For instance, participants have a greater likelihood of being negatively influenced through group counseling versus individual therapy, perhaps because of the complexity of encountering multiple personalities and experiences, which under the possible pressure of group members has the capacity to influence the individual’s decision-making process. To further understand the cultural implications that impact ones decision to seek professional assistance, Neighbors (1990), noted gender, financial hardship, and nature of the problem to either enhance or impede the likelihood that African American men and women would seek profession treatment. The scholar further posits that African American men are more likely to seek profession counseling for psychological issues that directly affect their day to day lives, such as grief do to the death of a loved one (as cited in Thompson, Bazile, Akbar, 2004, p. 20). Understanding barriers on an individual level allows counselors to grasp the plight of members and gain a perspective of the issues that hinder their ability to seek treatment, understand their behaviors, and interactions throughout the group …show more content…
Are those fears significant enough to make them neglect their own mental health, and what are these fears? According to a study by DHHS conducted in the 1980s known as the Epidemiologic Catchment Area (ECA) study, “African Americans were afraid to seek professional counseling due to fears of being institutionalized or the overall treatment methods used by mental health professionals”. Some of these fears derive from the deplorable history, African Americans have faced in western civilization. When considering the overall scheme of the plight of those needing counseling, one must be willing to opt for the well-being of the whole person rather than stigmatizing or ostracizing individuals for their