This text is an innovative, evidence-based approach to facilitating students’ journey to becoming multiculturally competent counselors. Comprehensive, thoughtful, and in-depth, Developing Multicultural Competence goes beyond general discussions of race and ethnicity to include discourse on a broader, more complex view of multiculturalism in clients’ and trainees’ lives.

Both scholarly and highly interactive, this new text strives to present trainees with empirically-based information about multicultural counseling and social advocacy paired with engaging self-reflective activities, discussion questions, case inserts, and study aids, creating opportunities for experiential learning related to cultural diversity considerations and social advocacy issues within clients’ social systems.

Addressing CACREP (2001/2009) Standards related to the Social and Cultural Diversity core area, the book is broken into four parts: Part One covers key concepts and terms regarding multicultural constructs and cross-cultural communication; Part Two defines social advocacy and identifies the major forms of oppression; Part Three discusses the major cultural and diversity groups; and Part Four develops trainee skills for working with diverse clients, including infusing multiculturalism in how they conceptualize, evaluate, and treat these clients.

Key features

-Addresses the 2009 CACREP (Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs) Standards related to the social and cultural diversity core area.

-Includes Case Studies depicting real examples of multicultural counseling situations, illustrating the connection between research and practice.

-Provides opportunities for reflection, stimulating thought about personal beliefs and biases.

-Increases trainee awareness of the role of cultural privilege and oppression in personal and client development, presenting a comprehensive section on social advocacy issues that serve to frame client and trainee experiences.

Danica G. Hays, Ph.D., LPC, NCC, is an assistant professor of counselor education at Old Dominion University. She has published several articles and book chapters related to qualitative methodology, assessment and diagnosis, trauma and gender issues, and multicultural and social justice concerns in counselor preparation and community mental health.