EDUC 624: Theory and Practice of Multicultural Counseling

Credits: 3

Key Skills: Culturally competent counseling, counselor advocacy, social justice advocacy, feminist advocacy multicultural awareness, counselor self-awarenes

Description: This course focuses on the multiple dimensions related to competent multicultural counseling. This course will help students develop their own cultural self-awareness and gain a better understanding of the role counseling plays in eliminating biases, prejudice, oppression, and discrimination. Students study the implications for counseling individuals from different ethnic and minority groups, with an emphasis on multicultural and social justice-oriented advocacy as students learn to act as change agents. Students examine the overarching cultural context of relationships, including factors such as age, race, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, religious and spiritual values, mental and physical characteristics, education, family values, socioeconomic status, and within-group as well as between-group cultural differences.

The coursework is grounded in theories of multicultural counseling, identity development, pluralistic trends, and systems-oriented intervention strategies. Assignments include authentic case studies, a cultural immersion project, and a group research presentation.