Cultural Assessment
The American Psychiatric Association, 2013 has made initial strides in recognizing the importance of ethnic and cultural factors related to psychiatric diagnosis. This paper discuses a 37-year-old Haitian female client. Details are discussed as to her presenting symptoms. In addition, the importance of a cultural assessment as it relates to minority clients is detailed.
Cultural Assessment of Mrs. Hudson’s Haitian Culture
Mrs. Hudson is a 37-year-old Haitian American woman who resides with her husband of 10 years and two children, a son age 8 and a daughter age 2 (Week 9 Case Study). She emigrated to the United Sates and considers English to be her primary language. Mrs. Hudson is a Primary Care Physician and her Husband is a Firefighter. Mrs. Hudson was raised as a practicing Catholic. At present, she attends a nondenominational …show more content…
Hudson might affect the process and progress of her counseling session is several ways. The first being that there is significant distrust of authorities and professionals due to a long history of oppression and exploitation of the Haitian culture (cite). From the cultural aspect of Mrs. Hudson, it is important for a counselor to understand that although the client is Black, her cultural identity is Haitian. The Black Haitian culture is vastly different from the Black American, and should be approached in that manner. If a counselor is not culturally competent or lacks awareness of minority culture they can come across as dismissive of the client.
The consequences could be that the client does not connect with the therapist or does not return for a second visit. Mrs. Hudson is a professional. If and it happens the counselor allows stereotypes or biases to enter the counseling session it would easy for the counselor to assume that Mrs. Hudson is a Blue-Collar worker. It is important to capture this information in the cultural
Cultural Assessment of Mrs. Hudson’s Haitian Culture
Mrs. Hudson is a 37-year-old Haitian American woman who resides with her husband of 10 years and two children, a son age 8 and a daughter age 2 (Week 9 Case Study). She emigrated to the United Sates and considers English to be her primary language. Mrs. Hudson is a Primary Care Physician and her Husband is a Firefighter. Mrs. Hudson was raised as a practicing Catholic. At present, she attends a nondenominational …show more content…
Hudson might affect the process and progress of her counseling session is several ways. The first being that there is significant distrust of authorities and professionals due to a long history of oppression and exploitation of the Haitian culture (cite). From the cultural aspect of Mrs. Hudson, it is important for a counselor to understand that although the client is Black, her cultural identity is Haitian. The Black Haitian culture is vastly different from the Black American, and should be approached in that manner. If a counselor is not culturally competent or lacks awareness of minority culture they can come across as dismissive of the client.
The consequences could be that the client does not connect with the therapist or does not return for a second visit. Mrs. Hudson is a professional. If and it happens the counselor allows stereotypes or biases to enter the counseling session it would easy for the counselor to assume that Mrs. Hudson is a Blue-Collar worker. It is important to capture this information in the cultural