How might your cultural biases interfere with your effectiveness as a counselor?

If I were culturally biased it would certainly interfere with being an effective counselor. It would not allow me to perform to my full capacity and it could certainly cause a number of legal issues. Being cultural biased a individual has to be closed minded. I could stand a good chance of losing my position and being taken to court. It would certainly affect others self-esteem and trust issues with me. In today's society we live among many different cultural and nationalities. It's very important to understand the communities and populations we live in today.

I have seen other being biased to people with emotional, mental, and developmental differences. So individuals can be biased in ways other then cultural. It takes a very open and trusting person to be able to leave their biases at the door. One question I have is why be biased at all? What purpose does it serve outside of negativity. I personally heard a clinician express her feelings towards a consumer with an open door and ery negative comments about most of this young mans issues were drug induced. This young man had been seeing a doctor for his mental health condition since he was 12 years old. I have a hard time understanding why people get into this profession if they not in it to help others. Is it all because of the money. Well human service professionals don't get paid that well. I feel if they can't keep an open mind and work with people as individuals then leave the field.