Blog Chp 4, 5, & byars article

Chapter 4 and 5 of the Brown (2012) textbook seaways well into the article by Byars-Winston and Fouad (2006) because of the connection amongst ethical and legal guidelines as it relates to multicultural awareness and advocacy.  Specifically, it is unethical for counselors to use inappropriate inventories and assessments without considering cultural relevance to the client (Brown, 2012).  In fact, a counselor whom is culturally insensitive runs the risk of damaging their client (Brown, 2012; Byars-Winston & Fouad, 2006).

Ethical and legal guidelines seem to be thought of as common sense, which at the most basic level it can be considered that, but there is not always a clear cut “right” answer.  Brown (2012) presented some examples of difficult decisions counselors had to make in regards to ethics.  Confidentially is such an important part of developing a rapport and relationship with a client that breaking that trust can be a hard decision.  The example Brown (2012) gave was about someone working illegally with a fake green card on a military base which threatened national security.  The counselor reported the individual out of the idea that the good of the group supersedes that of the individual.  How or what happened to that individual after this incident, jail?  Will they ever seek counseling again?  How will their trust of others be affected by this event?  Was the individual truly a threat to national security or were they desperate to live in America?  Could the counselor help the individual obtain a real green card?  Furthermore, I wonder to what extent the counselor truly thought the individual was a threat or whether they knew that by not reporting the individual they would lose their job.

Part of the competencies listed for career counselors involves social justice.   As counselors, individual differences need to be part of the career counseling process, as well as, cultural structures present in the client’s perspective.  Advocating for clients is another part of a career counselors job (Brown, 2012).  It is not enough to be aware of discrepancies one must act on that awareness.

Just as ethical guidelines do not always lead to straight-forward answers, multicultural awareness in career counseling is not black and white.  Brown (2012) and Byars-Winston & Fouad (2006) establish that making assumptions about an individual based on cultural assumptions can damage the career counseling process.  Cultural differences exist within and across groups; thus, cultural awareness is not only educating one’s self on large assumptions, but establishing the culture of each individual client in which he or she functions and perceives as relevant (Brown, 2012; Byars-Winston & Fouad, 2006).

Mentioned in class before and through various theories we live in an interconnected world (Brown, 2012; Bloch, 2005).  Career counselors have challenges when working with minorities, marginalized individuals, and those who with disabilities.  These challenges should not scare or discourage practitioners, but rather ignite their desire to research and understand these individuals. It is imperative that counselors become conscious of their own biases, develop awareness, and fight for social justice.

Bloch, D. P. (2005). Complexity, chaos, and nonlinear dynamics: A new perspective on career development theory. The Career Development Quarterly, 53, 194-207.

Brown, D.  (2012).  Career information, career counseling, and career development (10th ed.).  New York: Pearson Education Inc

Byars-Winston, A.  M. , Fouad, N.  F.  (2006). Metacognition and multicultural competence:  Expanding the culturally appropriate career counseling model. The Career Development  Quarterly, 54,187-201