knowledge was stronger for those with lower color-blindness than for those with higher color-blindness. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Historical perspectives on the multicultural guidelines and contemporary applications.

Developing multicultural competencies and guidelines in the field of psychology was a long and challenging process. Therefore, when the "Guidelines on Multicultural Education, Training, Research, Practice, and Organizational Change for Psychologists" (American Psychological Association, 2003) were finally approved, it marked a significant event for multicultural advocates and the profession as a whole. This article presents some of the events that led to the approval of the guidelines and describes some of the ways in which psychologists may apply the guidelines in their work as clinicians, educators, and researchers. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

An analogue study of the effects of asian cultural values and counselor multicultural competence on counseling process.

One-hundred-and-sixteen Asian American college students viewed analogue videotapes in which an actress portraying a European American female "counselor" expressed cultural values that were either consistent or inconsistent with Asian culture to an actress portraying an Asian American female "client." In addition, the counselor either acknowledged racial differences or did not acknowledge racial differences with the client. The results showed that when the counselor expressed values that were inconsistent with Asian culture, the counselor who acknowledged racial differences was perceived to be more cross-culturally competent than the counselor who did not acknowledge racial differences. Also, the results showed that observer-participants' adherence to the value of conformity to norms was positively associated with their ratings of counselor credibility and crosscultural counseling competence. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Therapist multicultural competence, Asian American participants' cultural values, and counseling process.

Asian Americans drop out of mental health treatment at a high rate. This problem could be addressed by enhancing therapists' multicultural competence and by examining clients' cultural attitudes that may affect the counseling process. In the present study, we used a video analogue design with a sample of 113 Asian American college students to examine these possibilities. The result from a t test showed that the session containing therapist multicultural competencies received higher ratings than the session without therapist multicultural competence. In addition, correlational analyses showed that participant values acculturation was positively associated with participant ratings of counseling process, while the value of emotional self-control was negatively correlated. The results of a hierarchical multiple regression analysis did not support any interaction effects among the independent variables on counseling process. All of these findings could contribute to the field of multicultural competence research and have implications for therapist practices and training. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Predictors of observer ratings of multicultural counseling competence in Black, Latino, and White American trainees.

Using transcribed intake sessions of 52 counselor–client dyads, this study explored the relative contributions of (a) counselor and client race or ethnicity, (b) counselor–client racial or ethnic match, (c) previous academic training in multicultural counseling, and (d) self-reported multicultural counseling competence to observer ratings of trainees' multicultural counseling competence. Results revealed that (a) Black American and Latino American counselor trainees were rated as more multiculturally competent than their White American peers, and (b) prior multicultural training was positively predictive of observer-rated multicultural counseling competence. Implications of the findings for counselor training and practice are presented. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Increasing severity of psychopathology at counseling centers: A new look.

University counseling center staff and directors have argued that there has been an increase in severity of psychological concerns among university counseling center clients (R. P. Gallagher, B. Zhang, & R. Taylor, 2004; G. L. Stone, K. M. Vespia, & J. E. Kanz, (see record 2000-02442-010)). A body of literature exists to support this perception; however, this research has been criticized for focusing solely on therapist or client perceptions of psychopathology, rather than on objective data (B. S. Sharkin & L. P. Coulter (see record 2005-14332-008)). In this investigation, the authors explored changes in severity among a random sample of 827 university counseling center clients over the course of 7 years (1999-2005) by concurrently measuring client self-report on the Outcome Questionnaire-45, number of prior treatments, and urgency of concern, as well as psychologist reports of Axis I diagnosis, diagnosis severity rating, and Global Assessment of Functioning score. No meaningful trend increases in severity of psychopathology were found over time. Practice implications of these findings are presented, and possible explanations for the impression that severity is increasing are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of A handbook and guide for the college and university counselling center.

Reviews the book, A handbook and guide for the college and university counselling center edited by B. M. Schoenberg (1978). This text contains 22 chapters dealing with the historical development and philosophy of counseling centers, the structure and organization of these centers within the university and community/ junior college setting; the range of both formal and informal programs typically delivered, as well as the host of other activities in which center staff become involved and the professional demands they must meet in the various roles of educators, consultants and institutional change agents. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Understanding the perceptions and experiences of faculty who teach multicultural counseling courses: An exploratory study.

