Counselor Education Comprehensive Exam (CECE) Practice Exam

What term describes a counselor's failure to understand a client's cultural identity and worldview?

1. cultural identity

2. multicultural counseling

3. cultural encapsulation

4. cultural diversity

The correct answer is: cultural encapsulation

The term that describes a counselor's failure to understand a client's cultural identity and worldview is cultural encapsulation. This concept refers to a counselor's inability to recognize the impact of cultural differences and the tendency to impose their own cultural values and beliefs onto clients. When counselors become culturally encapsulated, they may overlook or dismiss significant aspects of a client's identity that are rooted in their cultural background, leading to ineffective and sometimes harmful counseling practices. Cultural identity pertains to a person's sense of self as influenced by their cultural background, while multicultural counseling is an approach that recognizes and values the diversity of clients' backgrounds. Cultural diversity denotes the variety of cultural or ethnic groups within a society but does not specifically address the counselor's lack of understanding. In contrast, cultural encapsulation directly addresses the limitation in the counselor's perspective, emphasizing the importance of cultural awareness and sensitivity in the counseling relationship.