The framework of is a powerful analytical tool for making sense of how interlocking systems of privilege and oppression are experienced by individuals and groups. Despite the long history of the concept, intersectionality has only recently gained attention in psychology. We conducted a content analysis to assess counseling psychology's engagement with an intersectional perspective. All articles published in the (n = 4,800) and (n = 1,915) from their first issues until July 2016 were reviewed to identify conceptual and empirical work focused on intersectionality. A total of 40 articles were identified and examined for themes. Limitations and future directions are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record
Ten doctoral student therapists (8 White, 5 female) in 1 counseling psychology doctoral program located in the Mid-Atlantic United States were interviewed for approximately 1 hour each about their experiences of feeling offended by a client during an individual psychotherapy session. Interview data were analyzed with consensual qualitative research (CQR). Trainee therapists typically felt offended related to their sociocultural identities (e.g., being a woman, LGBTQϩ, racial-ethnic minority), felt frozen after the events and uncertain about how to respond, wished they had handled the events differently, and struggled when clients expressed opinions or beliefs that ran counter to their own values. Trainees had difficulty maintaining an empathic, nonjudgmental therapeutic stance where they could both value the client and maintain their own sense of integrity and beliefs about social justice and multiculturalism. Implications for training, practice, and research are provided.
Public Significance StatementDoctoral student therapists reported on instances in which they felt offended by clients related to cultural or value differences. Therapists typically felt frozen and unsure of how to handle such situations, especially given their own countertransferential reactions, but wished they had handled the situations differently. These findings highlight the importance of training to provide therapists with tools to become more self-aware of inadmissible feelings and of alternative ways of handling difficult situations.
A growing body of research suggests that graduate psychology training programs with a stronger collective social justice identity are likely to provide more support for students’ advocacy engagements than those with discrepant views among members. We conducted response surface analyses ( N = 178 PhD students; across 16 counseling psychology programs) to examine whether the degree of congruence and discrepancy in social justice attitudes and perceptions of training program norms (perceived social justice norms among students and faculty) between the individual student and other students in their program would be associated with students’ social justice advocacy intentions and behaviors. Higher congruence in attitudes and perceived norms (among students and faculty) were significantly associated with advocacy intentions. For advocacy behaviors, only congruently higher perceptions of faculty were significantly associated. Discrepant attitudes and perceived norms were not significantly related to students’ advocacy intentions and behaviors. Recommendations for training and research are discussed.
A growing body of research suggests that graduate psychology training programs with a stronger collective social justice identity are likely to provide more support for students’ advocacy engagements than those with discrepant views among members. We conducted response surface analyses (N = 178 Ph.D. students; across 16 counseling psychology programs) to examine whether the degree of congruence and discrepancy on social justice attitudes and perception of training program norms (perceived social justice norms among students and faculty) between an individual student and other students in their program would be associated with students’ social justice advocacy intentions and behaviors. Higher congruences on attitudes and perceived norms (among students and faculty) were significantly associated with advocacy intentions. For advocacy behaviors, only congruently higher perception of faculty was significantly associated. Discrepant attitudes and perceived norms were not significantly related to students' advocacy intentions and behaviors. Recommendations for training and research are discussed.
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