Running head: PROFESSIONALISM RESEARCH PROJECT 1

Kristy Stephenson
Professionalism Research Project
CO 500
Spring Two 2017
University of West Alabama

Professionalism Research Project

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There are many different aspects of diversity including race, gender, ethnicity, socioeconomic

status, religion, ability, age, backgrounds, and sexual orientation to name a few. Due to the

changing demographics in the United States, it is becoming more and more important to look

at cultural diversity as a major characteristic of professionalism. Almost 14% of the US

population was born in another country, and that statistic is steadily climbing. Even in the

US, there are many changes developing in our populations. Each of the aspects mentioned

above shape a persons understanding and interpretation of the world we live. It is for this

reason that counselors must possess diversity skills in order to serve all students and their

families.

Current Problems

There are many current issues in K-12 settings that deal with diversity. Some of the problems

are age-old such as racial tension, religious beliefs, socioeconomic insecurities, handicapped

students and teachers being made fun of, younger students being picked on, or students being

pushed to the side due to their educational background. There have also been more problems

since the 911 event dealing with Muslim students or Middle Eastern nationalities. Many of these

issues tend to present problems that must be dealt with by the school counselor.

A problem that is coming to the forefront more often now is that of sexual orientation or

gender identity. Although this has always been an issue for some students, it is becoming more

common to come out which sometimes leads to many problems for the student. Another issue

related with gender is cross-dressing. It is confusing to other students and therefore, causes

tension and maybe even out-lashing. There is also the topic of non-traditional families which is

becoming more prevalent in our society.

Background
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The key to addressing diversity with school counselors is education. They must be trained to

deal with diverse populations in order to promote diversity in the school. It is human nature to

believe our own beliefs are common knowledge to all, which isnt true at all. In order to get past

this, one must be educated to be open to many differences in people. Failing to address social,

psychological, linguistic and academic issues of multicultural students can cause them to fail in

adjusting to our society. Counselors should receive training in human development, relationships,

and counseling to deal with multicultural students. It is the counselors responsibility to play the

role of facilitating student development in cultural and diversity issues (Goh, Wahl, Mcdonald,

Brissett, & Yoon, 2007). The counselor should work with teachers, parents, and administrators

to bridge the gap for students.

According to Nelson, Bustamante, and Watts (2013), another area of training counselors

should receive is the role of a cultural mediator. As a mediator, it is the counselors responsibility

to promote an inclusive school environment regardless of cultural differences and enforce school

policies for fair treatment of all students. It is a common practice of new counselors to not want

to rock the boat and have disagreements when defending their students. Therefore, it is

important in the training that counselors train in leadership development and reflect on how they

will advocate for their students. Assessing a school environment regarding policies, programs

and practices can enlighten one on ways institutional norms may sometimes create prejudice and

marginalization which deter students from reaching their maximum educational experience.

Making these observations and creating action plans can help school counselors advocate for a

more cultural diverse school setting (Nelson, Bustamante, & Watts, 2013).

A last area of training that was looked at was religion. School counselors tend to not want to

deal with spirituality and religion in the school setting due to the First Amendment of the
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Constitution. In 2011, the American Counseling Association published research and literature on

dealing with students religious and spiritual needs to promote mental health, personal and social

growth, resiliency, and well-being. According to Kimbel (n.d.), spirituality and religion are

critical in the development of creating personal meaning to life and crafting a system of morals

and values. This influences ones thoughts, feelings, and behaviors that interact with life

experiences, resulting in a continuous reshaping process of the family system, person identity,

and worldview (Kimbel, n.d.). When students deal with things such as grief or loss, questioning

their identity, or searching for meaning of their life, spiritual and religious undertones are

present. As a school counselor, to be able to help with these areas, he/she should be aware of

their own beliefs and be willing to address these areas as well as be open to all students beliefs.

How I Can Help

It is important as a school counselor to be educated about diversified populations. One way

to help my colleagues is to educate them on students backgrounds, cultures, and experiences for

the staff to get to know the students better and understand their thinking and actions. Another

way is to develop staff training workshops on diversity issues. Also, to improve the educational

environment for all students, a school counselor should promote respect for all individuals as

well as groups, promote patience and tolerance, and emphasize being careful with words and

actions that could be misunderstood by others. This can be done in faculty meetings, one-on-one

teacher meetings, PLC meetings, as well as group and class sessions with the students. In order

to help the profession, this information could also be shared or discussed in a blog, forum, or

educational journal. Counselors could also educate other counselors by providing workshops or
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being a speaker at a conference. The more educated one becomes in diversity issues, the better

he/she will handle situations which, in turn, will make the profession look better.

References

Goh, M., Wahl, K. H., McDonald, J. K., Brissett, A. A., Yoon, E. (2007). Working with immigrant

students in schools: The role of school counselors in building cross-cultural bridges. Journal of

Multicultural Counseling and Development, 35(2), 66-79. Retrieved from http://media.proquest.

com.ezproxy.uwa.edu/media/pq/classic/doc/1256045411.

Kimbel, T. M. (n.d.) Meeting the holistic needs of students: A proposal for spiritual and religious

competencies for school counselors. ASCA Professional School Counseling, 17(1), 76-85.

Retrieved from media.proquest.com.ezproxy.uwa.edu/media/pq/classic/doc/3417470211.

Nelson, J., Bustamante, R., & Watts, R. (2013). Professional school counselors as cultural con-

sultants. Journal of Professional Counseling: Practice, Theory, and Research, 2, 45-59. Retrieved
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from http://media.proquest.com.ezproxy.uwa.edu/media/pq/classic/doc/3182326321.