Table of contentsHow difference and diversity could influence the consulting relationshipHow my personal differences and my sense of diversity could have an impact on the consulting relationshipHow the dynamics of Explicit and implicit power between therapist and client could manifest in the relationshipSteps I need to improve self-awareness about how power imbalances can be managedHow to take the position of an expert in the counseling relationship would weaken and possibly harm the clientIn this essay on diversity, I will explain my understanding of difference and diversity as we are. living in a multicultural society and each individual should attempt to explore, understand and accept differences in all dimensions of diversity. Additionally, I believe that awareness brings empowerment! Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why violent video games should not be banned”?Get the original essay Racism is defined by Myers as “the act of exaggeration of differences that presents minorities as having physical and mentally weaker than the vast majority of individuals. '. On the other hand, according to the APA (American Psychological Association), gender is a term used to describe "the attitudes, feelings, and behaviors that a given culture associates with a person's biological sex." Over the generations, travel has opened the door to In our vast world, some travelers settle far from their birthplaces and often create their own communities, and some travelers are transient. They bring with them a wealth of experiences because everyone sees the world differently. This can bring together the most wonderful knowledge from many perspectives across society. Cultural diversity brings enrichment through shared experiences and we further develop tolerance and understanding between each of our cultures. There are many differences within our cultures. Our beliefs, our language and the way we perceive and accept ourselves all differ within our societies. Differences are also found within our own culture. Our family dynamics will be different within family units and our behavior differs between individuals. Some people may not identify with their own gender, or their clothing choices, language, and accents across regions may differ from ours or what we consider conventional, and we may therefore view them as different. Difference must be celebrated and accepted. I recently had the privilege of working with a family of Indian origin, about whom I knew little. They helped me understand some of the differences they experienced within their culture when it came to mental health. The wife was recently diagnosed with schizophrenia and was in desperate need of support. The extended family ignored this, as it brought “shame” to their family within the community. This had a further impact on their engagement with clinical services and therefore led me to respectfully consider their values ​​and how I could offer the necessary support in a crisis. How difference and diversity might influence the counseling relationship Difference and diversity present challenges to us and can create barriers within a therapeutic relationship. We all have unconscious biases and this sometimes means we make assumptions about our customers based on their language, culture, backgroundor their appearance. These assumptions may come from our own experiences or introjected values ​​and can influence how the therapeutic relationship develops. A client may find that an advisor from a different background can understand the complexities encountered in various cultures. The client may enjoy speaking openly with someone completely disconnected from their community and feel that their worries and concerns are validated. A client may also discover that speaking with a counselor who is non-judgmental and presents unconditional positive regard is an experience they have not yet had. Because, within their family community, they do not are not supposed to contest, but to accept what is offered to you. Additionally, some clients may find that talking with someone of a different gender, age, or culture helps to gain a different perspective and can often shed light on the feelings they are experiencing. On the other hand, a client may not connect with the counselor because of racial and ethnic background and does not feel completely understood. This presents a different challenge and one of which may result in a change of advisor depending on the client. My own biases can influence how I develop a relationship with a client and am aware of the idea of ​​transference. This makes it all the more important to continually examine biases, questions or thoughts. Living in a complex, multicultural society means we can educate and empower those we encounter, and it is our responsibility to combat unfair treatment. Sometimes it's uncomfortable to recognize our own biases and consider our own perception of who we really are versus who we would like to be. We cannot allow our own beliefs to negatively impact the therapeutic relationship. Although different elements of diversity can strongly influence how we view ourselves and the world, we should never assume, as therapists, how a client identifies: it is always important to work with empathy. enter into the client's frame of reference “that is, take full account of the client's idiosyncratic way of thinking and behaving (and therefore feeling). I have identified that I have limited knowledge about gender identification and do not know the correct language to use. Language changes all the time, words that are common today may not be common in many years to come and I am aware that I may not always consider this, until the time comes. will need. In my professional role, I began working with a young adult. The name was Sammy and when I first made a call I heard a female voice. I assumed Sammy was female and apologized for my confusion. Sammy explained to me that he started life as a woman and now identifies as a man. I respect Sammy's choice and use the pronoun he prefers. How my personal differences and sense of diversity might impact the counseling relationship My own thoughts are that diversity has many dimensions and it is difficult to give each the credit they deserve with this essay. I believe that gender and race are continually experiencing changes, and I consider that these changes, along with religious beliefs and family dynamics, will have the most impact on my counseling practice. Awareness within these diverse yet different fields is growing and evolving and I welcome these changes. It seems right to move at a brisk pace, however,When I look back at history to see where we are today, I recognize that this is a long, slow process and that we as a society have a long way to go before changes don't make a difference. .I live in a predominantly white demographic. In my daily life, I rarely encounter diverse cultures and the many differences that lie between the two. We don't see many people of color and I find that frustrating. Village life does not seem to encourage people of color. Is it because they wouldn't feel welcome because of their skin color? My own experiences within a strict religious upbringing left me with a feeling of distrust. I am suspicious of certain religious communities with strong opinions who do not accept diversity. I distrusted the leaders of these churches. I felt like many Pentecostal churches had strict homophobic views and left no room for change. This religious community instilled in me a fear of men. I have often been outraged to hear my own family speaking out against same-sex marriages and, more recently, in similarly derogatory terms against LGBT rights and abortion rights. We are in Northern Ireland, a country where religion has controlled the way people think for many years. I will be very clear and say that I have worked through my own personal issues in therapy and I no longer have such strong opinions about the community I lived in that I felt had failed me . I have accepted and can deal with the trauma induced by the events. I take time to explore my ongoing process of self-reflection and self-awareness, which combined reinforces my own values. So I wonder how I would feel, as a counselor, if a male client talked about being one of the Pentecostals. churches that I learned to question, and we didn't have the same beliefs. First, I will not be blinded by the client's religion. The client is more than his religion and he is convinced that he can fully trust me as an advisor. I will be present with unconditional positive regard and will be within the client's frame of reference. This will be his time in the boardroom. If I experience any uncomfortable transfer feelings, I will talk to my supervisor and ask for help and advice on how to deal with this. How explicit and implicit power dynamics between therapist and client might manifest in the "implicit" relationship is suggested, although not directly expressed. “Explicit” is expressed clearly and in detail. Dr. John Norcross, professor of psychology, author of Psychotherapy Relations That Work, was instrumental in 8 years of research to discover what made the therapeutic relationship work, as well as what happened to cause the relationship to fail. therapeutic relationship. Dr. John Norcross on YouTube in Psychlive, said that we cannot expose a client to any type of deep therapy until a good therapeutic relationship is established. When we look at explicit communication, we may see that a customer has little motivation to make changes. We may hear them say “I can’t change” or “I can’t do this.” Our response, while remaining with the client in their frame of reference and showing good empathy, will be “I understand how difficult this may be for you”. The client will feel empowered knowing they are supported and not judged. Working around implicit forms of communication may require the use of..