Impact of culture and context on psychosocial adaptation: The cultural andcontextual guide process

The growing diversity of the American population requires of counselors an increased understanding of inter- and intracultural factors. All clients ha ve culture, and contextualized cultural variables can and do affect an indi vidual's ability to adapt to his or her environment. Adaptation difficultie s typically produce concerns that further affect the individual's functioni ng. Counselors need to incorporate contextualized cultural factors into the ir conceptualization of the individual's concerns and the treatment process . Use of the Cultural and Contextual Guide Process to facilitate inclusion of contextualized culture in the counseling process is discussed and a case study is used to exemplify the process.