Exploring the Inner and Outer Cultural Landscapes of Counseling Candidates towards Diverse Students and Families through Self-Reflection

Oct 15, 2026

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This article presents an interpersonal methodology to increase cultural awareness among counselor candidates. Implemented as part of a multicultural course in a counseling credential program at a university in Southern California, the approach uses sequences of activities to support self-reflection on personal cultural beliefs. Two surveys captured candidates’ responses, indicating that understanding their identities helps them create bridges between diverse students, and their parents, supported by cultural richness.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages17

Reading Time43 min

AccessFree to download

Abstract

Introduction

A View of School Counseling

Exploring the Inner and Outer Cultural Landscapes of Counseling Candidates towards Diverse Students and Families through Self-Reflection Adonay A. Montes University of La Verne Fernando Rodriguez-Valls San Diego State University Laurie Schroeder University of La Verne Abstract This article presents an interpersonal methodology designed to increase the cultural awareness of counselor candidates. This methodology was implemented through a sequence of activities, which was part of a multicultural course in the counseling credential program in a university located in Southern California. The goal was to enrich future counselor practices by promoting selfreflection processes of personal cultural beliefs. The responses of counselor candidates, gathered through two surveys, suggest that understanding their identities will ease the process of creating bridges between them and the cultural richness of students and their parents. Keywords: interpersonal methodology; cultural awareness; counseling practices; self-reflection Adonay A. Montes (Ph.D._ is an Assistant Professor in the Professional School Counselor Preparation Program at the University of La Verne, his research interests include working with diverse populations and community engagement. . email: [amontes@laverne.edu](amontes@laverne.edu) Fernando Rodriguez-Valls (Ph.D.) is an Associate Professor ofBiliteracy Education at San Diego State University. email: [frodrigu@mail.sdsu.edu](frodrigu@mail.sdsu.edu) Laurie Schroeder (Ph.D) is a Full Professor in the Professional School Counselor Program at the University of La Verne, her research interests include school counselor development, mindfulness practices and educational leadership. email: [lschroeder3@laverne.edu](lschroeder3@laverne.edu) Introduction Counselor candidates must be trained in a way that allows them to not only recognize the effect their attitudes toward racial and ethnic diversity have on students’ educational trajectories, but also allows them to understand diverse populations from their own cultural standpoints (Constantine, Hage, Kindaichi, & Bryant 2007) . The guiding premise, detailed in this study, reflects an interpersonal awareness framework, which encourages school counseling candidates to engage in a personal introspective journey. Schools have a wide range of diversity: race, gender, sexual orientation, culture, religion, etc. ; by using this interpersonal awareness framework, counselor candidates can be led to a more coherent understanding of cultural differences. In this article, we explain how this methodology prepared candidates to engage in work with diverse populations through an increased awareness. Further, an inner personal journey of cultural awareness of how their cultural experiences have shaped their outer cultural perceptions of other groups is explored Understanding the trajectories of diverse groups in the United States is a high priority for prospective school counselors; cultural awareness can move school counselors to a more objective and centered position where they can guide students of diverse backgrounds with a strong sense of cultural responsibility. A View of School Counseling School counseling in the United States began to take place in the early 1900s in the form of vocational guidance. Guidance pioneers, such as Jesse B. Davis, David S. Hill, Anna Y. Reed, and Eli W. Weaver, developed guidance programs based on different premises, such as job preparedness, character development, and good citizenship (Rockwell & Rothney, 1961) . In fact, the transition into a more industrialized nation led educators at the time to prepare students with the knowledge and skills to meet the employment demands of this era; hence, the emergence of vocational guidance in schools. During the 1920s and 1930s, at the onset of guidance counseling, these services were provided by teachers who were appointed to function as vocational counselors while maintaining t

FAQs

What methodology does the article introduce for counselor candidates?

It proposes an interpersonal methodology that uses a sequence of activities to deepen cultural awareness through self-reflection on personal cultural beliefs.

Where was the methodology implemented and in what context?

It was implemented within a multicultural course in a counseling credential program at a university located in Southern California.

How do the survey results describe the benefit for counselor candidates?

The responses suggest that understanding counselor candidates’ identities eases the process of creating bridges with students and parents drawn from cultural richness.

Oct 15, 2026

Upload by Ben