Cultural Competence in Counseling

    Select one mini-case study (provided below) that represents a cultural group different from your own- (I'm African American Female) Imagine you are the counselor for the individual in the case study you selected and describe how you are culturally different from that person- Explain how you might demonstrate cultural competence, providing examples to support your response- Based on your current level of self-awareness, knowledge, and skill related to cultural competence, provide one or more strategies you could use to improve your cultural competence with this client- 5 Case Study Alberto and Angela, a Mexican-American couple, present in marriage counseling, because they have strong disagreements regarding Angela going out to find a job, since Alberto has been let go from his full-time job as a landscaper. The landscaping company laid off many workers, because the demand in the immediate area had decreased sharply. Angela has never worked outside of the home, as she has stayed home with the 4 children since their birth- Angela communicates that she believes that she needs to find a job, as they are likely to lose their home, if she does not- Alberto states that it is not a “Wife’s job to work outside of the home-" Angela states that it is a “Wife’s job to do whatever helps the family." They share that they have spoken with their priest, but all that he said was to keep praying for a positive outcome- Presenting Concern Alberto and Angela have decided to speak to a counselor, because they believe that praying has not helped their situation- Angela attempts to explain her concerns to the counselor, but Alberto, continually interrupts, and states that he is the one who knows most about what is right for the family. He states that since engaging in prayer has not worked, he thought speaking to someone neutral might help- However, he states that the couple is not here to be told to change how they run their lives, and that he hopes counseling is not a “Waste of his time-"