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Multicultural Responsiveness in Counselling
and Psychology
Vicki Hutton • Susan Sisko
Editors
Multicultural
Responsiveness
in Counselling
and Psychology
Working with Australian Populations
Editors
Vicki Hutton Susan Sisko
Australian College of Applied School of Social Sciences and
Psychology Psychology
Melbourne, Victoria, Australia Western Sydney University
Penrith, New South Wales, Australia
© The Editor(s) (if applicable) and The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature
Switzerland AG 2021
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V
Contents
1.1 Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
1.2 What Are the Issues? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
1.3 Australian History . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
1.3.1 Indigenous Australians . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
1.3.2 Settler Colonialism . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
1.3.3 Postcolonialism . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
1.3.4 Cycle of Socialisation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
1.3.5 Discrimination and Bias . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
1.4 Approaches to Responsiveness to Multicultural Counselling
and Psychology . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
1.4.1 Decolonising Counselling and Psychology . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
1.4.2 Understanding Intersectionality . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
1.4.3 Reflexivity and Self-Awareness in Counselling and Psychology . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
1.4.4 Reflexivity and Self-Awareness in Multicultural Counselling
and Psychology . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
1.4.5 Transformational Learning Approaches to Reflexivity
and Self-Awareness in Multicultural Counselling and Psychology . . . . . . . . . . . 17
1.5 Conclusion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
References . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
2.1 Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
2.2 Post-Colonialism: The Myth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
2.2.1 The House on the Hill . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
2.2.2 The ‘Benefits’ of Living Under a Colonialist Regime . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
2.2.3 Exploitation of the Natural Resources . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
2.2.4 A One-Sided Story . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
2.2.5 Personal Experiences of Ongoing Colonialism as a First Nations Australian . . 33
2.2.6 Building Bridges . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
2.3 Personal Stories and Current Affairs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
2.3.1 Ending the Confusion: A Reflection of My Experiences
in Australian Education Spaces . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
2.3.2 The Past Is Always Present . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
2.4 Experiential Activities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
References . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
VI Contents
3 Racism . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
Alperhan Babacan, Rachael Jacobs, Alanna Kamp, Yin Paradies,
Anton Piyarathne, Caroline Wang, Karen Zwi, Lisa Woodland,
and Vicki Hutton
3.1 Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53
3.2 Racism . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
3.2.1 Racism and Mental Health . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
3.2.2 Racism Against Asylum Seekers in Australia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
3.3 Personal Stories and Current Affairs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66
3.3.1 A Letter to Asian Girls: Things I Wish I Knew . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66
3.3.2 White Mongrel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70
3.3.3 Creating a Safe Space for Children and Families from Refugee
Backgrounds in the Healthcare System in Australia:
A Health Professional Perspective . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74
3.3.4 Who Are the Sri Lankans in Australia?: An Outline for Mental
Health Workers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87
3.3.5 Systemic Oppression . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89
3.4 Experiential Activities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92
References . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96
4 Classism . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103
Matt Fisher, Christopher Scanlon, Bernard Deojee, Vicki Hutton,
and Susan Sisko
5 Sexism . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 125
Fiona Kate Barlow, Raine Vickers-Jones, Beatrice Alba,
Emma Williamson, and Vicki Hutton
7 Ageism . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 179
Catherine Barrett, Sarah Bostock, Alessandra Chinsen, Ilsa Hampton,
Magenta B. Simmons, Ellie Brown, Nicholas J. Fava, Vivienne Browne,
Lucas Walsh, Vicki Hutton, and Susan Sisko
8 Ableism . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 217
Sarah Wayland, Jennifer Smith-Merry, Sarina Rakidzic, Amie O’Shea,
Richard Schweizer, Kate Gill, Vicki Hutton, and Susan Sisko
9 Sizeism . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 241
Cat Pausé, Deborah Lupton, Tayla Cadigan, Vicki Hutton,
and Susan Sisko
Supplementary Information
Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 299
Contributors
Cultural
Responsiveness
in Counselling
and Psychology:
An Introduction
Susan Sisko
Contents
1.1 Introduction – 3
1.5 Conclusion – 18
References – 19
Cultural Responsiveness in Counselling and Psychology…
3 1
Trailer
In this chapter, Susan Sisko talks about the importance of developing a multicultural
understanding and responsiveness as counsellors and psychologists. The chapter out-
lines Australian history and the impacts of colonialism and postcolonialism and how
the ongoing effects of how these oppressive practices have informed hierarchical systems
and impacted non-dominant individuals and groups. The chapter looks at both signifi-
cant issues related to oppressive practices and approaches to developing multicultural
understanding and responsiveness including decolonising practices, intersectionality
frameworks and counsellor reflexivity.
