Culture-infused counselling: A fresh look at a classic framework of multicultural counselling competencies

This paper provides an historical overview of discussions of competency for counselling practice across cultures and critiques the current frameworks of multicultural counselling competencies. A rationale is provided for a more inclusive definition of culture, a means of integrating additional domains of practice, and a shift away from the narrow focus on strategies and techniques. A new model of culture-infused counselling is proposed that is centered on the working alliance between counsellors and clients. It is argued that the concept of the working alliance is a pantheoretical and superordinate construct that provides a more sound organizational structure for the competency frameworks. Intervention strategies and techniques may then be assessed in terms of their contribution to the purposeful and collaborative work that characterizes a culturally sensitive working alliance. This conceptual shift has implications for the articulation of specific attitudes and beliefs, knowledge, and skills that contribute to multicultural counselling competence.