Journal: WHAT IS CROSS CULTURAL COUNSELING

Cross-cultural counseling occurs when the cultural heritage of the counselor and the client differ. culture include how we view the world, including values, beliefs, behaviors, and customs. The counselor must concern to the cultural differences in order to make counseling process become more effective. Counselors need to have competency in cross cultural in order to understand their own worldview and cultural heritage so that they do not impose their personal and cultural biases on their clients. We as a counselor need to work  hard to develop cultural knowledge of other societies, such as learning about common beliefs, food ways, parenting practices, and other social behaviors.

We also need to develop cultural sensitivity and awareness, recognizing that differences between cultures exist without applying judgments about those differences. As a counselor, we need to avoid from having prejudice and cultural bias in our client who have different culture from ourselves. We also cannot stereotype other culture. Worldview differences not only focus on cultural, racial, and national origin, but also with age, gender, acculturation, education, and many other factors.

In order to become culturally competent, the counselor must accept the legitimacy of others worldview. The counselor cannot feel prejudiced or bias to other cultural. The counselor also must begin the process of developing culturally appropriate intervention strategies in working with diverse clients.

so, it shows that culturally competent is very important because it make the counselor understand more about the clients. the clients also will feel comfortable because the counselor understand the client and did not put his or her judgment on the clients issue.