Title: 
Headings: AMCD Multicultural Counseling Competencies
AMCD
 
Multicultural
 
Counseling
 
Competencies
 

I.
 
Counselor
 
Awareness
 
of
 
Own
 
Cultural
 
Values
 
and
 
Biases
 

II.
 
Counselor
 
Awareness
 
of
 
Client's
 
Worldview
 

III.
 
Culturally
 
Appropriate
 
Intervention
 
Strategies
 


Content: They
 
are
 
willing
 
to
 
contrast
 
their
 
own
 
beliefs
 
and
 
attitudes
 
with
 
those
 
of
 
their
 
culturally
 
different
 
clients
 
in
 
a
 
nonjudgmental
 
fashion. Culturally
 
skilled
 
counselors
 
are
 
aware
 
of
 
their
 
stereotypes
 
and
 
preconceived
 
notions
 
that
 
they
 
may
 
hold
 
toward
 
other
 
racial
 
and
 
ethnic
 
minority
 
groups. Knowledge
 

 
Culturally
 
skilled
 
counselors
 
possess
 
specific
 
knowledge
 
and
 
information
 
about
 
the
 
particular
 
group
 
with
 
which
 
they
 
are
 
working. They
 
are
 
aware
 
of
 
the
 
life
 
experiences,
 
cultural
 
heritage,
 
and
 
historical
 
background
 
of
 
their
 
culturally
 
different
 
clients. This
 
particular
 
competency
 
is
 
strongly
 
linked
 
to
 
the
 
"minority
 
identity
 
development
 
models"
 
available
 
in
 
the
 
literature. Culturally
 
skilled
 
counselors
 
understand
 
how
 
race,
 
culture,
 
ethnicity,
 
and
 
so
 
forth
 
may
 
affect
 
personality
 
formation,
 
vocational
 
choices,
 
manifestation
 
of
 
psychological
 
disorders,
 
help
 
seeking
 
behavior,
 
and
 
the
 
appropriateness
 
or
 
inappropriateness
 
of
 
counseling
 
approaches. Culturally
 
skilled
 
counselors
 
understand
 
and
 
have
 
knowledge
 
about
 
sociopolitical
 
influences
 
that
 
impinge
 
upon
 
the
 
life
 
of
 
racial
 
and
 
ethnic
 
minorities. Immigration
 
issues,
 
poverty,
 
racism,
 
stereotyping,
 
and
 
powerlessness
 
may
 
impact
 
self
 
esteem
 
and
 
self
 
concept
 
in
 
the
 
counseling
 
process. Skills
 

 
Culturally
 
skilled
 
counselors
 
should
 
familiarize
 
themselves
 
with
 
relevant
 
research
 
and
 
the
 
latest
 
findings
 
regarding
 
mental
 
health
 
and
 
mental
 
disorders
 
that
 
affect
 
various
 
ethnic
 
and
 
racial
 
groups. They
 
should
 
actively
 
seek
 
out
 
educational
 
experiences
 
that
 
enrich
 
their
 
knowledge,
 
understanding,
 
and
 
cross-cultural
 
skills
 
for
 
more
 
effective
 
counseling
 
behavior.