Client Motivation and Multicultural Counseling

Abstract

This reaction article comments on the major contribution titled “Motivation and Autonomy in Counseling, Psychotherapy, and Behavior Change: A Look at Theory and Practice.” It first points out the article's strengths, the primary of which was to move the construct of motivation to the center of focus in the discussion of counseling. In addition, the exploration of how motivation is conceptualized within each of the major theoretical schools of thought was illuminating. This reaction article also attempts to expand the discussion of motivation into the arena of multicultural counseling. One of the main efforts in multicultural counseling is to increase the utility of counseling services among racial and ethnic minorities and hence understanding the role of motivation is central. This reaction article explores the role of motivation in help-seeking behavior and offers ways in which motivation could be enhanced so that counseling services will be more frequently and better utilized. © 2011, SAGE Publications. All rights reserved.