Which two authors are cited as seminal figures in cross-cultural counseling?

• A. Derald Sue and Paul Pedersen
• B. Derald Sue and Carl Rogers
• C. Paul Pedersen and Erik Erikson
• D. Carl Rogers and Erik Erikson

Answer: (A)

The idea being tested is who first helped establish cross-cultural or multicultural counseling as a distinct focus. Derald Wing Sue and Paul Pedersen are the two figures most closely linked to this field’s development. Their work framed how culture, race, immigration, and oppression influence the counseling process and pushed for culturally responsive assessment, intervention, and training. They emphasized concepts like cultural humility, bias awareness, and the need for counselors to develop competencies to work effectively with clients from diverse backgrounds, shaping how almost all training programs teach multicultural counseling today. While other influential theorists like Carl Rogers and Erik Erikson made foundational contributions to counseling and development, they did not pioneer the cross-cultural counseling movement in the way Sue and Pedersen did, making them the best answer for seminal influence in this area.