Part I

Dr. Linwood, a counselor educator, is talking with Jay, a new White student in the master's degree program. Jay tells Dr. Linwood that he is totally unbiased toward Black people. Jay says he is color blind, in that he does not even notice if a person has dark skin. He goes on to say that people are the same and should be treated the same. He adds that he has a friend who is Black.

Based on course readings and your own critical thinking, discuss the following prompts:

• What limitations or potential issues do you see in Jay's claim of being "color-blind" in counseling, and how might this affect his ability to connect with clients from diverse cultural backgrounds?
• How can counselors assess and improve their cultural competence, and why is it crucial for effective and ethical practice in counseling? Note specific ethical and/or legal issues relevant to establishing and maintaining culturally humility within the counseling relationship. In what ways does promoting cultural competence and ethical practice align with the broader goal of advocating for social justice in counseling, and what characteristics and strategies can counselors employ to achieve this?

These questions should prompt a meaningful discussion about the case study while citing the required text book and additional research (e.g. current, peer-reviewed scholarly sources). Students are encouraged to reflect on their own readiness for culturally competent and ethical counseling practice.

Part I is due by 11:59 pm CT on Wednesday of Module 2.

Remley, T.P., and Herlihy, B. (2020). Ethical, legal, and ethical issues in counseling (5^th ed.). Pearson.