Broaching the Subjects of Race, Ethnicity, and Culture During the Counseling Process

Abstract

The authors define broaching as the counselor's ability to consider how sociopolitical factors such as race influence the client's counseling concerns. The counselor must learn to recognize the cultural meaning clients attach to phenomena and to subsequently translate that cultural knowledge into meaningful practice that facilitates client empowerment, strengthens the therapeutic alliance, and enhances counseling outcomes. A continuum of broaching behavior is described, and parallels are drawn between the progression of broaching behavior and the counselor's level of racial identity functioning.

Relational‐Cultural Theory: A Framework for Bridging Relational, Multicultural, and Social Justice Competencies

“…In essence, counseling relationships that are not guided by relational, multicultural, or social justice ideology purportedly have the potential to further perpetuate the silencing and oppression that marginalized individuals experience in the larger culture (Day-Vines et al, 2007;Walker, 2003).…”

‘They daren’t tell people’: therapists’ experiences of working with clients who report anomalous experiences

“…However, further research is necessary to elicit client's reactions to being directly asked about AEs as well as the impact of such experiences on the therapeutic process. With reference to broaching the subjects of race, ethnicity, and culture during the counselling process, Day-Vines et al (2007) identify a continuum of five different broaching styles that could potentially be applied to raising the subject of AEs: 1) avoidant (issues are rarely discussed or deemed important), 2) isolating (may ask a single question out of feeling obligated to address the subject at least once but the subject remains off-limits as a topic of counselling concern), 3) continuing/incongruent (may consider the subject but has limited skills to fully explore in a way that is empowering for the client), 4) integrated/congruent (therapists broach subjects effectively and have integrated this behaviour into their professional identity, it has become a part of their routine) , and 5) infusing (broaching represents a way of being and a lifestyle choice). Whilst little is known about which style clients might prefer in relation to AEs, we do know that the avoidant and isolating styles would be considered as antithetic to the findings reported here as both clients (authors, in press) and therapists feel it is important to be able to discuss AEs in therapy.…”

Alterity Models in Counseling: When We Talk About Diversity, What Are We Actually Talking About?

“…As a result, such counselors will be limited in understanding how systemic forms of modern oppression impact colleagues, students, and clients from traditionally marginalized groups, and any capacity for empathizing with such experiences will be limited (Burkard and Knox 2004). Debbie will also likely avoid broaching topics of social and cultural difference with students, thereby missing out on rich opportunities to support and affirm their experiences (Day-Vines et al 2007). Finally, her own internalized prejudice may go unexamined, and the potential for committing alienating microaggressions towards students is likely (Yasso et al 2009).…”