America is the greatest melting pot. Wherever you look, we are surrounded by rich and diverse cultures. Immigrants arriving in this country today struggle to assimilate while maintaining their own individual identity. For example, Elizabeth, my mother, was born in Italy and came to the United States when she was 11 years old. When it was time for my mother to start school, the guidance office recommended that her adoptive parents remove any clothing, jewelry, or personal items that did not conform to American culture at the time. Reflecting on my mother's experience, it must have been a very difficult transition that did not allow her to maintain her own cultural identity. Advising a client from another culture, I believe it is the most beneficial experience in the world. My personal theory for achieving the title of culturally competent counselor is to be sensitive to the client's cultural differences, while helping them blend into American culture and preserving their own cultural identity. Counselors will need training and personal development to become culturally competent counselors. The program I proposed consists of two-step processes that integrate different components. The first step is counselor awareness and the other is client awareness. Counselor Awareness is a three-step discovery of self-awareness where a counselor works on establishing cultural identity, racial awareness, and training. I call it discovery because researching a family history is a bit like participating in a clue game. However, to simplify the process, start asking parents or grandparents about the culture. In 1991, the Association for Multicultural Awareness and Development (AMCD) has...... middle of document ...... the reasoning is that as counselors we are trained in the art to measure someone's abilities. However, the exception to the rule is children who have severe speech problems. Administering a Diagnostic Evaluation of Phonology (ADEP) could help address their areas of weakness. In conclusion, working with multicultural clients can be challenging and rewarding. From this essay, I established this before a counselor enters the field to advise multicultural clients. It is imperative to apply the two rules that have been discussed in this essay.ReferencesAssociation for the Development of Multicultural Counseling. 1991. (AMCC). Journal of the Association for Multicultural Counseling and Development. April 1991. Retrieved from: http://www.counseling.org/Resources/Competencies/Cross-Cultural_Competencies_and_Objectives.pdf