Advancing the understanding of factors that influence client preferences for race and gender matching in psychotherapy

Ilagan, Gabrielle S.; Heatherington, Laurie

doi:10.1080/09515070.2021.1960274

Cited by 17 publications

(7 citation statements)

References 86 publications

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“…This is not surprising as these are known barriers to help‐seeking for Black clients (Fripp & Carlson, 2017; Shelton, 2022). Previous research on client–counselor matching preferences indicates that Black clients tend to prefer same‐race counselors (Ilagan & Heatherington, 2021). Our findings support and extend literature on client–counselor cultural matching by highlighting that participants perceived that Black counselors possessed their desired cultural intuitiveness leading many to attempt to secure a Black counselor.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Black women's help‐seeking and self‐care strategies: A phenomenological exploration

Silas

Seward

2023

Jour of Counseling & Develop

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Within counseling and other mental health disciplines, Black women are underserved, psychologically misdiagnosed, and one of the least researched minoritized cultural populations. We used a hermeneutic phenomenological study to understand the lived experiences of 16 Black women who experienced mental health stress to understand their mental health needs, barriers to mental health care, and help‐seeking and self‐care practices. Findings included the following four themes: perspectives on oppression on mental health, socio‐cultural messages about self‐care and help‐seeking, perspectives about self‐care, and perspectives about professional counseling. Implications for counselors are discussed.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Black women's help‐seeking and self‐care strategies: A phenomenological exploration

Silas

Seward

2023

Jour of Counseling & Develop

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“…The fourth category, which included only one subcategory, was based on patients' experiences of a vague but general feeling that they did not click with their psychotherapist in some way that was difficult to explain. It is possible that these patients' perceptions were based on experiences similar to the ones described in the other subcategories and that they just found it difficult to express these in words or factors they were unaware of or hesitant to bring up, such as ethnicity, race, or gender (e.g., Ilagan & Heatherington, 2022). Still, we decided to keep this subcategory and category since we cannot rule out there are other perceptions that would explain these experiences that we have not yet found but may become apparent in future research.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Psychotherapist variables that may lead to treatment failure or termination—A qualitative analysis of patients’ perspectives.

Alfonsson,

Fagernäs,

Sjöstrand

et al. 2023

Psychotherapy

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A substantial number of patients do not improve from psychotherapy, some even deteriorate, and some terminate treatment prematurely. Identifying therapist variables that may lead to treatment failures from patients’ perspectives can inform how psychotherapists can increase effectiveness. Using a semistructured protocol, we interviewed 24 patients who had experienced unsatisfying individual face-to-face psychotherapy within the last 2 years. The study procedures were guided by the consolidated criteria for reporting qualitative research. The manifest content analysis provided 13 subcategories grouped into four categories: (a) psychotherapists’ negative traits (inflexible, unengaged, unemphatic, insecure), (b) unprofessionalism (superficial, violating personal boundaries, breaking confidentiality, nontransparent), (c) incompetence (unstructured, poor assessment or understanding, poor knowledge, too passive), and (d) mismatch (therapist–patient mismatch). To reduce the risk of treatment failure, psychotherapists may need a multifaceted set of relational skills, theoretical and technical competence, ethical sensitivity, and engagement. Some of the identified subcategories were complex constructs (e.g., unengaged) that may need time and effort to develop for psychotherapists. Other identified subcategories were obvious inappropriate behaviors in professional psychotherapy (e.g., breaking confidentiality). However, the categories found in this study need further quantitative investigation to assess the validity, frequency, and relative impact on treatment outcomes.

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“…In some cultural groups, for example among strict Muslims or strict Orthodox Jewish clients, a gender match is critical as it is forbidden to be in the same room with a counsellor of a different gender. In other countries with a history of colonial oppression, having a white counsellor may be perceived as re-creation of an oppressive structure (Ilagan & Heatherington, 2021). Similarly, this applies to clients who have experienced marginalisation and related disparities based on race and gender, among other factors (Jackson, 2015).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A Snapshot of the Counselling and Psychotherapy Workforce in Australia in 2020: Underutilised and Poorly Remunerated, Yet Highly Qualified and Desperately Needed

Bloch-Atefi¹,

Day²,

Snell³

et al. 2021

Psychotherapy and Counselling Journal of Australia

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The aim of the 2020 workforce survey was to profile professionals affiliated with the Psychotherapy and Counselling Federation of Australia (PACFA) to inform future policy and service planning. PACFA is a national peak body for Australian counsellors and psychotherapists, representing 3,500 members across all states and territories. This study builds on previous workforce studies, the first of which was conducted in 2004. An online questionnaire was circulated to PACFA members covering participants’ demographics, qualifications, employment, sources of client referrals, client groups and presentations, along with the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Reflecting previous findings, participants predominantly identified as female, as coming from Australian or English backgrounds, and as being located in or around major cities. Notably, a higher proportion of counsellors and psychotherapists than psychologists and psychiatrists (who also have qualifications as counsellors or psychotherapists) were found in regional and rural Australia. The shortage of mental health services in Australia, especially in remote areas, and the desire for more working hours among over one quarter of registered practitioners, mean this workforce needs to be far better utilised to meet public demand and reduce health inequities for people in regional, rural, and remote Australia. Government recognition of registered counsellors and practitioners through Medicare’s Better Access subsidised sessions would significantly remedy the shortage of mental health services.

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Advancing the understanding of factors that influence client preferences for race and gender matching in psychotherapy

Cited by 17 publications

References 86 publications

Black women's help‐seeking and self‐care strategies: A phenomenological exploration

Black women's help‐seeking and self‐care strategies: A phenomenological exploration

Psychotherapist variables that may lead to treatment failure or termination—A qualitative analysis of patients’ perspectives.

A Snapshot of the Counselling and Psychotherapy Workforce in Australia in 2020: Underutilised and Poorly Remunerated, Yet Highly Qualified and Desperately Needed

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