Millions of legal and illegal immigrants reside within the United States. As a result, more people from different cultural backgrounds are being integrated in the country. It is very difficult moving to a new country with different culture and traditions. Multi-cultural counselors specialize in acculturating new immigrants to make moving to the United States less difficult.
Even though many immigrants have friends and family members willing to assist them during their transition, some immigrants must seek help from multi-cultural counselors or other professionals. This can be especially difficult because of language barriers.
Effective multi-cultural counselors can empathize with others. In other words, they must be aware how difficult it is to learn a new language and make a transition to a new culture. Additionally, empathy is an essential characteristic for these specialists since minorities often do not receive proper mental health treatment because of poverty and communication problems.
It is often difficult for multi-cultural counselors to evaluate and treat their patients because of language barriers. Those learning new languages usually struggle explaining their personal feelings to others. Multi-cultural counselors frequently study new languages, so they can better communicate with their clients. Another strategy they can utilize is setting up group therapy sessions with people who speak common languages.
Multi-cultural counselors must also deal with cultural prejudices regarding mental illness. People from certain cultures denigrate people who seek mental health treatment, and explanations for mental illness are also very different in other cultures. As a result of these differences, multi-cultural counselors must approach their work differently than other counselors. People from other cultures also frequently include family members in their therapy sessions. The training multi-cultural counselors must complete will prepare them to effectively help their patients in spite of cultural differences.
America has always been a place where people from all world cultures have integrated together. Those making the transition to a new culture frequently rely on the help of multi-cultural counselors. People who are looking for a career where they can work with people from all over the world should consider working as a multi-cultural counselor.
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