Sample Cultural Assessment

Identifying Data:

M. A. G. is a 27-year-old Latino female student who is pursuing her second Master’s degree in School Counseling. She is a substitute teacher who works with at-risk youths. She discloses that her parents are Mexican American divorced when she was 4-years-old. She also discloses that at a young age (3 or 4-years-old) she was very aware that her father was unfaithful to her mother, which is how her step mom, who she identifies as a White American, came into her life.

Descriptive Information:

M. A. G. came into the counseling session dressed in pants and long sleeve shirt with a red scarf drape over her shoulders. She is a Catholic woman who is going back to school for the third time to pursue her second Master’s degree in School Counseling. Prior to this, she has earned her Bachelor’s degree in Anthropology and Master’s degree in English and Spanish.

Background Information:

While earning her Master’s degree, M. A. G. was living in Texas. Now, she is attending Fresno State and living at home with her parents. Growing up, she identified herself as a Hispanic woman, however, after exploring and gaining a better understanding of the term “Hispanic”, she now identifies herself as Latino after moving to Texas. She
expresses strong cultural values as a Latino woman. She identified her step mom as a White American. Although she said that she currently have a good relationship with her stepmom now, she did however, disclose that during her middle and high school years she was mischievous and bitter toward her stepmom. She mentions that because her dad was always working, there was a cut down on custody time and felt as though her dad chose her stepmom over her and her sister. She also mentions that she was kicked out of her dad’s and stepmom’s house when she was 18-years-old. She discuss that even though her White American stepmom did not teach her how to make enchiladas, she did however learn how to bake cakes and pies because of her