Fight the power: A heuristic exploration of systemic racism through dreams

Abstract

Systemic racism, like many forms of difference and diversity, is poorly understood within the realms of counselling and psychotherapy. Whereas our profession has shied away from using its skills to explore the meaning and relevance of racism, this author over a number of years has studied many forms of intersectional otherness and recognises that racism is as much a relational experience between subject and other, both internally and externally. This paper therefore explores how an internalised experience of systemic racism can be understood through client work and dreamwork, offering ideas as to how the dreams of the racialised other may be understood; the symbolism, and the relevance of the racial complex hidden within them.

The Invisible Discrimination: Biases in the Clinical Approach Regarding Migrants: A Study to Help Ethnopsychology Services and Clinicians

“…According to researchers, many of the racial microaggressions committed in counseling rooms have less to do with the counselor saying or doing something offensive than with minimizing the importance of cultural issues or communicating defensiveness or discomfort with regard to being reminded about one’s biases or prejudices [ 67 , 74 ]. Moreover, the working alliance appeared to moderate the impact of perceived microaggressions on clients’ psychological well-being [ 65 ].…”