Attitudes of African American Males regarding Counseling in Four Texas Universities.

Abstract

Introduction Counseling African Americans provides counselors with a chance to become aware of the cultural issues that form a foundation for this particular client group (Ahia, 1997). Although issues such as mistrust, masculinity, and possible signs of weakness impact each African American differently, they underlie African American psychosocial development and are important in establishing a cultural context for counseling interaction (Ahia, 1984). The literature on the use of mental health services and facilities by different ethnic racial populations revealed that only a small number of African Americans utilize counseling services (O'Sullivan, Peterson, Cox, & Kirkeby, 1989; Snowden, 1999; Sue, 1977; Sussman, Robins, & Earls, 1987). African American males have many fears regarding mental health treatment. Fear of misdiagnosis, hospitalization, and treatment are just a few of the reasons they tend to avoid counseling (Whaley, 2001). The relationship between a and a client is a crucial part of the counseling session. Harris (2001) found that counseling should be an effective tool to be used to help others gain insight to thinking, feeling, and behaving rationally, and the should have the client's best interest in mind. African Americans have a different view of counseling. For African American men, counseling can seem taboo, and many will not participate in counseling sessions (Harris). Cross-cultural counseling is thought to be the most crucial and pertinent form of therapy in the area of counseling (Todisco & Salomone, 1991). Most of the time, counselors are involved with clients from different races than their own. Todisco and Salomone found that the usual scenario is for a Caucasian to be in a therapeutic relationship with a minority client. Usually, when the and client are from different races, there are increased levels of rejection, distrust, and misunderstanding (Pedersen, 1988; Todisco & Salomone). This occurs because minority clients often think the white counselor will report them to legal officials if they reveal too much information (Pedersen). Harris (2001) found that the relationship between a and a client is very important in the therapeutic process. If therapy is to be effective, the client, according to Harris, must think and feel that he or she can trust the counselor. African Americans possess a trait called healthy cultural paranoia, commonly known as cultural mistrust, which originated during periods of oppression experienced by African Americans (Terrell & Terrell, 1984). In 1999, Davis found that African American males were the most publicly seen group of individuals in the United States. It was unfortunate that what was remembered about them was in a negative connotation (Davis). Although much has been written about the counseling of men in recent years, very little literature has focused on specific issues concerning counseling African American men. The literature suggested that while there were issues common to men regarding counseling (Moore & Leafgren, 1990; Scher, Stevens, Good, & Eichenfield, 1987), the unique psychological and social pressures on African American men make mental health intervention with this client group particularly challenging (Lee, 1997). Research in the area of African American men and counseling concluded that, in general, most African American men do not seek counseling (Lee, 1997). Lee also found that, in most cases, African American men thought that seeking out counseling services was a sign of weakness or thought that others would consider them unmanly. In general, most men had this mindset; however, with African American men, this idea is taken to another level. Most African American men believed they already had a strike against them when it came to their public image. Doing something unmanly, such as attending counseling, would only threaten the masculine view that has already been diminished by society. …