1.1 Introduction
zz A call for cultural responsiveness in counselling and psychology
In this section, we will review issues in counselling and psychology and the impor-
tance of understanding multicultural perspectives in the field through a social jus-
tice framework.
Australia is considered one of the most multicultural nations in the world.
Australia’s rich cultural diversity highlights more than 300 languages spoken in
homes, over 100 religions and more than 300 different ancestries. This wide variety
of backgrounds, together with the many cultures of Aboriginal and Torres Strait
Islander peoples, has helped to create a uniquely Australian identity (Australian
Bureau of Statistics, 2016).
As a result, understanding multicultural perspectives in counselling and psy-
chology has become a requirement in the training and professional development
for accredited practitioners. Training standards for counselling in Australia include
subject knowledge around “cultural and social diversity” as a core curriculum
requirement (Psychotherapy and Counselling Federation of Australia, PACFA,
2018, p. 3), and specifically “knowledge and integration of the range of under-
standing diversity including culture, gender, sexual identity, sexual orientation, age,
ability, class, religion and ethnicity, plus specific training in indigenous history”
(PACFA, 2014, p. 3). The Australian Psychology Accreditation Council (APAC,
2019) requires knowledge and skills of psychology in a manner that is “reflexive,
culturally appropriate and sensitive to the diversity of individuals” (p. 11), and that
“cultural responsiveness, including with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cul-
tures, is appropriately integrated within the [training] programme and clearly artic-
ulated as a required learning outcome” (p. 9).
Despite the aim and intention of regulatory bodies to include multicultural per-
spectives in training programmes, multicultural counselling and psychology prac-
tices are falling short in making a significant impact in meeting the needs of
diverse individuals and groups seeking counselling and mental health services. As
4 S. Sisko
Indigenous Australians are Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders, and they are
considered to be the one of oldest cultures on earth. The earliest human remains
found in Australia are of Mungo Man and Mungo Lady which have been dated
around 50,000 years before present (BP) times. Recent archaeological evidence
from charcoal and artefacts suggests a date as early as 65,000 BP. There are com-
monalities between Indigenous Australians; however, there is also significant diver-
sity among different Indigenous communities, each with its own elements of
culture, customs and languages (Davidson & Wahlquist, 2017; Wright, 2017).
British colonisation of Australia began with the arrival of the first fleet in Sydney
in the 1780s. When the British colonisers arrived—despite the presence of the
Indigenous Australians—they deemed Australia to be “Terra Nullius”—which
means empty and unoccupied land. This legal doctrine effectively rendered
Indigenous Australians rights to land or resources invisible. It allowed the British
colonisers to treat Indigenous Australians as sub-human. With colonisation came
the complete disregard for Indigenous rights or life. Australia was not colonised
with treaties drawn up between the British and Indigenous peoples but through
misleading systems and deception. Immediate consequences of colonisation
included epidemics of European diseases such as measles and small pox, seizure of
land and water sources, frontier wars, abuse and prostitution of Indigenous women
(Connor, 2016; Richards, 2014), and destroying native food sources such as kanga-
roo in favour of imported sheep and cattle. During Australia’s early history, the
practice of forcibly removing Indigenous children from their families began.
Various government policies allowed indigenous children to be forcibly removed
from their families between 1910 and as late as the 1970s—these children are now
referred to as The Stolen Generation. The purpose of removal was to eradicate
Indigenous Australian culture. The forced removal of children has had a signifi-
cant impact on the psyche of Indigenous Australians, and it has greatly impacted
not only the children who were removed and their parents but also their descen-
dants. Many of the children were abused—sexually, psychologically or physically—
after being removed and while living in group homes or adoptive families, but in
removing the children from their families, they were also deprived of their culture
(Australians Together, 2018).
Indigenous Australians—whose voices were silenced through systemic oppres-
sion, cultural imperialism, exploitation, marginalisation and violence—were
taught to feel inferior and inadequate compared to the dominant group of British
Settlers. They were denied identity and personhood; thus, their experiences,
histories and knowledge were disqualified. Mignolo (2005), as referenced in
McDowell and Hernández (2010), used the term “colonisation of being” to refer to
Cultural Responsiveness in Counselling and Psychology…
7 1
the ideas and practices which communicate that “certain people do not belong to
history” (p. 95). There is significant evidence that indicates that the material, phys-
ical and emotional well-being of Indigenous Australians has been harmed by the
process of colonisation. The oppression of Indigenous Australians has continued
and aptly described as an injustice towards Indigenous Australians that began with
colonisation and is an ongoing wound in our nation today (Australians Together,
2018).
1.3.3 Postcolonialism