Course Description

Many therapists struggle to broach discussions of race, ethnicity, and culture (REC) during treatment Yet ignoring clients’ specific and unique cultural contexts may preclude them from metabolizing trauma. An emerging body of research indicates that the therapist’s consideration of REC during treatment enhances the depth of client disclosure, therapist credibility, a willingness to return for follow-up sessions, and more favorable treatment outcomes. During this multimedia presentation, participants will develop strategies for broaching the contextual dimensions of race, ethnicity, and culture with clients using the Broaching Framework, a theoretically and empirically supported multicultural counseling model. Participants will explore therapists’ orientation towards broaching REC, a multi-dimensional approach for addressing specific racial, ethnic, and cultural concerns, a set of strategies for facilitating conversations around REC, as well as approaches for broaching REC within an organizational development context.

Learning Objectives

1. Participants will be able to exhibit a posture of multicultural orientation.
2. Participants will be able to identify contexts in which it is appropriate to broach the client’s REC concerns.
3. Participants will be able to apply the Broaching Framework.

Presenter(s)

Norma Day-Vines, Ph.D.

Dr. Norma L. Day-Vines serves as Associate Dean for Diversity and Faculty Development in the School of Education at Johns Hopkins University and maintains a faculty appointment as Professor of Counseling and Educational Studies. Her research agenda examines the importance of multiculturalism as an indispensable tool in the delivery of culturally competent counseling services. More specifically, she specializes in the measurement of attitudes towards discussing the contextual dimensions of race, ethnicity and culture with ethnic minority clients and the identification of strategies that reduce barriers to well-being. Her scholarship has appeared in leading counseling journals.