Counselling Across Generations: Understanding and Bridging the Generation Gap in Diverse Communities
As Australia’s society continue towards diversity, so does the landscape of counselling. Counsellors today have to be cognizant of the generational gaps in their practice. More and more people across age groups and CALD communities are appreciating the value of counselling and this can pose intriguing challenges. Thus, counsellors and mental health practitioners are confronted with bridging the generation gap within diverse communities.
Our norms, values, and experiences evolve as society changes, subsequently shaping each generation accordingly. This social and psychological evolution often leads to distinct perspectives and communication styles, creating unique barriers in therapeutic relationships. In this blog post, we explore the complexities of counselling across generations, exploring strategies to understand, connect with, and empower clients from diverse age groups.
Understanding Generational Diversity
Many of us observe and reflect upon the generational differences from our subjective perspective. One common observation is how generations before or after us use technology. Generational diversity is also more prevalent today due to medical technology and health education, extending the mortality rate. Thus, generational diversity is more apparent. We can now appreciate how Baby Boomers to Generation Z are all influenced by historical events, technological advancements, cultural shifts, and socio-economic factors. These differences manifest in different ways such as:
Communication preferences - Some generations are more inclined to use Facebook over Instagram while others prefer to have traditional modes of communication such as phone calls instead of texts. This greatly impacts how people access counselling and practice counselling.
Attitudes towards authority – While history teaches us how coups and revolutions overturn authoritarian rulings, the face of authority continues to shift into more faceless and virtual means, often with financial and social consequences. This in itself perpetuates new forms of compliance and defiance. In the therapy space, traditional psychotherapy saw a more directive ‘doctor-patient’ approach whereby contemporary humanistic approaches see a more collaborative alliance.
Career aspirations – The notion of working remotely and not being tied down to a 9-5 desk bound job with stable salaries and climbing the corporate ladder is not a hallmark to success for some. For instance, Baby Boomers were shaped by post-war prosperity, often value loyalty, hard work, handshakes and face-to-face communication. In contrast, Millennials and Generation Z, raised in the digital age, prioritize work-life balance, authenticity, and virtual connectivity. These generational nuances influence the counselling process significantly, requiring practitioners to adapt their approaches according to the evolving generational values.
Approaches to mental health – While traditional psychotherapy and psychiatry definitely have their place, they are no longer the only means towards improving one’s mental health. For instance, Millennials and Gen Z are more formally informed (by schools) and empowered to take mental health in their own hands compared to the Silent Generation and the Baby Boomers. Counsellors today are more invested in psychoeducation, and many are inclined to adopt an eclectic and holistic approach with clients. Therapeutic interventions such as bodywork, trauma-informed yoga, meditation, mindfulness practices, EMDR, ecotherapy, psychedelics, meaning making, breathwork, wellness retreats, martial arts, and other gestalt approaches are becoming more and more popular today.
Challenges in Counselling Across Generations
Navigating the generational gaps in counselling and psychotherapy present numerous challenges. Many of the challenges actually stem from perception and assumption. Language and demeanor are also significantly influenced by social norms of a given time and a given culture. Therefore, it is plausible for miscommunication, stereotypes, biases, and differing expectations to hinder rapport-building, the therapeutic alliance, and the therapeutic progress. Additionally, intergenerational trauma, such as historical injustices, human displacement, or socio-cultural stigmas, may influence clients' beliefs and behavior's, necessitating sensitive and culturally competent interventions.
Furthermore, generational differences in technology proficiency and access to resources can impact the delivery of online counselling services, particularly in some older populations. Recognizing and addressing these challenges is essential for fostering inclusivity, attending to diversity, and ensuring positive therapeutic outcomes.
Strategies for Bridging the Generational Gap
Cultural Humility: Cultural humility involves acknowledging one's own cultural biases, suspending them, and committing to learning about clients' diverse backgrounds and their concerns. Despite being from a different generation, gender or ethnic culture, counsellors can cultivate empathy and rapport by demonstrating authentic curiosity and respect for clients' personal and generational perspectives.
Active Listening: The preparation for intent observation and comprehension of both verbal and non-verbal language requires concentration and practice. When engaged in active listening, counsellors understand clients' unique experiences, values, and concerns. Encouraging clients to share their stories and perspectives from an unbiased and curious stance, asking clarifying questions, and following the clients through their narratives, fosters trust and validates their lived experiences, regardless of generational differences.
Flexible Communication: Customizing communication methods to meet clients' preferences is vital for effective engagement across generations. Some clients may prefer traditional face-to-face sessions, while others may feel more comfortable with telehealth or text-based communication. Being flexible in communication modes improves accessibility and meets the diverse needs of clients. It is also important to recognize that counsellors too may have communication preferences influenced by their generation, and this is often established through the initial contact.
Psychoeducation: Counsellors may also provide psychoeducation about how generational differences on a variety of issues can impact mental health. For example, an increase in anxiety and low self-esteem when expected to use specific technologies at work can cause more distress in a Baby Boomer than a Gen Z person. Or, generational values of financial success can clash with current economic climate whereby a Millennial’s sense of accomplishment is diminished when comparing him/herself to the wealth of Baby Boomers. Psychoeducation and generational awareness can empower clients to navigate intergenerational conflicts and develop better perspectives, paradigms, and successful coping strategies. Counsellors would therefore encourage clients to challenge stereotypes that hinder them, and cultivate empathy towards others by fostering generational awareness and understanding.
Intergenerational Dialogue: Adopting the client’s language is crucial for building rapport, particularly when bridging a generational gap. Facilitating intergenerational dialogues within therapy sessions or support groups enhances mutual understanding, camaraderie, trust, and connection. Encouraging clients to share their perspectives and learning from each other's experiences promotes empathy, compassion, and resilience across generations. Intergenerational dialogue can be also be challenging, thus it is the counsellor’s role to help smoothen the challenges so that clients’ messages and intent can be delivered respectfully and kindly.
Empowerment Through Storytelling: Finally, it is imminent to employ the most ancient and primal form of education and articulation, storytelling. Humans are natural storytellers, we always have been and always will be. The power of storytelling allows clients to articulate and craft their own individual narrative whilst exploring their generational identities, values, and aspirations. Therapists can encourage clients to reflect on their life narratives, reconstruct and create new meanings from them, and draw strengths from their intergenerational wisdom.
In summary, counselling across generations, particularly in diverse communities, demands for therapists to navigate complex dynamics with empathy, cultural humility, and flexibility. By respectfully exploring the unique experiences and perspectives of each generation, therapists can bridge the generation gap, foster meaningful connections, inadvertently break stereotypes, dilute stigmas, and empower clients to navigate life's challenges with resilience, authenticity, and compassion to self and others. As we continue to navigate an increasingly diverse and interconnected world, embracing generational diversity in counselling is enriching for both therapists and clients alike.
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