Final answer:
Clients generally prefer culturally competent counselors who are accepting of diverse populations. Colleges need to ensure an adequate number of counselors to meet students' mental health needs, adhering to recommended staff-to-student ratios and providing accessible services at all times.
Step-by-step explanation:
Research indicates that clients typically prefer a counselor who is open, understanding, and culturally competent. Culturally competent counselors, such as those discussed in the work of Ahmed et al. (2011), are critical in serving diverse populations, including LGBTQ individuals. A relationship counselor with a previously strict policy of serving only straight couples might need to recognize the importance of adapting to the significant increase of LGBTQ people in their community. Colleges, with institutions like Powell College South, also have to assess their mental health support structures, like the staff-to-student ratio recommended by the International Association of Counseling Services, to ensure adequate mental health services are available to their students. Evidence-based practices, as highlighted by Rogers (1951) and Sackett & Rosenberg (1995), are also integral in providing high-quality counseling services.
The need for more counselors in college settings is underscored by factors such as long wait times for appointments, widespread mental health issues among students, and high staff-to-student ratios that exceed recommended guidelines. For example, Powell College South needs to hire more counselors at their south campus now, to be available for students both day and night, to accommodate students' schedules and to effectively meet all students' mental health needs.