Culture
My culture significantly influences how I behave towards clients and in carrying out professional activities in general. Some of the effects include misconception of issues, diverse interpretation of particular events and differences in the application of common laws. These are just but a few issues that my cultural background influences in the event I set out on a counseling endeavor. The first effect is about misconception. Some of the common concepts in counseling are treated differently by various cultures in the world. I always restrain myself from cultural interference when serving a client coming from a different culture. Concerning the interpretation of issues and events, I usually engage my clients and listen to their issues before coming up with appropriate advice. Lastly, we have the common laws and their application in real life situations. Observing extra care on these issues helps a counselor execute his or her mandate in a professional manner an action that leaves out cultural beliefs and opinions out of the context.
Attending Skills
If I were a client, I would prefer to be attended by customer relations personnel with an inclination towards rational thinking. This is because rational thinking enables one to ascertain the problem by separating the facts from opinions/observations. Thus, he or she will enhance the process of finding a formidable solution to my problems without expressing empathy on my current conditions. In addition, it speeds up the acceptance process by coming to terms with the factors that led to the errors committed. There are advantages and disadvantages of engaging and applying this kind of approach. One of the disadvantages is that it may lower the self-esteem of the client due to lack of personal connections such as empathy (Cormier, 2015).
Advantages of Wither Approach
One of the advantages is that it incorporates family issues that the client faces individually and as a family. Natural governance is instrumental in the administration of the counseling session. Moreover, interrelating ones suffering to the family relationship increases the possibility of selecting the best alternative in dealing with the issues at hand. Furthermore, reflecting on the boundaries established at a family level improves the determination of factual evidence by examining and evaluating the problem thoroughly. Mobilizing family members to support the individual is central to the healing process.
Disadvantages of Wither Approach
On the contrary, this approach has many disadvantages culminating from the nature and process used in determining the errors committed. The inclusiveness of family issues brings in an element of generalization hence unable to distinguish facts from fiction (Cormier, 2015). This proves to be an expensive endeavor due to the time taken to bring out the real issues to be dealt with. If one is dealing with more than one party, he or she is less likely to be able to separate truth from lies because parties blame each other. Another disadvantage is about the lengthy procedure followed to administer counseling to the patients of either psychological or physical suffering. Thus, engaging in a learning process is not an option for a professional counselor because it assists determines the best course of action to undertake.
In conclusion, a counseling session is characterized by so many factors that may inhibit the delivery process. Some of them emanate from the social composition or background of the patient as well as the counselor. However, these factors should not override the need to deliver professional services.
References
Cormier, S. (2015). Counseling Strategies and Interventions for Professional. New York: Pearson.