Cultural Competency and Multicultural Counseling Flashcards

An Oklahoma LPC's failure to address their own cultural biases in counseling is most directly a violation of which ethical principle?

Answer: Nonmaleficence

Unchecked cultural biases can cause harm to clients, making nonmaleficence—the duty to avoid harm—the most directly implicated ethical principle.

Under the ACA Code of Ethics, counselors have an affirmative duty to avoid discrimination based on all of the following EXCEPT:

Answer: Theoretical orientation of the client's previous therapist

The ACA nondiscrimination clause protects characteristics such as race, religion, gender identity, and socioeconomic status, but does not protect a client based on their prior therapist's theoretical orientation.

A counselor working in Oklahoma's tribal nations context should be aware that:

Answer: Federal and tribal laws may supersede state licensure regulations in certain jurisdictions

Tribal sovereignty means federal and tribal laws may govern practice in certain tribal jurisdictions, and counselors must understand those legal frameworks alongside state regulations.

When a counselor's religious or cultural values conflict with a client's lifestyle, the counselor should primarily:

Answer: Prioritize the client's wellbeing and bracket personal values, seeking supervision if needed

Counselors are ethically obligated to prioritize client wellbeing and manage value conflicts through supervision and bracketing rather than abandoning or limiting services.

The Oklahoma Licensed Professional Counselors Act requires that LPCs provide services in a manner that:

Answer: Is consistent with professional standards including culturally competent care

Oklahoma's LPC Act and associated rules require professional conduct consistent with established standards, which include culturally competent and nondiscriminatory care.

A counselor who pathologizes a client's cultural or spiritual practices because they differ from mainstream Western norms is most likely demonstrating:

Answer: A culturally biased clinical error

Misidentifying culturally normative practices as pathological reflects cultural bias and constitutes a significant clinical and ethical error.

Culturally competent counselors in Oklahoma are expected to do which of the following as part of their ongoing professional development?

Answer: Engage in self-examination of cultural biases and seek training in multicultural counseling

Ongoing cultural competency requires active self-examination and continuing education in multicultural counseling, which is an ethical obligation for all LPCs regardless of client population.