staff are increasingly frustrated with Hamsa’s behavior and having to accommodate his needs. His behaviors and needs are as follows: As a devout Muslim, Hamsa does not eat pork. Medication provided to him must not have any pork products or alcoholic substances; he is only allowed specific drugs and treatments containing these products as dictated by Islamic law. Hamsa is unmarried and has no children, so he needs a nurse to help him get out of bed. He will have a nurse for 2-3 hours each day for the first two weeks after surgery. As a Muslim, he prays daily and will need assistance while recovering. Hamsa is angry and complains that the doctor and staff dislike him. He also says they discriminate against him by not helping him take care of his daily needs. He shows symptoms of insomnia, anger, and a lack of motivation. Questions 1. Using what you know about cultural humility, analyze the situation. 2. What cultural knowledge would be helpful in the case conceptualization? 3. What cultural factors would you need to know before treatment goals? Discussion Case Study 6: Chu and Bo Chu and Bo met with a family therapist because the parents had difficulty controlling their 14-year-old son. They are Chinese immigrants and were referred to family services via a community agency. Their son has been acting out at school, disrespecting his teachers, and fighting with his peers. The 14-year-old son also appears to have social struggles as he finds it challenging to make new friends and maintain friendships. Chu and Bo have their son enrolled in piano lessons on Mondays and Wednesdays, chess lessons on Tuesdays, and swimming lessons on Thursdays and Saturdays. For the remainder of the days of the week, he works with a tutor and has a rigorous studying schedule that does not allow any time to connect with his peers. Chu and Bo have stringent values related to the priorities of their children and have alluded to the values taught to them by their parents. They complain that his focus should only be on academic work and downplay the significance of interpersonal skills and relationships. The therapist is a White female. Although she was aware of a few cultural factors in counseling Asian families, the therapist was unaware of the Chinese values of educational discipline and obedience to the family. In their session, the therapist stated, “He sounds to be behaving in typical teenage ways.” The therapist was having trouble establishing a good relationship with Chu and Bo, and after the first session, she realized the session did not go as well as she wanted. As the session ended, the therapist scheduled them for the following week. A couple of days later, Chu and Bo canceled Case Study 7: Jerry Jerry is the head of a division in a state agency. He has been in his management position for 20 years and has worked up to his current position. He has seen many people leave and join the department throughout his career. He has stayed because he enjoys public service and working with familiar faces in the agency. He also knows that he brings his many years of experience in a public agency to the table when solving problems. His personality fits the working environment of a state agency; he likes working with familiarity with rules and procedures. Jerry is proud of his service but is looking forward to his retirement, which is not coming soon enough. Within
Unfortunately, many individuals in the counseling field are uncomfortable addressing faith issues. It is possible for clients and counselors who do not share a similar faith to work together effectively. However, the counselor would need to have some knowledge of Hamsa’s Muslim values. For instance, Muslims pray five times a day to fulfill the obligation bestowed upon them by the command of Allah. Thus, it is likely that Hamsa will prioritize his duty to pray over his physical health limitations. It would be essential to understand that the prayer represents diligence, perseverance, and discipline, and not participating in the prayer is not an option for Hamsa. Ask to learn rather than to teach. What do you want to know about the faith of the client? Do not be afraid to ask about the client’s belief system. Gaining information from the client will help the counselor understand the specifics of the culture without the counselor assuming traditions of the culture based on past information gained from other “similar” clients. Making stereotypes about Hamsa’s culture would harm the working alliance in therapy. The same culture may differ in beliefs and traditions. Counselors must be multiculturally competent and be aware of their prejudices to prevent imposing their ideas onto their clients. their appointment and asked if they could have a referral. The therapist asked if she had upset them in any way, and the mother responded that she did not; however, she did comment that her husband would feel more comfortable if the therapist were an older Asian male. Questions 1. What are some reasons this family did not pursue further counseling with this therapist? 2. Are there culturally salient elements surrounding parenting and values? 3. If you were the new therapist this family decided to work with, how would you begin (after being briefed on issues with the prior therapist)? Rationale The counselor practicing within a culturally humble and social justice orientation would not locate the problem within the individual but would look to the environmental factors that contribute to the individual’s actions and reactions (Sue & Sue, 2016). Gaining information from the client will help the counselor understand the specifics of the culture without the counselor assuming traditions of the culture based on past information gained from other “similar” clients. The counselor should gain information on the cultural values driving their parenting. The counselor should also examine their willingness to allow their son to adopt American values regarding socializing with his peers. the last few years, many changes have occurred on a department level that is also changing many of the standard procedures, rules, and norms that Jerry has been accustomed to during his many years in the department. These changes include hiring younger staff, reorganizing job responsibilities, performance plans to increase staff competencies and skills in new areas, and recent layoffs to help balance the budget. As part of his attempt to make his mark on the division and to bring in past experiences that he thinks can be of value, Jerry proposed numerous ideas for the division at a staff meeting. His staff - which, in recent years, has become
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Book Code: PYTX1226
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