Exploring how global majority psychological therapists manage racial microaggressions in therapy with white clients

Aim and Rationale: Racial Microaggressions can have a detrimental psychological and physical impact on people belonging to marginalised groups, including those working as healthcare professionals (Spainerman et al., 2021; Von Bartel, 2022). Multicultural counselling has not typically centred research concerning Global Majority psychological therapists. The aim of the current study aims to explore how racial microaggressions are managed by Global Majority psychological therapists in therapy with white clients. Method: The current study utilises a mixed methods design guided by qualitative methods. Q-methodology was used as the overall method for both studies. In the first study, psychological therapists took part in semi-structured interviews to discuss how they managed racial microaggressions in therapy with white clients. A reflexive thematic analysis was utilised to analyse the interview transcripts. Three overarching themes and six subthemes were identified. The second study utilised the emerged themes in the first study as the concourse for the Q-statements in the second study. The Q-study analysed similar and divergent views of how therapists managed racial microaggressions in therapy. Results: In the first study, the three overarching themes were: 1) Racism is commonplace, 2) The therapist’s sense of unsafety and 3) The conflict between maintaining a connection with the client and addressing racial microaggressions were generated. In the second study three factors were extracted using Q-methodology: factor 1, the strength of the therapeutic relationship; therapists considered the therapeutic alliance before addressing racial microaggressions. Factor 2, I’m not supported, I feel powerless; therapists expressed feeling unsupportive by colleagues and experienced a powerlessness in addressing racial microaggressions, and factor 3, I’m not shocked, I have no desire, therapists felt that racial microaggressions were normal and had no desire to address. These findings identified a series of convergent and divergent viewpoints. Conclusion: The current study’s findings pinpoint the complexities faced when managing racial microaggressions in therapy within a global majority therapist and white client therapy dyad. The current study highlights the antiracist training needs for therapists, managers, and supervisors. Findings illustrate the effects of colourblind attitudes on managing racial microaggressions and the risk to therapists’ psychological well-being. The implications of these results will inform multicultural and antiracist supervision, clinical practice, and training.

Name dc:type.qualificationname

Professional Doctorate

Level dc:type.qualificationlevel

Doctoral

Grantor dc:publisher.institution

University of Wolverhampton

Year dc:date.issued

2023

Author dc:creator

• Sinclair, Alisha

Advisors dc:contributor.advisor

• Galbraith, Niall
• Orchard, Lisa

• racial microaggressions
• microaggressions
• cross-cultural counselling
• multicultural counselling
• racism
• therapy
• white clients

Statement dc:rights

• Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International

Licence

• https://wlv.openrepository.com/bitstreams/b0274d00-1093-4173-b976-c09c09279f92/download