INTRODUCTION
The American population is highly diverse. In the upcoming years, the U.S. will continue to increase in diversity. The U.S. Census Bureau projects that by 2050 the U.S. population will look different. Estimates say that Hispanic, Asian, and African American populations will grow (Culverhouse College of Business, 2019). “In 2020, 33.8 million people reported being more than one race, more than a threefold increase from 2010, when 9 million people, or 2.9% of the population, identified that way.” (Quarshie & Slack, 2021). Professionals engaged in counseling must become increasingly self-aware. They must understand how their unique individual experiences influence their worldviews and values and how the unique personal experiences of their clients influence each client’s worldviews and values. Further, various ethnic and racial groups may have diverse beliefs, social structures, interactional patterns, and expectations. There are various types of diversity, including age, economic class, sexuality, gender identification, and disability. Because of these factors, counselors should cultivate cultural humility skills. Counselors who practice cultural humility use four intersecting elements of ongoing self-reflection, self-critique, lifelong learning, and a commitment to advocacy and institutional change to guide their work with clients (Hook et al., 2013; Ratts et al., 2015). The cultural humility framework recognizes the concepts of power, privilege, and oppression and, thus, calls on counselors to be agents for change and promoters of social justice (Ratts et al., 2015). Counselors with humility can be “other-focused” and accurately view themselves, their values, and their biases (Davis et al., 2013). These qualities allow counselors to practice as partners with clients from various ethnic and racial backgrounds and other dimensions of diversity. Culturally humble counselors can recognize their own beliefs and values and act as allies with clients working toward positive personal and more considerable societal change (Hook et al., 2013). It helps develop cultural humility that counselors understand the sociopolitical landscape in the U.S. concerning issues of race, immigration/refugee status, disability, sexual orientation, gender identification, and socioeconomic class (Ratts et al., 2015). The 2016 presidential election has revealed the continued deep divisions within our country regarding attitudes toward racial and ethnic diversity, disability, sexual orientation, and
gender identification. The Southern Poverty Law Center (2016) has reported an increase in incidents of both harassment and intimidation during and after the election. These incidents have been perpetrated against various minority groups, including African Americans, immigrants, and the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer/questioning (LGBTQ) population, Jewish individuals, and Muslims (Miller & Werner-Winslow, 2016). In the U.S., there are significant economic, health, education, employment, and housing disparities based on minority status (Agency for Healthcare Quality and Research [AHQR], 2015; Orfield, Frankenburg, & Siegel-Hawley, 2016; Proctor, Semega, & Kollar, 2016; Turner et al., 2013). Minority status, as used in this course, pertains to race and ethnicity and belonging to any marginalized group, such as having a disability; identifying as transgender, lesbian, gay, or bisexual; ascribing to a minority religion; and so on. Social disparities in access to resources and experiencing acts of racism and discrimination can lead to higher stress and a higher risk of developing mental health issues. Despite an increased need for services, clients with marginalized identities have less access to quality mental health services (AHQR, 2015, 2016). This highlights the ethical responsibility of counselors to develop multicultural and social justice counseling competencies to work with clients effectively. Cultural humility in counseling goes beyond counselors knowing specific cultural and minority groups with whom they work. It is a way of practicing counseling that requires counselors to be aware of how their own culturally embedded ideals, beliefs, and prejudices affect their interactions with diverse clients (Hook et al., 2013). This requires counselors to reflect on themselves and their interactions continually and critically with clients. Through reflection, counselors can improve interactions with clients through honest appraisals of how their personal biases and deficits play into each counseling session and each relationship, allowing them to address power imbalances within the counseling relationships and institutional levels. This intermediate-level course presents an introduction to cultural humility and offers tools for practitioners. It offers mental health counselors, marriage and family therapists, and psychologist’s tools to use in working with diverse clients in a culturally humble manner.
CULTURAL HUMILITY
What is cultural humility? Cultural humility is defined as having an open-minded attitude when learning about the elements of other cultures (MasterClass, 2022). Cultural humility is going beyond the regular diversity training and being intentional about learning about different cultures instead of relying on one’s own reading or study. It is not enough to think about our values, beliefs, and social position in today’s context. To practice true cultural humility, a person must also be aware of and sensitive to historical realities like legacies of violence and oppression against certain groups of people. According to Tervalon and Murray-Garcia (1998), cultural humility is defined as a “process that requires humility as individuals continually engage in self- reflection and self-critique as lifelong learners and reflective practitioners.” Tervalon and Murray-Garcia represent cultural humility as a lifelong commitment to self-evaluation and self- critique, balancing power, and advocacy. When practitioners commit to lifelong self-evaluation, this implies a position of humility and willingness to learn, even when learning may be difficult or uncomfortable. Balancing of power suggests a respectful partnership with patients and families that values their self-knowledge and lived experiences alongside our expertise in our field. Finally, advocacy involves individuals moving beyond the interpersonal to impact larger (i.e., institutional, structural) systems. Figure 1 shows the different components of cultural humility defined by Tervalon and Murray-Garcia.
Figure 1. The Five Rs of Cultural Humility
Note . Adapted from “Cultural humility versus cultural competence: A critical distinction in defining physician training outcomes in multicultural education,” by Tervalon, M., et al.,1998. Journal of Health Care for the Poor and Underserved, 9(2), 117–125.
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Book Code: SWTX1524
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