COMPARISONS OF THEORETICAL COUNSELING MODELS PART 3

AGE, GENDER, AND ETHNICITY

Age, gender and ethnicity play important characterological roles in the therapist/client relationship. The success or failure of therapeutic relationships is dependent on the interaction between the two cohorts in considering and accommodating gender, age and ethnicity factors. In establishing counseling relationships therapists must begin by building a positive foundation with their clients by skillfully eliciting information, establishing a rapport, trust, psychological comfort, and mutual purpose.

The Age Factor

How therapists approach counseling depends greatly on the age of clients. According Hackney and Cormier (2005), “Counseling seems to work better if children can control the distance between themselves and the counselor” (p. 70). Because children feel more comfortable talking with adults at eye level, it is important that seating during the session accommodates eye-to-eye contact.

The key element required in working with adolescents is trust-building. Adolescents sense if the counselors are genuine, have empathy, and if rapport is established. Adults are more concerned with therapists’ competence and open-mindedness. Adults also consider other factors such as the sensitivity, objectivity, and inter-personal attractiveness of counselors.

The Gender Factor

Gender influences therapists’ ability to judge clients’ state-of-being, past experience, and past client feedback. The main gender issue stems from clients’ male or female worldview and how past personal issues may impact counseling sessions. For example, if male clients believe that women are second-class citizens, pairing them with female therapists may not be productive.

Another example is female clients who have been emotionally, physically and/or verbally abused by a male. To foster productive therapy, therapists must be sensitive to clients’ needs and allow them to decide if their therapist’s gender feels comfortable to them.

Racial, Ethnic, and Cultural Factors

Having a strong foundation in clients’ culture and ethnicity supports counselors in laying groundwork for future sessions. Therapists have two ways to view clients in a cultural and ethnic framework. One is the “…etic or focused culture-specific approach…” which “…holds that all cultures are unique and must be understood for their uniqueness” (2005, p.70). By contrast, Hackney and Cormier (2005) cite Atkinson and Hackett (1998) who state that the universal approach is more subjective and includes “…how culture affects the counseling process by broadening the definition of minority to include all oppressed groups…” (p. 70).

SEE POSTS:  COMPARISONS OF THEORETICAL COUNSELING MODELS  PARTS 1, 2 AND 4

(References available on request.)