Application to Professional Practice
While following the twelve steps to analyzing a qualitative research report for the article by Esters (2001), I was struck by several significant implications for professional practice in the school counseling profession. First, it is important not to automatically make assumptions of preferred characteristics too quickly based on membership in a specific cultural group. It is also important for a school counselor to make services available and desirable to all students. Lastly, while understanding one’s personal lens is important in the counseling process, it is also important to realize that race and/or ethnicity may not be the most importance difference in the counseling relationship.
The study by Esters (2001) was focused on at-risk high school students and their preferences for certain characteristics in their school counselor. The results of the study pointed to a preference for a counselor with similar attitudes, values, background and socioeconomic status with race/ethnicity being a less salient desirable attribute. As a counselor, one must evaluate what the student is seeking within the helping relationship without being biased by assumptions regarding gender, race, socioeconomic status or background. By promoting any possible similarities in values and attitudes, a counselor may facilitate a counseling relationship with all students, regardless of race or gender differences.
Participants of the Esters (2001) study were all characterized as being at-risk and therefore may have sought counseling more often than other students. This heightened contact with counselors could have affected the desirability of certain counselor characteristics that they were more prepared than the average student to express. A school counselor must find a way to make their services attractive to all students by promoting an interest in each of the three areas of a development guidance program: social, academic and career. If a counselor can demonstrate to the student body that each component is valued and that the counselor has a positive attitude toward helping all students with their individual needs, the counselor may be able to help a larger portion of the student body. For example, if at-risk students are comfortable seeking a certain counselor for help in dealing with social issues, it would be beneficial to the counselor to strive to demonstrate his/her interest in academia and career development to other members of the student body. This could generate more students seeking the counselor’s assistance on a variety of issues.
If counselors wish to engage in the helping process as multiculturally competent counselors, they may wish to evaluate their own worldview lenses. This information could help them to lessen their assumptions about individuals of different ethnicities or races. Once this occurs, rapport could be established based on the similarities between the counselors and counselees, which is what is most important to counselees according to the study by Esters (2001). If a counselor were to refer a student to another counselor solely on the basis of a difference in racial background, he/she could be doing a great disservice to the student, particularly if the first counselor and student share some of the same attitudes and values and the second counselor does not. While being aware of a differences is important it is even more important to express similarities to individuals seeking a helping professional.
The survey never mentioned the results in regard to multicultural counseling techniques and yet much of the findings are of that nature. Students wish to be heard, want to share attitudes, values and backgrounds with their helping professionals and are less interested in the counselors race as a factor in the counseling relationship. We must strive to understand the attitudes and values of students constantly in order to facilitate our role as school counselors.
Reference:
Esters, Irv (2001). At-Risk High School Students’ Preferences for Counselor
Characteristics.