"Plastic off the sofa" : an exploration of graduate student clinicians' perceptions of clinical training experiences and their preparation to work with Black clients

Considering systemic racism and reverberating impacts of racial trauma Black Americans experience, mental healthcare underutilization in Black communities is a pervasive public health concern. Using the psychology of radical healing and intersectionality frameworks, the present study utilizes a qualitative approach to explore impacts of graduate student clinicians' programmatic and clinical training experiences on their preparation to provide effective, collaborative therapy services to help Black clients heal from racial trauma. In-depth, individual interviews and follow-up member-checking focus groups were conducted with a total sample of 17 participants from various counseling psychology doctoral programs across the United States. Thematic analysis was used to analyze the data, identify patterns, and generate themes and subthemes. Results of the qualitative data analysis revealed specific structural deficits in counseling psychology training programs and practicum sites with implications for participants feeling unprepared to effectively work with Black clients experiencing racial trauma. Additionally, a few participants discussed strengths of their programs engaging in training and practice regarding social justice. Participants discussed engaging in compensatory self-education and acts of resistance in addition to highlighting ways in which they engage in decolonial, collective radical healing practices with clients, colleagues, and community. Centering the perspectives and experiences of current graduate student clinicians highlights current impacts and suggestions for restructuring counseling psychology training programs, which may amplify existing strengths and more intentionally integrate anti-racist, decolonial, critically conscious training. The considerations may also promote cultural humility and graduate student clinicians' perceptions of efficacy regarding helping Black clients engage in radical healing.

Name thesis:degree_name

Ph. D

Level thesis:degree_level

Doctoral

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Ed, School and Counseling Psychology

Grantor dc:publisher

University of Missouri--Columbia

Year dc:date.issued

2025

Author dc:creator

• Watson, Tiara Latrease

Advisors dc:contributor.advisor

• Lewis, Kaleea
• Parmenter, Joshua

Language dc:language.iso

eng, English

DOI

https://doi.org/10.32469/10355/110299

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:mospace.umsystem.edu:10355/110299