Cultural Connections: An Ethnocultural Counseling Intervention for Black Women in College

Abstract

Counseling interventions that support the exploration of ethnocultural concerns are beneficial to the overall well‐being of Black women in college. The authors describe Cultural Connections, a theoretically based and culturally adapted group counseling intervention for Black women in college. Also presented are a case example demonstrating the intervention's utility and recommendations for implementation in college counseling centers.

Understanding Influences of Development on Black Women’s Success in U.S. Colleges: A Synthesis of Literature

“…Centering Black women’s diverse experiences illuminated structural and systemic issues that shaped their individual and collective narratives (Patton et al, 2017). Predominantly Black organizations, sister circle-type collectives, counseling interventions, curricular foci, and epistemologies wherein Black women’s counternarratives were centered (e.g., hip-hop feminism) are examples of places and spaces where Black women not only understood their unique developmental processes but also gained strategies to assist their navigation of the educational matrix and sense of belonging (Croom et al, 2017; Greyerbiehl & Mitchell, 2014; Henry, 2010; Howard-Hamilton, 2003; Jones et al, 2016; Jones & Sam, 2018). Researchers stressed the criticality of counterspaces and counternarratives, particularly within institutions without a critical mass of Black women (Porter & Dean, 2015).…”

“…Researchers stressed the criticality of counterspaces and counternarratives, particularly within institutions without a critical mass of Black women (Porter & Dean, 2015). “The mere presence of Black or Black women counselors is not enough to address Black women’s ethnocultural concerns: counselors need to also consider treatment modality, theoretical orientation, and interventions technique within the counseling framework and dynamic” (Jones & Sam, 2018, p. 76). Simply obtaining a critical mass or numerical increase of Black women students or individuals who serve them, did not mean Black women were supported by their respective institutions.…”

“…Example categories for this final theme included the following: storytelling and counterspaces influenced Black women’s understanding of who they were individually and in relation to others (Porter & Dean, 2015; Roland & Agosto, 2017); incongruence with campus community and local city due to dominance of bicultural (White and Hispanic) environment (Bonner et al, 2015); culturally specific group counseling approaches (Jones et al, 2016; Jones & Sam, 2018); need for role models/support agents who understand how racism, sexism, and intersectionality work (Croom et al, 2017; Miller, 2017); and [in these spaces] support and affirmation of Black women’s intersectional identities (Greyerbiehl & Mitchell, 2014; Storlie et al, 2018). In their examination of Black women resident assistants, Roland and Agosto (2017) named these counterspaces as safe.…”

“…Literature has also included Black women’s developmental experiences concerning physical and psychological well-being (Flowers et al, 2012; Hesse-Biber et al, 2010; Jones et al, 2016; Jones & Sam, 2018; Szymanski & Lewis, 2016), leadership development (Domingue, 2015; Hotchkins, 2017; Roland & Agosto, 2017), and racialized and gendered experiences on campus (Blevins, 2018; Corbin et al, 2018; Croom et al, 2017; Greyerbiehl & Mitchell, 2014; Henry, 2010; West et al, 2016). While scholarship on Black women has increased over the past decade, a comprehensive analysis and “pulling together” of scholarship to enhance institutional practice was missing.…”

Examining Psychosociocultural Influences as Predictors of Black College Students’ Academic Self-Concept and Achievement

“…Concentrating energy on helping Black students identify tangible sources of campus support and mitigating racial stressors they encounter can be supplemented by university counseling center staff who can provide outreach and other activities focused on Black students. They can create support groups that target race-specific issues related to Black students considering the study's link between campus climate, racial identity, and positive academic outcomes (Jones & Sam, 2018;McClain et al, 2016). The combination of these efforts can improve both the PSC climate for Black students and their overall academic outcomes.…”