Choose three different ethnic groups
1. Choose three different ethnic groups. For each group, provide examples of how counselors may best build rapport and trust with clients. Provide scholarly evidence in your response.
Arabs refer to the people that inherit Northern Africa and Western Asia and are largely defined by their Islamic religion and Arabic languages. In dealing with clients, counselors should respect other people’s religious backgrounds (Patterson, 2016). They should also understand the various needs of the clients regardless of the differences in backgrounds.
African-American is simply the dark-skinned individuals. They should use their listening skills to understand the perspective of the clients in order to build a rapport. They should also express respect to the clients by saving their time, returning their calls immediately, and dressing professionally.
Caucasian refers to the people whose ancestry is traced from the Middle East, North Africa, Central and South Asia, and the Horn of Africa. They should pay attention to the non-verbal signals expressed by the clients in order to understand how they are willing to open up their needs (van der Werff & Buckley, 2017). They should also attempt to address the needs of the clients that they have confidence in.
2. What are cultural considerations when working with clients in the substance use disorder field? What first steps might you take with these clients? Explain the rationale for your choices in your response.
Various cultural factors should be considered based on the values and beliefs of various socio-economic groups as well as gender and age of the clients. For instance, Hispanic males are culturally expected to avoid accepting any kind of help but rather solving family problems internally. In this regard, their engagement is expected to be limited. Western European countries have legalized most of the drugs. However, many citizens do not use them owing to the kind of stigma attached to substance use (Brooks et al., 2015). In some cultures, the female is not allowed to use substances, unlike the males who do it freely. In dealing with such clients, it is important to first understand their cultural perspective of substance use in order to get the idea of addressing their needs (Brooks et al., 2015). For instance, the clients who fail to use the substances for fear of stigma may feel deprived of their rights to make a decision, and hence may require special handling.