IMPACT OF GEOPOLITICAL CRISES ON THE FORMATION OR MAINTENANCE OF MULTICULTURAL COUNSELING RELATIONSHIPS - INSIGHTS FROM CASE-STUDIES

This article draws attention to the impact of geopolitical crises on m ulticultural counseling. It acknowledges that counselors may listen to news about these conflicts on radios and televisions without realizin g the multicultural counseling implications. It puts these crises in s ocio-psychological perspective and raises, explains, and discusses the concepts of vicarious gain, lack, and loss of credibility as experien ced by counselors due to these crises. Illustrative cases are used to show how vicarious gain, lack, and loss of credibility can inhibit the development and/or maintenance of healthy multicultural counseling re lationships. Finally, ways to deal effectively with these problems are presented.