VISTAS Online is an innovative publication produced for ACA by Dr. Garry R. Walz and Dr. Jeanne C. Bleuer of Counseling Outfitters, LLC. Its purpose is to provide a means of capturing the ideas, information and experiences generated by the annual ACA Conference and selected ACA Division Conferences. Papers on a program or practice that has been validated through research or experience may also be submitted. This digital collection of peer-reviewed articles is authored by counselors, for counselors. VISTAS Online contains the full text of over 900 proprietary counseling articles published from 2004 to 2017.
2016
Cultural Awareness: Understanding Curanderismo
Nigel Torres and Janet Froeschle Hicks
2016
Curanderismo is a traditional Mexican American healing system that holistically treats disorders through religious, spiritual, and health-related means. This practice is an important cultural phenomenon for many Mexican American clients and may cause misdiagnosis and misunderstandings in the clientcounselor relationship. Ethical counselors must consider the cultural implications of curanderismo if they are to communicate clearly and advocate for clients adhering to this practice (ACA, 2014). Consequently, this article conveys a basic understanding of curanderismo and offers a brief explanation of the types of curanderos and curanderas, the nosology of curanderismo, and the treatment approach of curanderismo. The authors detail a case study involving an actual experience with and reflection of curanderismo.
Keywords: curanderismo, advocacy, Hispanic, Mexican-American