Title: Addressing Clients’ Experiences of Racism: A Model for Clinical Practice

Authors: Krista M. Malott, PhD and Scott Schaefle, PhD

Description: This article synthesizes the literature relevant to coping with racism to provide a 4-stage model for addressing clients’ discriminatory experiences. Major suggestions drawn from the literature include applying frameworks with a contextuallens, using broaching and eliciting skills to promote client exploration of racism and the effects of racism on persons of color, enhancing client racial and ethnic identities, and tailoring interventions to the clients’ culture and preferred coping strategies

Title: Affirmative Intakes: Creating Intentional, Inclusive Forms to Retain Diverse Clients

Presenters: Shannon M. Skaistis, MS; Jennifer M. Cook, PhD; Dhanya Nair, MS; and Sydney C. Borden, BA

Description: How do you ask about clients’ cultural identities on your intake paperwork? Did you ever receive specific training about how to do this? In this Session we present our research findings about how clinicians ask for cultural identities on intake paperwork. We identify common issues, the implicit messages clients may receive from initial paperwork and practical solutions for making your intake paperwork more inclusive, accurate and affirmative with the aim of attracting and retaining underserved client populations.

Title: Counseling Multiracial Populations: Strengths and Challenges

Presenter: Kimberlee Ratliff, EdD

Description: Cultural competence is an ethical responsibility of counselors working with diverse clients. Join an interactive session exploring personal awareness, historical attitudes, identity development models, and needs/strengths of multiracial populations. This session will also examine use of creative counseling techniques, group counseling, and narrative therapy approaches with multiracial populations. Experiential activities will help bring the concepts to life as counselors develop new insights and skills.

Title: Newly Arrived Afghan Refugees

Presenters: Freshta Taeb; Rosalind Ghafar Rogers, PhD; and Nadia Hashimi, MD

Description: Part 1 of this two-part series will provide important background information about newly arrived Afghans, including a brief historical and cultural overview of Afghanistan, the events leading up to the U.S.-led evacuation, and the migration journey. Newly arrived Afghans’ experiences at “safe havens” and resettlement in the U.S. will then be discussed with an emphasis on challenges in resettlement and the complex mental health and psychosocial issues that result when trauma and daily stressors interact within the context of resettlement.

Part 2 of this series will provide more specific information on the mental health challenges faced by newly arrived Afghans and highlight culturally responsive counseling approaches and strategies for Afghan clients with mental health issues. Practical strategies to build rapport with Afghan clients and therapeutic dos and don’ts will be discussed, as well. Case studies or vignettes will be presented throughout the recorded session based on the presenters’ real-world experiences working with newly arrived Afghans.

Title: Crisis in Ukraine: What Counselors Need to Know

Presenter: Joshua Kreimeyer, PhD

Description: Crisis in Ukraine: What Counselors Need to Know (Kreimeyer & Woodson-campbell, 2022) features Dr. Joshua D. Kreimeyer, who has led and collaborated in groundbreaking efforts to bring trauma-informed counseling to Ukraine. This Continuing Professional Development resource provides counselors with a rationale to explain the differences between counseling and other mental health professions, demonstrate cultural sensitivity and awareness of Ukrainian culture, and identify ethical and professional counseling practices when working with Ukrainian clients.

Title: East Asian Ideologies and Mental Health

Authors: Yi-Ying Lin, PhD; Dena Phillips Swanson, PhD; and Ronald D. Rogge, PhD

Description: While mental health conditions represent a global health crisis, Lin et al. (2024) stated that 30%-80% of people with mental illness fail to receive treatment because it is either not available or because of the stigma involved when it is available. Specifically, mental health stigma is a significant barrier preventing persons with East Asian heritage from seeking treatment. In this vein, the study by Lin et al. examined links from East Asian ideologies to mental health help-seeking attitudes and discussed implications for addressing stigma/resistance within treatment and promoting mental health across cultures.

Title: Living in the Shadows: Working with Children Impacted by the Fear of Deportation

Presenters: Lizet Lizardo, MA; Ivelisse Torres Fernandez, PhD; and Dora Caro, BA

Description: Millions of families in the United States, children included, endure profound disruption due to the deportation of one or more family members. Potential consequences of fear of parental deportation will be discussed followed by an introduction to several creative interventions that may be helpful in working with children of undocumented parents. Implications for counselors, counselor educators and researchers will also be included.

Title: Multicultural Career Counseling: Limitations of Traditional Career Theory and Scope of Training and Using the Genogram for Career Assessment and Intervention With an Economically Disadvantaged Client

Authors: Kathy M. Evans, PhD; Viki P. Kelchner, PhD; Donna M. Gibson, PhD; and Julia V. Taylor, PhD

Description: The first chapter explores how diverse clients fit into existing career development theories and consider how well these theories explain and support the experiences of clients, The second chapter introduces the career genogram as a postmodern tool for working with clients who are considered economically disadvantaged.

Title: Multicultural Counseling with Immigrant and Refugee Communities

Presenters: Courtland Lee, PhD; Vivan Lee, EdD; and John Duggan, EdD

Description: Immigrant, Migrant, and Refugee communities face unique challenges when moving to a new country and culture. Drs. Vivian and Courtland Lee spent two years in Malta exploring and studying these cultures to gain an understanding of how to better counsel these groups, including asylum seekers. Understanding the motivation behind the decision to leave one’s home, and the relationship between acculturative stress and quality of life are key to understanding the counseling needs of the immigrant and refugee population.

Title: Newly Arrived Afghan Refugees: What Counselors Need to Know, Part 2

Presenters: Freshta Taeb; Rosalind Ghafar Rogers, PhD; and Nadia Hashimi

Description: Part 2 of this series will provide more specific information on the mental health challenges faced by newly arrived Afghans and highlight culturally responsive counseling approaches and strategies for Afghan clients with mental health issues. Practical strategies to build rapport with Afghan clients and therapeutic dos and don’ts will be discussed, as well. Case studies or vignettes will be presented throughout the recorded session based on the presenters’ real-world experiences working with newly arrived Afghans.