School counselors will be exposed to a wide range of cultures, upbringing, and people regularly. When looking at the case study of Marty, a 10-year-old boy, Marty is originally from South America, which gives him a different culture, background, and perspective on situations. This may impact how he processes the traumas he has experienced. Marty has shared personal traumatic events from his past that he does not want others to know about. This includes bullying, and the boys cautioned Marty if he tells anyone, they will break into his house and harm his little sister, so he declines to pinpoint them.
Because Marty is an underage kid, it would be easy to work with him. I would educate the client that bullying is not his fault; it is not normal. I would do everything in my power to maintain trust with the child and encourage the child to keep talking about his feelings and his experiences because doing so can lead to depression and even suicide (Office of Children and Family Services, 2019). To facilitate this, I believe it would be vital that I use a language that he is conversant with as he has resided in the United States for an extended period. I would demonstrate developmental and cultural awareness when dealing with Marty by employing translation services. It is critical for me as the school psychologist to describe the significance of confidentiality and the constraints of this confidentiality (American School Counselor Association, 2016). As a result, Marty would feel at ease and ensure that he and his family are safe when disclosed.
Counseling a multicultural perspective is essential in today’s varied environment. When dealing with a client such as Marty, it is vital to keep in mind the cultural factors. One of the factors is language. Marty relocated from another region, and English might not be his first language. This means that it could be partly why he struggles to speak in English. Another cultural factor to keep in mind is the family. The contemporary family is far more diverse, less restrictive, and has broader perspectives (Remeley & Herlihy, 2016). The last aspect is the racial-cultural-ethnic identity. In this case, it is crucial to consider that Marty originates from Brazil and is a Latino. A client may encounter “within-group” disparities that may impact their psychological development.
