Reflective Reflection In Counseling

“In general I believe that counseling people from various backgrounds and cultures can be difficult. One thing however is steady, understanding. I believe in taking the time to research my clients, reading up on different cultures and staying current with generational differences. My philosophy is a great counselor is always learning. There is no one human being who knows everything. We all have to continuously educate ourselves. Factors such as; race, background, socioeconomic status, gender, sexual orientation, values and beliefs are all important when counseling someone. I don’t believe in pressuring others to think the way that I do, because that is not my job as a counselor. My job is to educate my clients on ways to deal with their issues

“I believe that reading chapter 1-6 I learned the importance of difference. Everyone is different, our individuality is most important. So as we learn about cultural identity, worldviews, race, ethnicity and age we must realize all of these components are small parts of a person’s individuality. I believe educating oneself on their client is most a beneficial requirement .I would most definitely have a complete session or two just to get to know my client , receive background information and then allow myself time to research things I may be unsure of. My philosophy has not changed, understanding and education is key. Also a sense of open-mindedness and a positive outlook will be extremely valuable as a counselor.” (Molina, 2015) This was the second philosophy

In chapter 2 they spoke of the everyday impact of culture. Defining “culture as a pattern of assumptions that determine how we see the world, thin it becomes more obvious that culture is an encompassing concept that affects every area of every person’s life.” (Choudhuri, Santiago-Rivera, & Garrett, 2012) This one sentence changed my philosophy from education to understanding and open-mindedness. It’s so important that we are open to the culture of others, not just open but accepting as well. People are different in so many ways, from religion, social class, gender, sexuality, economic status, and many more. So it is impossible to learn all the different facets of every individual. However we can be continuous learners, and seekers of education. We can also be open to change and open to viewing the world from an unbiased looking glass. Meaning we set our pre-distinguished cultural views aside and look at others as if the way they view the world is the correct as well. This is easier said than done. It will be quite difficult to unlearn all of the things you have been taught since birth and adopt someone else’s culture even if only for a 1 hour