Carrying the Burden: Counselors of Color’s Experiences of Microaggressions in Counseling

Abstract

In this secondary analysis using a previous dataset, the authors explored, via a phenomenological research tradition, how 8 counselors of color responded to clients’ microaggressive behaviors. Researchers identified 3 major themes in the data: (a) buffering and bracing for racial microaggressions, (b) experiencing the intrusions of racial microaggressions, and (c) strategizing and responding in session. The authors apply the Multicultural and Social Justice Counseling Competencies (Ratts, Singh, Nassar‐McMillan, Butler, & McCullough, 2015) to their findings as a framework for considering practice and training implications.

The Past Guides the Future: Implementing the Multicultural and Social Justice Counseling Competencies

“…As counselors learn more about best practices in terms of both practice and training, they will be able to increase their professional expertise in further developing this action competency. For example, researchers have applied the MSJCC to mental health counselors working with clients in rural communities with high poverty rates (Crumb, Haskins, & Brown, 2019), whereas others have examined the domains and competencies relative to counselors of color and their experiences with microaggressions in the counseling relationship (Branco & Bayne, 2020). Counselor educators have identified pedagogical elements that appear to support the development of these competencies (e.g., Gonzalez‐Voller, Crunk, Barden, Harris, & Belser, 2020; Killian & Floren, 2020), and others have focused on international initiatives and research (Bhat & McMahan, 2016).…”

Creating Homeplace for Black Male Counselor Educators: A Heuristic Inquiry

“…The structure of the day consisted of writing, fellowship, resting, and shared meals. Black male counselor educators are an underrepresented group in counseling education; therefore, a qualitative method was appropriate for this inquiry (Branco & Bayne, 2020;Hays & Singh, 2012). Developed by Moustakas (1990), heuristic inquiry is a form of phenomenology with the assumption of essential processes for investigating the human experience.…”

Latinx and Asian trainees counseling White clients: An interpretative phenomenology

“…Counselors of color bear the unique challenge of navigating issues of race and diversity with White clients (Branco & Bayne, 2020; Spalding et al., 2018), and often experience microaggressions during counseling sessions with White clients (Branco & Bayne, 2020; Haskins et al., 2015). Bayne and Branco (2018) found that counselors of color experienced forms of racial microaggressions when counseling White clients, such as racially charged language, comments or questions about the counselor's appearance or background, shifts in speech such as “my man,” and other more covert responses including limiting disclosures with counselors during sessions.…”