Professional psychologists who teach multicultural counseling courses often face significant challenges, and very little information is available on their perceptions and experiences. A survey blending quantitative and qualitative questions was distributed to 169 faculty members who teach multicultural counseling courses. Results indicate that most faculty members surveyed typically incorporated self-disclosure when teaching and viewed their cultural identity as influential in how they teach. They also identified the specific teaching strategies they used and specified common group dynamics in class. Understanding the perceptions and experiences of faculty members who teach multicultural courses is essential to providing support for the important work done by these multicultural educators. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

Deconstructing multicultural counseling competencies research: Comment on Owen, Leach, Wampold, and Rodolfa (2011).

The present article offers a commentary and critique of the research presented by J. Owen, M. M. Leach, B. Wampold and E. Rodolfa (see record 2010-24976-001). Given the complexity of the research methodology, findings, and conclusions, the authors provide a concise summary of findings, study limitations, and conclusions followed by a detailed critique of the study. The authors respect and appreciate the ambitious efforts made by Owen et al. to address gaps in the literature regarding outcome research using client ratings of counselors' multicultural counseling competencies (MCCs). The authors provide a critical analysis of some of J. Owen et al.'s specific conclusions and offer alternative conclusions based on conceptual and methodological bases. The authors use the opportunity to comment on this study as a means of advancing recommendations regarding future research on MCCs that might contribute to substantive revisions to the long-standing theoretical foundation in this area. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Spirituality and religion in group counseling: A literature review with practice guidelines.

There has been increased discussion of the need to attend to clients' spirituality and religion as a part of the counseling process, but much of the literature to date has focused on individual counseling. How do the research and resulting practice implications apply to group counseling? This article provides a rationale for attending to spirituality and religion in counseling, explores the opportunities and barriers in attending to spirituality and religion in group counseling, and reviews the literature on the growing number of group interventions with a spiritual or religious focus. The article ends with specific guidelines for when and how to incorporate spirituality and religion into group counseling. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Testing practices in university and college counseling centers in the United States.

The frequency and scope of psychological test usage in a counseling psychology setting were studied by sending questionnaires to 372 college and university counseling center directors. The 284 usable responses indicated usage of a total of 158 tests; 35 were mentioned by 10% or more of the respondents. The median number of tests mentioned by a center was 14. The 3 most frequently used types of tests were career counseling, led by the Strong-Campbell Interest Inventory; personality assessment, led by the MMPI; and mental abilities and aptitude tests (e.g., the WAIS and Differential Aptitude Tests). Differences between these results and those of earlier surveys in clinical settings are discussed. The present respondents reported that counseling psychologists in their centers use career assessment instruments more frequently and projective personality instruments less frequently than do the clinicians. (18 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Introduction to special sections: Race/ethnicity in counseling process and outcome and measuring session outcome in counseling and psychotherapy.

This article introduces the first in a series of special sections in the Journal of Counseling Psychology. The first special section is on multicultural counseling, which has been of major concern to counseling psychologists. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of Strategies for building multicultural competence in mental health and educational settings.

Reviews the book, Stategies for building multicultural competence in mental health and educational settings edited by M. G. Constantine and D. W. Sue (2005). Strategies for Building Multicultural Competence in Mental Health and Educational Settings is an excellent resource designed for mental health professionals who may lack knowledge and expertise in working with diverse clients. It provides hands-on strategies and suggestions in a variety of contexts, using the Multicultural Guidelines as a framework. This book is strongly recommended for clinicians working with culturally diverse populations. The Surgeon General's report Mental Health: Culture, Race and Ethnicity (U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, 2001) clearly demonstrates the disparity in the mental health care of racial and ethnic minorities as compared with Whites. This book is useful not only to novices exploring diversity but also to those who are already cross-culturally competent. The authors successfully apply the APA Multicultural Guidelines in clinical practice and educational, training, and organizational settings while providing specific strategies for clinicians. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Guidelines for Canadian university counselling services.

