THE IMPACT OF LOCAL CULTURAL UNDERSTANDING ON COUNSELING QUALITY: A MEDIATION ANALYSIS OF CLIENT ENGAGEMENT AS A MEDIATING VARIABLE
Abstract
This study aims to explore the impact of local cultural understanding on counseling quality, with client engagement as a mediating variable. The background of this research is based on the importance of cultural understanding in counseling practice. The research design used is a correlational design with a quantitative approach. The subjects of the study consist of 100 respondents, including 50 counselors and 50 clients who have previously been involved in counseling (purposive sampling). The research instruments used include questionnaires that measure local cultural understanding, counseling quality, and client engagement, which have been tested for validity and reliability. Data analysis was conducted using multiple regression to test the effect of local cultural understanding on counseling quality, as well as mediation analysis to evaluate the role of client engagement. The results of the study indicate that local cultural understanding has a positive and significant effect on counseling quality (? = 0.45, p < 0.01), and client engagement serves as a mediator in this relationship. This study recommends that counselors develop a deeper understanding of their clients' local cultures and encourage active client engagement in the counseling process to enhance service effectiveness.
References
Andini, D. A., & Wibowo, M. E. (2020). Komunikasi konselor dalam layanan konseling multikultural. Jurnal Konseling Indonesia, 7(2), 73-81. https://doi.org/10.21067/jki.v7i2.4721
Chu, T., Ho, C., & Li, P. (2021). Integrating local wisdom in mental health services: A study in Hongkong post-crisis recovery. International Journal of Mental Health Counseling, 43(1), 24-39. https://doi.org/10.17744/mehc.43.1.03
Chung, R. C., & Bemak, F. (2020). Social justice counseling: The next steps beyond multiculturalism. SAGE Publications.
Hayes, A. F. (2022). Introduction to mediation, moderation, and conditional process analysis (2nd ed.). Guilford Press.
Hwang, W. C. (2021). Culturally adapted psychotherapy: Innovations and evidence-based approaches. Routledge.
Iskandar, R., & Mahfud, C. (2023). Supervisi budaya dalam layanan konseling komunitas: Studi pengembangan model pelatihan. Jurnal Bimbingan Konseling, 12(1), 45-57. https://doi.org/10.15294/jbk.v12i1.35678
Kivlighan, D. M., & Hill, C. E. (2018). Working alliance in therapy: How theory, research, and practice interact. APA.
Lestari, S. D., Nugraheni, T., & Wardhani, R. (2020). Local wisdom-based counseling approach to support psychological resilience. Jurnal Psikologi Indonesia, 19(2), 85–93.
Norcross, J. C., & Wampold, B. E. (2018). Relationships that work: Evidence-based therapist contributions to effective psychotherapy. Oxford University Press.
Palinkas, L. A., et al. (2015). Purposeful sampling for qualitative data collection and analysis in mixed method implementation research. Administration and Policy in Mental Health and Mental Health Services Research, 42(5), 533–544.
Pratiwi, D. N., & Firmansyah, D. (2022). Konseling berbasis kearifan lokal untuk meningkatkan resiliensi korban bencana. Jurnal Psikologi, 19(1), 12-26. https://doi.org/10.22146/jpsi.66689
Putri, A. N., Hasanah, U., & Widodo, A. (2022). Cultural competence and counseling effectiveness in Indonesian multicultural settings. Indonesian Journal of Psychological Services, 4(1), 44–58.
Putri, R. A., Nugroho, B. S., & Yuniarti, S. (2022). Cultural competence in counseling services: A predictive model of client satisfaction. Jurnal Konseling Indonesia, 9(1), 23-35. https://doi.org/10.21067/jki.v9i1.6187
Ramadhani, N., & Surya, M. (2021). Efektivitas layanan konseling berbasis budaya lokal di komunitas adat. Jurnal Psikologi Ulayat, 8(2), 119-132. https://doi.org/10.24854/jpu.v8i2.1112
Sarwono, J., & Narimawati, U. (2020). Metode Penelitian Kuantitatif dan Kualitatif. Elex Media Komputindo.
Sue, D. W., Sue, D., Neville, H. A., & Smith, L. (2019). Counseling the Culturally Diverse: Theory and Practice (8th ed.). Wiley.
Sugiyono. (2021). Metode Penelitian Kuantitatif, Kualitatif, dan R&D. Alfabeta.
Swift, J. K., Callahan, J. L., & Ivanovic, M. (2020). Clients’ expectations about counseling and psychotherapy: A review of the literature. Psychotherapy, 57(2), 234–245.
Tan, S. Y., Wahab, N. A., & Ismail, R. (2022). Integrating cultural competence in Malaysian counseling services. Asian Journal of Psychiatry, 73, 103151.
Wijayanti, N. D., & Nugroho, S. (2023). Klien aktif, layanan efektif: Peran keterlibatan dalam efektivitas konseling berbasis budaya. Jurnal Bimbingan dan Konseling, 11(2), 87-98. https://doi.org/10.15294/jbk.v11i2.37745
Yuliana, D., Hidayat, R., & Mulyana, E. (2021). Efek penerimaan nilai budaya dalam layanan konseling terhadap keterlibatan klien dan hasil terapi. Jurnal Psikologi Indonesia, 8(1), 53-68. https://doi.org/10.22146/jpi.61772
Copyright (c) 2025 Indah Lestari, Marwiyah Marwiyah, Santoso Santoso, Gudnanto Gudnanto, Arista Kiswantoro, Siwi Villa Intan Sari, Edris Zamroni, Agung Slamet Kusmanto, Richma Hidayati, Adnan Fadhurosi, Sekar Dwi Ardianti, Diah Kurniati
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
Authors who publish with this journal agree to the following terms:
1) Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgment of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal.
2) Authors are able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the journal's published version of the work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgment of its initial publication in this journal.
3) Authors are permitted and encouraged to post their work online (e.g., in institutional repositories or on their website) prior to and during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as earlier and greater citation of published work.
