Counseling Diverse Populations
Counseling Diverse Populations1
Running head: COUNSELING
Counseling Diverse Populations Article
Scott Giberson
Eureka College
Psychology 372
Dr. Mikell Allen
Counseling Diverse Populations 2
Abstract
In this article, South African counseling dilemmas are discussed and specific attention is given to cross-cultural obstacles faced by white counselors in a post apartheid era. Carl Rogers the founder of person-centered counseling visited South Africa and he defined techniques that enhanced the likelihood of cross-cultural counselors effectively helping black post apartheid South Africans. The article points out old traditional African counseling values and contrasts their effectiveness with Roger’s recommended focal points.
Counseling Diverse Populations 3
Post apartheid black South Africans have lived through a multitude of deplorable situations contained within their collective social, economic, and political contexts. In the past sixty five years Apartheid caused South Africans to endure unspeakable hardships at the hands of whites which they considered to be authoritative figures within South Africa’s sociopolitical majority. South Africans know white men have treated them horribly for generations and they understandably don’t trust a white counselor who says, “Trust me.” As Western white counselors attempt to provide psychological services for post apartheid black South Africans they struggle with complex cross-cultural issues. (Spangenberg, p.17) This article discusses person-centered counseling as a tool which can be successfully used to bridge the gap between post apartheid black South Africans and their cross-cultural Western white counselors. Spangenberg (2003) sited Capuzzi & Gross (1995) as saying, “cross-cultural counseling is still in its infancy.” Some of the first problems were realized when the Western counselors discovered the South
Running head: COUNSELING
Counseling Diverse Populations Article
Scott Giberson
Eureka College
Psychology 372
Dr. Mikell Allen
Counseling Diverse Populations 2
Abstract
In this article, South African counseling dilemmas are discussed and specific attention is given to cross-cultural obstacles faced by white counselors in a post apartheid era. Carl Rogers the founder of person-centered counseling visited South Africa and he defined techniques that enhanced the likelihood of cross-cultural counselors effectively helping black post apartheid South Africans. The article points out old traditional African counseling values and contrasts their effectiveness with Roger’s recommended focal points.
Counseling Diverse Populations 3
Post apartheid black South Africans have lived through a multitude of deplorable situations contained within their collective social, economic, and political contexts. In the past sixty five years Apartheid caused South Africans to endure unspeakable hardships at the hands of whites which they considered to be authoritative figures within South Africa’s sociopolitical majority. South Africans know white men have treated them horribly for generations and they understandably don’t trust a white counselor who says, “Trust me.” As Western white counselors attempt to provide psychological services for post apartheid black South Africans they struggle with complex cross-cultural issues. (Spangenberg, p.17) This article discusses person-centered counseling as a tool which can be successfully used to bridge the gap between post apartheid black South Africans and their cross-cultural Western white counselors. Spangenberg (2003) sited Capuzzi & Gross (1995) as saying, “cross-cultural counseling is still in its infancy.” Some of the first problems were realized when the Western counselors discovered the South
Cited: Ivey, Allen E., Ivey, Mary Bradford. (2007) International Interviewing and Counseling: Facilitating Client Development in a Multicultural Society. Thomson Brooks/Cole. Belmont, Ca. Leonard, Richard. (1980) Computers in South Africa: A Survey of U.S. Companies. Science and Social Control. Retrieved from http://www-cs- students.stanford.edu/~cale/cs201/apartheid.hist.html Spangenberg, Judora J. (2003). The Cross-Cultural Relevance of Person-Centered Counseling in Postapartheid South Africa Journal of Counseling & Development, 81(1), (7, 48) Retrieved from Ebsco database