In multicultural counseling, which term describes the tension between changing external conditions and changing the self regarding control?

In multicultural counseling, which term describes the tension between changing external conditions and changing the self regarding control?

• A. Alloplastic-autoplastic dilemma
• B. External locus of control theory
• C. Internal locus of control model
• D. Control orientation paradox

Answer: (A)

The central idea here is the alloplastic-autoplastic dilemma, which describes two paths for effecting change: changing the external environment (alloplastic) or changing the self (autoplastic) in relation to control. In multicultural counseling, clients often confront external barriers like discrimination, policies, and social structures. Deciding how to respond—efforts to alter those external conditions through advocacy and systems change, versus focusing on internal growth, coping skills, and a sense of personal agency—embodies this tension. The term explicitly names this tug-of-war between modifying the world around the client and reshaping the client’s own sense of control. That direct connection is why it’s the best fit. The other options refer to beliefs about control or use terms that don’t capture the external-versus-internal change dynamic in counseling practice.

The central idea here is the alloplastic-autoplastic dilemma, which describes two paths for effecting change: changing the external environment (alloplastic) or changing the self (autoplastic) in relation to control. In multicultural counseling, clients often confront external barriers like discrimination, policies, and social structures. Deciding how to respond—efforts to alter those external conditions through advocacy and systems change, versus focusing on internal growth, coping skills, and a sense of personal agency—embodies this tension. The term explicitly names this tug-of-war between modifying the world around the client and reshaping the client’s own sense of control. That direct connection is why it’s the best fit. The other options refer to beliefs about control or use terms that don’t capture the external-versus-internal change dynamic in counseling practice.