Forging the Link Between Multicultural Competence and Ethical Counseling Practice: A Historical Perspective

• Published in: Counseling and values Vol. 50; no. 2; pp. 99 - 107
• Main Authors: Watson, Zarus E. P., Herlihy, Barbara Richter, Pierce, Latoya Anderson
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford, UK Blackwell Publishing Ltd 01.01.2006; American Counseling Association; John Wiley & Sons, Inc; Brill Academic Publishers, Inc
• Subjects: Association (Psychology); Behavioral Sciences; Clients; Counseling; Counselor Educators; Counselor Training; Counselors; Cross-cultural counseling; Cultural Awareness; Cultural Influences; Cultural Pluralism; Ethical aspects; Ethics; Ethnicity; Guidelines; Minority Groups; Multiculturalism & pluralism; Professional ethics; Psychology; Race; Racial Identification; Resistance (Psychology); Self Actualization; Social Change; Society; Test Results; United States
• ISSN: 0160-7960; 2161-007X
• DOI: 10.1002/j.2161-007X.2006.tb00046.x

Recognition of multicultural competence as an essential component of ethical counseling practice is a growing trend. This article presents a historical perspective of salient events that have contributed to forging a link between multicultural competence and ethical behavior. Multicultural counseling is traced from its beginnings to its emergence at a position of prominence in the profession, along with the development of ethical guidelines over time. This time line depicts the infusion of multicultural considerations into ethical standards and provides a perspective for examining the current status of multicultural competence as an ethical mandate. Implications for the counseling profession are offered.