Global Diversity Issues in Counseling

This chapter presents an overview of counseling and its global status. Counselors should have a general understanding about the sociopolitical climate of a given country or region and its history. They should be sensitive to how gender and gender role expectations affect individuals and societies. How indigenous groups are treated varies widely from country to country and affects the nature of counseling services and how these services are delivered. Regardless of the source, educational and vocational counseling helps individuals plan the next step in their career development. A central premise of the chapter is that the world is a community of nations that are increasingly interconnected and interdependent. Understanding the ways in which sociopolitical history, intraethnic diversity, religious diversity, gender, immigration, and other factors influence the worldviews of clients should be a major part of the training for counselors.