About the Writers

We, the writers of this blog are undergraduate students from the International Islamic University in Malaysia, majoring in Guidance and Counseling degree.

Our team comprises of three 'counselors in training' from three different countries: Thailand, Saudi Arabia and Sri Lanka.

This blog has been created in order to fulfill the requirements for our Cross Cultural Counseling course this semester, so whatever you read, take it with a pinch of salt!

We hope this blog will be an interesting read to you, our fellow counselors in training. Please read and share your thoughts and opinions in the comments' sections under each post.

Here's a little bit of information about the writers behind 'Counseling Across Cultures'...

Hafsa from Sri Lanka

What does counseling mean to me?

We all face difficulties in life. Sometimes we can get through those difficulties and at other times we may not be able to cope and therefore feel powerless. At such times, we all need a hand and counselors can do that for us and help us out.

Being unable to get through a problem on our own is not a sign of weakness. It's just that the problem is too difficult and we could do with some help.

Empowering people with the skills to cope with the challenges in life and helping them to tap into their own strengths and make informed choices and decisions is what we counselors do.

This hadith from the Sunnah of the Prophet sums up the reason we are attracted to this profession and to try our best to help people from all walks of life:

Why I feel multicultural competence in counseling is important...

Over the years, due to globalization, there has been exchange of ideas, knowledge, values, skills, workforce and traditions among nations. The world is a much smaller place now and as people emigrate to other parts of the world due to various reasons we are surrounded by people of various races, cultures and worldviews to name a few. Counseling therefore, has to cater to the needs of this diverse population and bridge the cultural gap.

Each person has his own unique worldview that has been shaped by their experiences in childhood, their culture, race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, age, spirituality and so on. Counselors need to acknowledge these differences and learn how to best meet the needs of these different groups for effective counseling. This is very crucial when it comes to counseling immigrants who will need guidance adjusting to their new surroundings and work life, dealing with prejudice, culture shock and so on. 

Salwa from Thailand

What does counseling mean to me?

The process that occurs when a counselor and client get together with the purpose of exploring the client's difficulties and problems and guiding the client to find solutions to those problems.

Why I feel multicultural competence in counseling is important...

Through gaining multicultural competence, we will gain new insights and skills that will help us deal with a wide diversity of clients. In today's world, as there is an intermingling of cultures wherever we go, it is important that we counselors gain multicultural competence in counseling.

Turkyah from Saudi Arabia

What does counseling mean to me?

Counseling means a lot to me. It is a part of my life and I can say that it is my life's method. By learning more through my course in Guidance and Counseling I have gained more valuable knowledge to help me in what I do.

A person who loves art, takes it up as his hobby and it gives him or her a feeling of joy, completion, sense of purpose, inspiration and purpose. My love for counseling can be compared to love of art.

Why I feel multicultural competence in counseling is important...

I believe it is very important since our clients can come from different backgrounds. As counselors, we must therefore learn more about multicultural counseling issues so that we can guide our clients smoothly without misunderstanding.