oai:repository.londonmet.ac.uk:10728
type: CreativeWork
name: “I can't fail, you know, cause my failure is not just mine”. An interpretative phenomenological analysis of how black male counselling or clinical psychologists experience their professional identities
description: Background The difficulties of engaging black men with mental health services and the positive outcomes that can be experienced once black men engage in such services, like psychological therapy, are well documented (e.g., Wade, 2006; Whaley, 2001; Stevenson et al., 2021). However, there is a lack of discussion in the literature regarding how black males experience being psychologists in a predominantly white industry (BPS, 2018). Research has explored the complex concepts of personal, social and professional identity (e.g., Erikson, 1968; Tajfel & Turner, 1979; Ibarra, 1999) and how these can impact individuals’sense of belonging to a profession. However, literature was lacking in understanding how these identities form and are experienced when the individuals in question are black and male. Rationale and Aims This research sheds light on this marginalised section of the psychological community. It aims to better understand how black male counselling or clinical psychologists experience their professional identities. Design and Method The data gathered via semi-structured interviews of six counselling or clinical psychologists’ lived experiences were analysed using a qualitative methodology, interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) (Smith et al., 2009). Findings and Conclusions Three superordinate themes were developed: ‘Lack of belonging to the profession’, ‘Personal identity informs professional identity’ and ‘Representing my community’. These themes were then discussed within the context of existing literature. It was found that the participants experienced a sense of not belonging to the profession due to feeling different from their peers, but they found ways to reduce the negative impact of this difference. Counselling psychologist participants experienced an additional layer of difference, initially feeling inferior to their clinical colleagues before finding solidarity in their professional identity. Participants expressed an integration of their prof…
abstract: Background The difficulties of engaging black men with mental health services and the positive outcomes that can be experienced once black men engage in such services, like psychological therapy, are well documented (e.g., Wade, 2006; Whaley, 2001; Stevenson et al., 2021). However, there is a lack of discussion in the literature regarding how black males experience being psychologists in a predominantly white industry (BPS, 2018). Research has explored the complex concepts of personal, social and professional identity (e.g., Erikson, 1968; Tajfel & Turner, 1979; Ibarra, 1999) and how these can impact individuals’sense of belonging to a profession. However, literature was lacking in understanding how these identities form and are experienced when the individuals in question are black and male. Rationale and Aims This research sheds light on this marginalised section of the psychological community. It aims to better understand how black male counselling or clinical psychologists experience their professional identities. Design and Method The data gathered via semi-structured interviews of six counselling or clinical psychologists’ lived experiences were analysed using a qualitative methodology, interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) (Smith et al., 2009). Findings and Conclusions Three superordinate themes were developed: ‘Lack of belonging to the profession’, ‘Personal identity informs professional identity’ and ‘Representing my community’. These themes were then discussed within the context of existing literature. It was found that the participants experienced a sense of not belonging to the profession due to feeling different from their peers, but they found ways to reduce the negative impact of this difference. Counselling psychologist participants experienced an additional layer of difference, initially feeling inferior to their clinical colleagues before finding solidarity in their professional identity. Participants expressed an integration of their prof…
author: Gibbs, Elliott
keywords: 300 Social sciences, 360 Social problems & services; associations
date published: 2024-09
date modified: 2026-07-24T02:54:47Z
provider: London Metropolitan University
publisher: Networked Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations
type: WebPage
source organization: London Metropolitan University