Description
Christian counselors and church leaders need to be aware of the roles that the Church, race, and diversity play in mental health counseling. Counseling literature notes that clients of culturally and ethnically-diverse backgrounds respond differently to mental health counseling. Additionally, they have a preference for relying on their spiritual and religious communities (i.e., the Church) for support in dealing with mental health issues rather than seeking help from professional mental health providers. This pre-conference will explore some significant concepts and interventions to consider when addressing the Church, mental health, race, and diversity.
Presented by: Wei-Jen Huang, Ph.D. & Elias Moitinho, Ph.D. & Mark Crear, Ph.D.
Learning Objectives
Participants will:
- Identify the roles that the Church, race (culture), and diversity play in mental health
- Explore culture-specific counseling interventions and techniques to incorporate in their Christian counseling with diverse populations
- Compare and contrast strategies to address sensitive issues such as racism, prejudice, discrimination, and social justice within the Christian counseling setting and society-at-large
