Journal Club Reflection Olivia Gardella Dr. Anthony Vajda Alvernia University 5-15-2023 Gardella 2 Questions from Discussion 1. How can we effectively counsel someone who holds racist attitudes or beliefs? 2. What should we do if a coworker or supervisor holds racist attitudes or beliefs? 3. How has your own cultural identity developed? Have you thought about it up until now? 4. How do you establish a level of relatability in a counseling relationship where the client is of a different socioeconomic status than you, the counselor, are? 5. What strategies can you use to create a safe and inclusive space for clients to explore their cultural identities? 6. How can counselors support and empower clients in exploring and embracing their cultural identities while navigating societal pressures? Reflection In my experience in the group meeting, I felt supported and comfortable to explore and share my experiences, as well as my questions regarding difficult topics in multicultural issues. This kind of environment and assignment lends itself to a more intimate discussion regarding one’s own individual experiences and a reflection about multicultural issues in the counseling world. As for my group, I believe that we were comfortable sharing our experiences, and if dissenting opinions were to arise, we would be able handle any issues through an honest discussion of our internal biases. Throughout this group discussion, we not only had a meaningful discussion about what we would do in instances of multicultural insensitivity in a counseling space, but also discussions regarding our own experiences with our cultural identity development and how that impacts how we interact with the world. Many of the topics we discussed ended with the conclusion of Gardella 3 making sure that you are doing what is best for the client while also being aware of multicultural competencies. Meeting the client where they are at, and educating yourself is important to develop a strong therapeutic alliance. Something new I have learned was how much my own cultural identity and racial identity development is stunted. Personally, I had not thought about my own racial identity up until my undergraduate education. I had not really begun to dissect what being white means to and for me, as well as how my race impacts how I interact with the world until then. My own cultural and racial identity is something that I still have to reflect on, as well as continually understanding and acknowledging how the intersections of my identity create privilege and oppression. One of my biases that I have become aware of and challenged by is that I have realized that there are times where I unconsciously view an individual as somewhat of a spokesperson for their ethnic group, without recognizing that there is a vast diversity within ethnic groups. When I reflect on my own cultural identity development, specifically my white racial development, I noticed that I do not expect a white person to be the spokesperson for the entirety of white people, as I know from personal experience that there is a lot of diversity in being white, and that not all white people are a monolith. However, I can sometimes project that monolithic thinking onto other people and their ethnic groups. Going forward, I need to continually challenge my own internal bias that I have and foster an understanding of diversity within different ethnic groups. Overall, this journal group was productive and caused me to realize things about myself that need to be challenged. This helps us to develop our relationships with each other as a cohort in a deeper manner, so that we can effectively communicate throughout our program and be able to have deeper discussions like these.
