Cultural Intelligence in Counseling Psychology: Applications for Multicultural Counseling Competence

S. Sue (1998) defines cultural competence in counseling as “the belief that people should not only appreciate and recognize other cultural groups but also be able to work effectively with them” (p. 440). The term multicultural counseling competence has been traditionally defined as a counselor’s knowledge, awareness, and skills that relate to working with culturally diverse clients (D. W. Sue et al., 1998). Knowledge typically refers to content knowledge about various cultures; awareness refers to the counselor’s own preconceived notions or biases that he or she brings into the counseling relationship; and skills refers to actual behaviors in which the counselor engages. Another definition describes multicultural counseling as “preparation and practices that integrate multicultural and culture-specific awareness, knowledge and skills into counseling interactions” (Arredondo et al., 1996, p. 43), hence, adding the dynamic relationship between client and counselor. A more recent definition by Sue and Torino (2005) adds a critical component to cultural competence whereby individuals have an impact at organizational and systemic levels resulting in culturally responsive theories, policies, and organizations.