Developing an Original Theoretical Framework for Culturally Congruent Counselling Practice in Multicultural Nigerian Contexts

Culturally congruent counselling practice requires theoretical frameworks that move beyond Euro-American multicultural counselling models to authentically account for the specific ethnic, religious, linguistic, and postcolonial dimensions of Nigerian multicultural realities. This study developed an original theoretical framework for culturally congruent counselling practice in multicultural Nigerian contexts. A multi-stage theory-building methodology was employed: systematic review of multicultural counselling theories and their Nigerian applications (82 publications from 2015 to 2024); qualitative phenomenological research with 48 counsellors and 30 clients from diverse ethnic, religious, and regional backgrounds across all six geopolitical zones; and expert validation through a two-round Delphi consultation with 25 counselling scholars and practitioners. The systematic review identified that existing multicultural frameworks inadequately theorise the role of communal rather than individual identity, the hierarchical family system as a therapeutic context, the integration of spiritual and religious worldviews as primary meaning-making frameworks, ethnic group honour and shame dynamics, and the role of traditional authority in conflict resolution and healing. Phenomenological fieldwork generated 11 core categories through thematic analysis. The original Culturally Congruent Nigerian Counselling Framework proposes five theoretical constructs: communal identity centring, hierarchical relational navigation, spiritual-religious integration, honour-shame cultural literacy, and traditional-modern therapeutic synthesis. Each construct includes clinical application guidelines and research propositions. Expert validation confirmed the framework's theoretical originality, cultural comprehensiveness, and practical utility across all geopolitical zones. The framework represents an original contribution to both counselling theory and Nigerian professional practice standards.

Keywords: cultural congruence, counselling theory, multicultural Nigeria, original framework, indigenous counselling