Client Experiencing Co-occurring Mental Health and Substance Abuse Disorders
As a clinical mental health and addiction counselor having a client with a different cultural background than myself will be a challenge. That is why it is important to have that multicultural competency under your belt. Using a client from the Greek/Mediterranean culture would be a challenge for me. I am not the most familiar with this culture expect from the restaurant Opa Opa, I have visited and watching “My Big Fat Greek Wedding”. By the way it is one of my favorite movies. However, that is just what it is, a movie. I cannot go into a session with preconceived notions or bias based on a film that I find funny.
I believe when assessing and applying counseling strategies to a client with a different cultural background is to begin with being culturally sensitive. Going into this session knowing that it will be a challenge, and you will experience cross-cultural communication is key. Figuring out if the theoretical approach you currently use is the best for this particular client. It might work on your normal clientele and their cultural background isn't as diverse, but set outside the box to see what will benefit the client best. It is important to have to make sure your communication skills are very respectful and open. By finding out if they are respectful, try educating yourself on their cultural. Or asking the client if they are comfortable, is the room set comfortable, if there is communication style they prefer. Values and beliefs are essential to working with clients with different cultural backgrounds. Understanding their values and belief like religion, family-system, spirituality, etc. Making sure as a counselor that you are aware of your of own bias. That will be harmful to a client if they come out during session due to differences of values and belief. All that is due to the counselor (me) not being self-awareness of bias. I believe it is important to just be accommodating and flexible to the client who comes from a very different cultural background. However, we aren’t foreign aliens and the more you build that therapeutic alliance (hopefully), similarities would come up. Self-discourse on the counselors part can play a tremendous role on the effectiveness of the clients openness in sessions.
After being able to build that working alliance, or understanding the client and their background, you get a sense of their life. The co-occurring disorders and substance abuse. Where it might stem from, and how as a counselor options to treat it. Using the DSM-5 diagnostic manual and coming up with treatment plans that best suit the client. Finding resources for the client, if needed; for example, job placement after treatment, insurance, homeless (place of stay), child care, etc...
However, if the therapeutic alliance isn’t built or there is a disconnect. The client is comfortable with me as a counselor and chooses to be resistant or there is just a barrier that can’t be broken. I would try referring the client, because their needs come first.