Knowledge, awareness, and … skills? Instructional design choices in multicultural counseling

Abstract The development of multiculturally competent counselors is an objective of graduate training programs affiliated with national counseling and psychology associations in the United States. While this area of scholarship and training is rapidly developing; it is not clear the degree to which “ multicultural competency ” is achieved, especially, the development of multicultural counseling skills. To attain information about multicultural counseling training, two surveys were conducted that queried graduate multicultural counseling instructors about curriculum and experiences teaching. These individuals were solicited by e-mail to take part in online surveys, in 2009 and 2020. Educators indicated that they developed diverse curricula using simulations, advocacy instruction, field experiences, and cultural exposure. This diversity however, also indicates lack of uniformity and consensus regarding multicultural skills training, both in curricular content and assessment. Additionally, training appears to be culturally constrained due to the homogeneity in instructor and student identities, inattention to communication/language differences and exclusion of indigenous/traditional healing practices and practitioners. The multicultural counseling field may be enhanced by increasing diversity in instructors and trainees, explicit attention to diversity in language and communication, and incorporating the contributions of international, traditional/indigenous investigators and practitioners.