Guidelines for Canadian university counseling services are provided. Topics discussed include: (1) the role of counseling in universities, (2) the place of counseling in the university organization, (3) counseling services provided to students, (4) counseling service personnel, (6) referral procedures, (7) physical facilities, (8) training relationships, and (9) public relations. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Preliminary evidence on the effectiveness of psychological treatments delivered at a university counseling center.

Treatment data from a university counseling center (UCC) that utilized the Outcome Questionnaire–45.2 (OQ-45; M. J. Lambert et al., 2004), a self-report general clinical symptom measure, was compared against treatment efficacy benchmarks from clinical trials of adult major depression that utilized similar measures. Statistical analyses suggested that the treatment effect size estimate obtained at this counseling center with clients whose level of psychological distress was above the OQ-45 clinical cutoff score was similar to treatment efficacy observed in clinical trials. Analyses on OQ-45 items suggested that clients elevated on 3 items indicating problematic substance use resulted in poorer treatment outcomes. In addition, clients who reported their relational status as separated or divorced had poorer outcomes than did those who reported being partnered or married, and clients reporting intimacy issues resulted in greater numbers of sessions. Although differential treatment effect due to training level was found where interns and other trainees had better pre–post outcome than did staff, interpretation of this result requires great caution because clients perceived to have complicated issues are actively reassigned to staff. More effectiveness investigations at UCCs are warranted. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Current perceptions and practices of charging fees in college and university counseling centers.

Mailed a questionnaire that assessed the practice of charging special fees for counseling, testing, and outreach programs, as well as the perceptions of counseling center directors on the fee issue, to 281 directors of college and university counseling centers. Results indicate that 36% of the agencies receive partial funding from student fees; only 3% receive compensation from student or faculty insurance programs. Charging fees for counseling services to students is a practice of only 4% of the respondents, a proportion which has remained stable over the past 10 yrs. In contrast, the proportion of agencies that charge fees for testing has increased from 11 to 34% over the 10-yr period. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Psychosocial costs of racism to white counselors: Predicting various dimensions of multicultural counseling competence.

In 2 interrelated investigations, the authors examined the extent to which affect, as measured by the Psychosocial Costs of Racism to Whites scale (PCRW; L. B. Spanierman & M. J. Heppner, 2004), would predict various dimensions of multicultural counseling competence (MCC). In Study 1, structural equation modeling was used to test a mediating model of PCRW predicting self-reported MCC among a sample of White trainees (n = 311) from 34 states across the country. The overall model was a good fit to the data, with affective variables (e.g., White empathy, White guilt, and White fear) mediating the associations between color-blind racial attitudes and MCC and multicultural training and MCC. In Study 2, self-reported, demonstrated, and observed MCC were assessed among a sample of White trainees (n = 59; 40 of whose clinical supervisors participated) from 20 states. White guilt significantly predicted multicultural case conceptualization, and White empathy significantly predicted supervisor ratings of participants' MCC. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Cultural difference and the therapeutic alliance: An evidence-based analysis.

The research on positive psychotherapy outcome consistently indicates that the quality of the alliance is important across different models of psychotherapy (D. E. Orlinsky, M. H. Ronnestad, & U. Willutzki, 2004; B. E. Wampold, 2000). Social psychological research has documented how "unintentional bias" can produce barriers to university admissions, employment, and advancement of well-qualified members of ethnic minority groups (J. F. Dovidio, S. L. Gaertner, K. Kawakami, & G. Hodson, 2002). Neuroscience is further confirming social psychological responses associated with race (J. L. Eberhard, 2005). Unintentional bias identified in social psychological research may be part of the psychotherapist/client interaction, interfere with the therapeutic alliance, and partly account for the high dropout rates and underutilization of psychotherapeutic services by people of color. The purpose of this article is to provide an evidence-based analysis of how psychologists in practice may unintentionally interfere with development of quality alliances with culturally different clients or patients and thus contribute to the barriers to effective multicultural counseling and psychotherapy. Principles from the American Psychological Association's (2003) multicultural guidelines and a review of relevant research are applied in suggesting strategies to reduce bias and to develop culturally appropriate skills in psychological practices. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)