June 7, 2023

Rebecca Burke, a student in the BS Behavioral Health Counseling program at the Drexel University's College of Nursing and Health Professions, explored mental health across the world, after completing an intensive course abroad (ICA) in Ghana last year, in the capital Accra and in Tarkwa.

Her desire to work in the mental health field began in childhood after losing her younger sister to cancer, and receiving therapy services that helped her to process the heartbreaking experience. And now, she wants to provide culturally competent care to future clients.

“Cultural competency means putting in the effort to learn and understand other cultures and challenging one’s own biases,” she said. This particular ICA was established by professor Ebony White, PhD, LPC, who also traveled with students for the experience. Dr. White is an associate clinical professor and program director at the College.

Burke’s interest in going to Ghana was sparked during her time in the Family-Focused Interventions course taught by Dr.White. “I have learned about the continuum of cultural competency through her classes and if I could tell you one of the most ingrained concepts I have learned, it would be to constantly check my biases,” Burke said. “The significant attention to multiculturalism is what made me interested in going to Ghana with Dr. White specifically.”

“I knew that going there would really propel my learning and expose me to a new culture and knowledge that is often left out of very Eurocentric education,” she added. While there, Burke and the other students visited clinical facilities, prayer camps and Cape Coast Castle, a former outpost for the transatlantic slave trade. Walking through the Cape Coast Castle reinforced her dedication to being a culturally competent mental health care provider, “I want to grow from the experience and have the tools to work through my own discomfort and be able to help other people,” she said.

Ghana’s strong emphasis on community and family as part of wellness, stood out to her. “I feel like in our culture we place a really strong emphasis on just the individual, we don't really tend to zoom out and look at cultural and social contexts,” she said. “Whereas in Ghana they do take a look at the individual and try to find the root cause of problems, but they also focus on family and community.” She also noted that much like in the U.S. mental health services weren’t as expansive as they could be, “There's a lack of funding and less facilities, they're trying to do as much as they can, but working with so little.”

Although nervous during the trip, as the sole undergraduate student, Burke took it all in stride. Other students on the trip included graduate students from the Art Therapy and Counseling, Dance/Movement Therapy and Counseling, and Addiction Counseling programs, as well as doctoral students from the Education/Educational Leadership programs.

She said: “I was comparing myself a lot to my classmates and kind of getting down on myself and getting nervous for what was to come during the week. My goal was to amplify my voice out there, and it was kind of hard at first. But over time, we had such an incredible dynamic and we were so open with each other.”

Connection was a big part of Burke’s time in Ghana, and one of the group’s hosts Joseph Darko, PhD, had a big impact on her. “Dr. Darko taught us about the mental health system in Ghana, led us to different facilities, and encouraged questioning, observation, and open discussion,” she said. “He holds close relationships to many and is a valuable figure across communities and I deeply admire his leadership, as well as compassion toward anyone he interacts with.”

For students who are considering studying abroad, Burke offered the following tips.

• Prepare the logistics as much as you can. Just getting paperwork situated takes a lot of work.
• Go with an open mind. Be ready to create relationships and to be challenged.
• Be thoughtful and respectful. Acknowledge how you show up in spaces.
• Just do it!

Ahead of her graduation this June, Burke feels ready for her future, “I feel very prepared to start my career,” she said. “One of my favorite things about my program is that there is value in every course—I can genuinely tell that I am learning material that will be useful in the future working in behavioral health counseling, or even in any direction I might branch off to.”

Dr. White and students who went on the trip participated in a Tuesday Topic where they discussed their trip, what impact it had on them, and the surprises that come from looking at mental health in Ghana. Watch it here.

By Tiffany Curtis