POSITION PAPER 4 ( LEONITA ARBAIMAN 0724142 )

Since most of the assessment instruments in the market were made based on American culture, Muslim counsellor should not use standardized assessment instruments at all. The Association for Assessment in Counselling’s Committee on Assessment and Training in Addictions Counseling conducted a survey of master Addictions Counselors(MACs) certified by the National assessment instruments were most frequently used by MACs and perceived to be most important in their substance abuse practices. Thus, it means that assessment instrument in counselling become standardized no matter either the counsellor Muslim or non-Muslim.

I strongly disagree that Muslim counsellor should not use standardized assessment because as long as the methods being used is not against our belief it will not harm our religion and it is for our own good in synchronizing the assessment for all counsellor in using the same standard of assessment instrument. Assessment instrument is very useful in order to identify the client and explore the client main problem or their needs more accurately. The notions of distinguishing each culture in the world might be not professional for the counselling profession. Allah S.W.T created us in a variety of life, variety of environment, and variety of living style. The differentiation is made by Him to recognize the uniqueness of this world. So, why should we discriminating the American culture as long as they are implementing or running an appropriate approach for the client.

In Islamic perspective, we already understand and familiar with the term culture. Most of people consider culture is more important than religion, however we still can vary the between which kind of assessment that can be used to help the Muslim counsellor to know and evaluate the client more by using the American Culture instrument. Since, our main intention using the assessment instrument from the American culture, we should be able to diverse which one can be followed or which path need changes. Our own clear belief in Islam can prevent us to get influence in a wrong path of life. The problem here is not the instrument of assessment that being used but it is how the counselling used it for the client good deed.

Although we already have our ways of assessing the client, but the problem is it is never been documented by whom it may concern. These problems brought weaknesses for the counsellor to avoid using the assessment instrument from American culture. If we as a Muslim counsellor have an ability to make changes why not we try to make it rather than just blame others and find other’s weaknesses in order to hide ours. Some people may argued that as a Muslim counsellor we are lack of awareness in mould up a new attainment in counselling using our own findings and theories of assessment. Yes, it might be true but as long as we can share the information for now on, why not we just carry on with it until we have an ability to execute our own assessment instrument.

In conclusions, no matter the assessment instrument in the market made based on American culture or not, Muslims counsellor still need to make amendment in their skill because every instrument has its own strength and weakness that can be diminished one day. Hence, as a responsible Muslim counsellor we also have to remind ourselves for the purpose of being a counsellor is one of our responsible to serve Allah S.W.T. Everything that we do needs limitations and hindrance, so it depends on us how to cope with it in a proper ways in life.