Final answer:
The 1990s emphasized multicultural and diversity issues in counseling, reflecting socio-political changes and a push for cultural competence, inter-generational trauma awareness, and inclusive mental health practices.
Step-by-step explanation:
The 1990s saw an increased emphasis on the importance of multicultural and diversity issues in counseling. This period experienced a surge in awareness regarding the role culture and identity play in individual and collective psychological health. With socio-political changes, such as the Civil Rights movement, health reforms in mental health systems were necessary. These shifts led to the incorporation of understanding and addressing issues such as inter-generational trauma, cultural competence, and awareness of mental health issues across different ethnicities and social groups into counseling practices. Counseling curriculums began to emphasize strengths-based models and psychological empowerment theories, in tune with the challenges faced by clients belonging to various ethnic, racial, and socioeconomic backgrounds. Community psychology practice recognized the importance of adjusting to diverse community needs, thus endorsing an integrative approach that combined health and counseling services to better address the comprehensive wellbeing of individuals. Furthermore, the recognition of the mental health crisis in marginalized populations, including LGBTQ communities and racial minorities, prompted the counseling field to adopt more inclusive and representative practices. The American Psychological Association establishing several ethnically based organizations facilitated the study of psychology within these communities and supported the growth of research on culture-psychology interplay.