Balancing Individuality and Group Identity in Counselling Assignment Sample

Introduction

The hypothesis that counsellors should work with the individuality of their clients rather than with groups to which he or she may belong is a questionable proposition in today's therapeutic practice. As the world becomes more diverse, there has been a growing tension between the individual uniqueness to be recognised and the group cultural identities to be recognized too. Using a balanced academic and reflective approach, this essay critically evaluates the hypothesis stated above by relying on the central arguments put forth by Dalal (2022) and Moleiro et al., (2018). Dalal, (2022), criticizes the instrumentalisation of diversity in institutional contexts, arguing that the process of essential zing group identities comes at the expense of ethical and ethical discernment. However, Moleiro et al. examine how deficiencies in cultural and individual diversity competencies determine therapeutic processes and how contextual reasoning and self-reflection are essential in psychological practice. This essay seeks to examine how counsellors can situate themselves while working with complex identities in therapy, recognising that the person in therapy is situated within, if not reduced to, social, cultural, and political contexts (Schubert et al., 2023). Balancing Individuality and Group Identity in Counselling Practice: A Critical Examination Reflective Essay will consist of a literature review of theoretical and empirical perspectives, a critical discussion integrating it with personal reflection, and a conclusion synthesising the learning journey and final stance on the hypothesis.

Literature Review

The question of whether counsellors should or should not focus more on individual persons rather than identity-based groups implies considering the outlined discourse on diversity, identity and ethical practice in counselling. According to Dalal (2022), a comprehensive view points out that affirmative action, more voluntarily drawn from institutional diversity reflection philosophies of the Western world, depoliticises as well as commodifies identity. He has argued that the present form of diversity agenda is controlled by neoliberal, pitched as a pursuit of representation without responsibility or political purpose. According to Dalal (2022), argues that while ‘diversity is desirable,’ the existence of principles of multiculturalism is problematic because they promote uncritical acceptance of difference, which suppresses critical portrayal or rejection of social organisational pathologies. He maps out this conflict back to the war between the Enlightenment and the Romantics, which envisaged the human race as equal versus a divinity that is best expressed in difference. In the therapeutic setting, culture-bound assumptions might be introduced and embraced even if they could be detrimental to the client. Dalal, (2022), is interested in how therapists may find themself being pressured to practice cultural sensitivity and uphold cultures without differentiating between liberatory and oppressive aspects within those cultures, thus resulting in the problem of ethical dilemma.

According to Moleiro et al., (2018), offers quantitative data on the ways in which therapists respond – or do not respond to clients’ and cultural diversity. Their analogue study with 31 therapists exposed to clinically practical scenarios with clients of marginalised status showed that most of the therapists they observed had varied forms of ‘diversity, unknown’. More than 70% of the participants failed to consider cultural diversity or cultural differences of their clients, either by responding that factors such as race or religion were not important in practice, or by never mentioning it in case formulation. Lack of cultural competence, according to the authors, is a result of inadequate training and awareness and leads to disparities in the availability of psychological services. In more significant terms, Moleiro et al. do not attempt to glorify the depth of ‘culture’ by relegating clients as mere bearers of that culture. They have proposed an intersectional and processual view of culture, noting that culture is more like something that could encompass age, and other aspects of life, including class, sexual orientation, gender, and immigration status (Alessi et al., 2021). This supports the hypothesis in question as it asserts that, as important as the group identity is, the client’s identity should not be erased.

Moreover, Dalal, (2022), and Moleiro et al., (2018), paint the picture depicting the pitfalls of relying on group classification in counselling. Dalal (2022), has dealt with the politicisation of identity and its ability to strengthen power dynamics, and Moleiro et al., (2018) have dealt with the consequences of identity erasure or improper management in a therapeutic setting. Altogether, they leave one with the feeling that while group identity should be considered when assessing the client, it should not be used to typecast the client. The participation of a counsellor in a racist society, therefore, presents itself in an area where people have to mark themselves through identity documents, yet over and above the selfsame documents, are acceptable proof of bigotry and prejudice.

