Counselling Skills and Diversity essay

Title – Counselling Skills and Diversity WORD COUNT: 2,000 (+/- 10%) Learning Outcomes Assessed: LO1. Understand the meaning of discrimination. LO2. Understand issues of diversity. LO3. Understand power issues within the counselling process. Assignment Summary 1. You are required to create a fictitious client from a community that is different from your own (such as LGBT, Deaf Community, Asian/Indian, African/Afro-Caribbean, Disabled, Transgender, Travelling Community or Syrian immigrant). 2. Use this as a platform from which you can address the assessment criteria in your essay. Highlight the issues that pertain to diversity and discrimination within counselling. In your work, you may identify common denominators with the client; and/or the polar opposite where you cannot relate to the client’s experiences. Support your work with appropriate theory, then summarise by identifying the power or perception of power that is present for you; and how you would demonstrate anti-discriminatory practice. Assignment brief: You may use the following guidance as a structure and checklist in the writing of your work. Learning Outcome 1. Understand the meaning of discrimination. ? Demonstrate your understanding of discrimination by giving examples of the ways in which people may be discriminated against, e.g. sexual orientation, ethnicity, disability. ? Consider your own personal experiences or observations of others where discrimination has occurred, or describe a situation where discrimination might occur. Learning Outcome 2. Understand issues of diversity. ? Show your understanding of how diversity might impact on a helping relationship. ? Analyse examples from your own experience where you have encountered issues of diversity/difference. ? Show your understanding of how cultural divisions could influence the development and effectiveness of your use of counselling skills. ? Evaluate your own personal prejudices and values when using counselling skills. Learning Outcome 3. Understand power issues within the counselling process. ? Show that you understand the differences between roles: helper, counsellor, and client. ? Explain the differences in power within these roles, both real and perceived. ? Explain legal aspects of anti-discriminatory practice and show your understanding of the possible impact of current anti-discriminatory legislation on helping and counselling.