M5 Discussion 2: Responses

Please respond to both classmates posts. Use course material as your main post: Cultural Diversity: A Primer for the Human Services by Diller, Jerry V. 6th Edition 1. Brian Wrona posted: Dr. Hocoy's session with Terrence started with Terrence seeking help to improve his grades but evolved into Terrence experiencing cultural conflict. Terrence was very focused on getting perfect grades and was not taking any time to pursue personal interests which was causing him to experience depression, leading to difficulty concentrating in school and losing interest (Diller, 2019). Terrence was having trouble being aware of and identifying the emotions he was having which led to Dr. Hocoy working with Terrence to be able to know what he was feeling and how to describe those emotions. In the Asian culture the focus is on the group rather than the individuals and respect for family and elders is extremely important. Terrence felt pressured by his family to pursue good grades and to not pursue social activities that would take time away from his studies (Diller, 2019). Dr. Hocoy encouraged an integrationist path that incorporated both Terrence's Asian culture with establishing non-Asian relations (Diller, 2019). Terrence began to spend time enjoying himself and fostering relationships outside of the Asian community which in turn improved his grades and pleased his parents. If I was working with Terrence, I would try to take a similar approach as Dr. Hocoy. With Terrence having a low awareness of his own emotions and identifying them I think it is extremely important to start by helping him learn what he is feeling so he can express those feelings. Helping Terrence learn about his emotions and how to express them will help him in developing his social skills. After increasing Terrence's emotional awareness, I would help him with his conflict between the demands of his family and what he wanted as an individual. With such a high regard for interdependence in the Asian culture Terrence has been taught that the family comes before the individual. I would work with Terrence to help him understand that he can take care of both his individual needs along with the demands of his family if that was what he wanted to do. References: Diller, J. V. (2019). Cultural diversity: a primer for the human services (6th ed.). Boston Cengage. 2. Emma Torres posted: Dr. Hocoy's session with Terrence in Chapter 13 went in a decent direction. By using an approach that incorporated empathy and supportive confrontation Dr. Hocoy appeared able to create a safe space for Terrence to confront his issues and fostered trust enough to encourage meaningful self-reflection. If I were in a similar situation, I would use some of the same approaches as Dr. Hocoy to make sure that the client feels supported as well as understood. I feel it is important to balance confrontation with support so as not to overwhelm the client. What I would do differently would be using more culturally sensitive practices and give the client practical steps they can work on between sessions. These steps can help the client make noticeable progress and gain a sense of empowerment and accomplishment. I would also use techniques from different therapeutic approaches as a way to provide the client with more tools to overcome their challenges. ‌