I chose this topic because I have a personal passion for social justice and equality for mental health issues. Before I encountered these texts, I firmly believed that the recognition of cultural identity was positive and healing. However, Dalal (2022), critique made me think differently to consider how culture also oppresses. On the other hand, Moleiro et al.,(2018), study was also a revelation to find how ignorance or even avoiding identity in therapy harms the client. This has helped me gain a second perspective in understanding the need to be as sensitive as possible when considering the client as a person.

Discussion

The Ethical Challenge of Respecting Group Identity

The analysis of the literature shows that there is a tension between the autonomous self of clients and the social identity that they carry, which is important for counsellors to consider. As Dalal (2022), pointed out, group identity, as a social construct, is crucial at times; it is more about abstraction, ideological or politicised, rather than the actual experience of the people in that group. Dalal (2022), is exceedingly concerned with the institutional adoption of diversity in public relations, where such measures may practice inclusion while at the same time reproducing marginalisation. In counselling practice, this comes out in the form of the tendency to have to rejoice without always questioning the ‘moral worth’ or the positive impact of such diversity for the client. In his work, he prohibits the counsellors from confusing the respect of identity with theoretical neutrality and tries to remind policymakers attentively note that some of the common practices among certain groups that are accepted by all are still a form of oppression, especially the oppressed minorities within that group.

Clinical Consequences of Cultural Blindness

In a clinical practice context, Moleiro et al., (2018), present a parallel concern of the lack of meaningful engagement with diversity across therapists. Their study shows that many clinicians work within a colour-blind or culture-blind paradigm, believing that not 'not noticing or excluding race, religion, or sexual orientation is somehow equitable. However, this perspective can fail to capture the macro and micro implementation of marginalisation on the client’s psychological and personal worth. Thus, neglecting identity results in therapists misunderstanding, misplacing, or providing an inadequate diagnosis of the client’s situation. However, also warn against reductionism and recommend intersectionality and process-related approaches to identity. This entails also being sensitive to cultural differences, also allowing the culture to interact with other things like trauma, migration, language and poverty (Geiling et al., 2021).

Balancing Context with Individual Meaning

These insights offer a particularly important set of lessons that bear directly on the conduct of therapeutic relationships. Firstly, the cultural background of a client can be useful while assessing their expectations, strengths, and priorities, as well as the issues that they are facing. For example, shame regarding homosexuality may be experienced by a client who was raised in a strict religious family, while a client who is a refugee may show signs of anxiety due to migration (Davoren et al., 2023). However, it is important not to see these clients solely as representatives of their particular group because such an approach removes them from their individuality and treats them as mere stereotypes. According to Dalal,(2022), it is important to note that cultural groups are diverse, and there cannot be a simplistic and unified cultural story. The therapeutic task certainly is not to negate the role of culture but to question how one can approach a certain culture, whether one disagrees with it, incorporates it, or fights against it.

Reflective Practice and Personal Development

My own learning, when thinking about it, allowed me to pay attention not just to the ideas but also to the implicit assumptions I had been making about diversity in therapy. At first, I thought of inclusion in simple terms, as the act of being accepted and welcomed into a group or circle of friends. I thought that it was helpful to be aware of the client’s race, religion or sexuality. Apart from Dalal (2022), work, Individuals realised that the above approach might end up being tokenistic, or not consider intragroup variation. This was particularly applicable when he talked about the caste system in Hinduism, when cultural appreciation, without critique, perpetuates subjugation.

Awareness of Positionality and Bias

When reading the work, I reflected on my own biases more profoundly. When conducting seminars and during group discussions, I realised that we tended to make sweeping conclusions based on the ethnic or linguistic origins of the members, thinking that they included similar issues or ideals. In practice, though, the variability within a group was way higher than between the groups. I also learned that I have gone to situations where I would hesitate in cases where I had to ask the client some questions regarding their background, as a result of fearing that I would be racist. These aspects made refocusing on difference itself seem feasible and safe. Moleiro et al.,(2018), call for ‘respectful curiosity’ allied with the argument that diversity training is necessary in order to foster such competencies sustains the view that equity does not have to be necessarily pathologised or colonising.

