In counseling language is the main therapeutic tool used by clinicians. In order to correctly diagnose and treat a client the client needs to be able to communicate what they are feeling and what symptoms they are experiencing. Clients whose second language is English may require an interpreter because many social workers or counselors only speak English. Many of the populations that social workers or counselors work with in therapy, are either not fluent in English or do not speak English and therefore require the use of an interpreter. The use of an interpreter in counseling can be seen as either an advantage or disadvantage depending on the quality of the interpreter and which type of interpretation model is used (Freed, 1988). This paper will look at the use of an interpreter in counseling and what interpretation model is the most effective. The theoretical approach used to research the use of interpreters in counseling was a culturally grounded approach. According to Marsiglia and Kulis (2009) a culturally grounded approach embraces diversity and multiculturalism and also promotes a change that improves an individual or a group’s quality of life (p. 102-103). Farooq and Fear (2003) state that counseling is a social service that has been shown to need a culturally competent staff and the use of a culturally competent staff improves the quality of service the client receives. Social services are not always culturally competent (Marsiglia & Kulis, 2009). A culturally grounded approach in the research of the use of interpreters in counseling looks at how interpreters improve counseling service provided to clients who either speak English as a second language or do not speak English. The use of a culturally grounded a... ... middle of paper ... .... (2003). Working through interpreters. Journal of Professional Development, 9(2), 104-109. doi:10.1192/apt.01.12 Freed, A. O. (1988). Interviewing through an interpreter. Social Work, 33(4), 315-319. Retrieved from EBSCOhost Marsiglia, F. F., & Kulis, S. (2009). Social work perspectives: Social context, consciousness and resiliency. In T. M. Meenaghan & I. C. Colby (Eds.), Culturally grounded social work diversity, oppression, and change (87-111). Chicago, Illinois: Lyceum Books, Inc. Westermeyer, J. (1990). Working with an interpreter in psychiatric assessment and treatment. Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease, 178(12), (745-749). doi:10.109700005053-199012000-00003 Whitsett, M. (2008). Tips for mental health interpretation. Center for Health and Health Care in Schools [On-line]. Available: http://eric.ed.gov/PDFS/ED509813.pdf; accessed 10/02/2011.
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It is important to include cultural issues in the helping process to be more effective. We also need cultural competence because the U.S. is becoming more diverse. Therefore with diversity comes different beliefs, norms, and values. Eurocentric values dominate sciences and began cultural universals which puts the clash of dominate and non-dominate cultural behaviors in motion. In 1996 the NASW Code of Ethics increased the recognition of cultural competence. It is important to know diversity exist within ethnic and cultural groups because social workers need to know that relationships between helping professionals and clients may be strained. This happens because of the distrust between groups. Another important aspect is that the professional realizes their own values, biases, and beliefs. The reason for this is because they must value diversity to start with and understand the dynamics of difference. Culturally competent practitioners have to go through developmental process of using their own culture as a starting point to meet all behaviors. Striving for cultural competence is a long term process of development. The literature on cultural competence is theoretical and conceptual. They have not been evaluated in a systematic way. Roughly there are 2 million Native americans in the U.S. Which survive decimating disease, over-repressed in child welfare system, suffer from health problems, and are among the poorest people in the United States. Working with them clearly falls within the social work clearly mandate to serve vulnerable and oppressed clients. However, we do not know how many people from this group is actually receiving help from social workers. Even though it is important to train social workers to provide care in th...
When advocating for the success of a client when utilizing this theory, a counselor must be prepared to identify and eliminate barriers, prejudices, oppression, and discrimination that may create a psychological obstruction in the client. Learning culturally-competent counseling practices and current theoretical approaches while practicing self-reflection will help the counselor acquire the skills necessary to engage with a diverse clientele. Strategies such as; identifying cultural differences, understanding and addressing issues in the counseling process, the counselor’s ability to understand self, and ongoing education are all important strategies in combating oppression and eliminating barriers.
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In this position I served as a Bilingual Crisis Counselor within a call center and answered over one hundred phone calls made by customers daily. I provided confidential individual crisis counseling, public health information, as well as education and referrals (related to public services, self subsistence education and programs ), to Spanish and English speaking callers including specialized audiences. Counseling and education services included suicide prevention, domestic violence, child abuse, drug and alcohol addiction, Planned Parenthood, health education, and parenting counseling. This required me to effectively research, collect and synthesize up to date technical information and relay this information to the public.
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The use of active listening is an essential skill to achieve this type of relationship as well as a sensitivity for clients who come from a culture different than the counselor’s culture. Great counseling also includes being honest with the client from the first session where informed consent is provided. It is important to discuss the limitations of confidentiality. Another important factor is to guide the client into setting realistic goals, so the counseling sessions can be more
Wedding, D., & Corsini, R. J. (Eds.). (2014). Current psychotherapies (10th ed.). Belmont, CA: Brooks/Cole, Cengage
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