Integrating Individuality and Cultural Context

In therapeutic work, this translates into a two-fold responsibility: to ensure that the client and the social context impacting their identity are not erased, but also to enable the client to give meaning to them. It is especially important when this is beyond the client’s understanding of how it impacts their well-being. The use of cultural templates is not the job of therapists, but to provide the client with an environment in which he or she can decide which of his or her identities are important to him or her and in what manner. It is also a critical component for Counsellors to recognise and embrace their biases, their standpoint, and any possible limitations that might arise within them and affect the therapeutic relationship that is about to be developed (Khairat et al., 2023). Otherwise, there is a risk of assimilating the differences by using a colour-blind approach or, conversely, reifying the client based on their group affiliation.

In the end, both Dalala, (2022) well as Moleiro et al., (2018) come down to the same essence of this argument. Identity is important, but it is the role that the person has concerning that identity or the purpose that identity serves that should inform the therapeutic process. While Dalal, (2022), generally views people as developing ideological blindness and institutions as becoming complacent, Moleiro et al., (2018), show that there are significant implementation deficiencies in the cultural competence of therapists. They both establish that embracing the client as a unique person while respecting them as a member of a particular group results in more ethical, effective, and diverse practice (Picketts et al., 2021).

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Conclusion

In this essay, the hypothesis that is under discussion is that counsellors should not pay attention to the identity of groups that a person belongs to, but the individual identity of the person, using both Dalal (2022), theoretical analysis and Moleiro et al.,(2018), empirical study. From the two sources, it emerges that one needs to respect the humanity of cultural identity, but also not let it dominate the client’s exposure. Thus to sum up, the guidelines for effective counselling may be concluded as follows: On the one hand, a systemic approach has to be taken into account, which means to recognize the socio-political applicability of the group identity concept; on the other hand, it is important to remain focused on the individual construction of meaning. The complexity of identity necessitates reflexivity, ethical discernment and curiosity, which cultivate respect for identity and strengthen rather than define the therapeutic bond.

References

• Alessi, E. J., Cheung, S., Kahn, S., & Yu, M. (2021). A Scoping Review of the Experiences of Violence and Abuse Among Sexual and Gender Minority Migrants Across the Migration Trajectory. Trauma, Violence, & Abuse, 22(5), 152483802110438. https://doi.org/10.1177/15248380211043892
• Dalal, F. (2022). Diversity as Business Opportunity and Instrument of Thought Control. Free Associations, 86. https://www.freeassociations.org.uk/FA_New/OJS/index.php/fa/article/view/428
• Davoren, N., McEleney, A., Corcoran, S., Tierney, P., & Fortune, D. G. (2023). Refugees and asylum seekers who have experienced trauma: Thematic synthesis of therapeutic boundary considerations. Clinical Psychology & Psychotherapy, 31(1). https://doi.org/10.1002/cpp.2894
• Geiling, A., Knaevelsrud, C., Böttche, M., & Stammel, N. (2021). Mental Health and Work Experiences of Interpreters in the Mental Health Care of Refugees: A Systematic Review. Frontiers in Psychiatry, 12. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyt.2021.710789
• Khairat, M., Hodge, S., & Duxbury, A. (2023). Refugees’ and asylum seekers’ experiences of individual psychological therapy: A qualitative meta‐synthesis. British Journal of Medical Psychology, 96(4). https://doi.org/10.1111/papt.12470
• Moleiro, C., Freire, J., Pinto, N., & Roberto, S. (2018). Integrating diversity into therapy processes: The role of individual and cultural diversity competences in promoting equality of care. Counselling and Psychotherapy Research, 18(2), 190–198. https://doi.org/10.1002/capr.12157
• Picketts, L., Warren, M. D., & Bohnert, C. (2021). Diversity and inclusion in simulation: addressing ethical and psychological safety concerns when working with simulated participants. BMJ Simulation and Technology Enhanced Learning, 7(6), 590–599. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjstel-2020-000853
• Schubert, S., Buus, N., Monrouxe, L. V., & Hunt, C. (2023). The development of professional identity in clinical psychologists: A scoping review. Medical Education, 57(7). https://doi.org/10.1111/medu.15082