Black Therapists – White Families, Therapists’ Perceptions of Cultural Competence in Clinical Practice

Abstract

Border crossing between systemic and racial identity theories can contribute to systemic research on Black therapists work with White families.

Questionnaires were used to gather data from 29 Black, Asian and Mixed Heritage therapists in order to test the significance of variables associated with transgenerational advice, socialisation experience, professional training and therapists’ perception of successful outcomes (n=29). The study concluded that White clients were associated with the contact and disintegration statuses at the beginning of therapy, and that Black therapists were associated with being at least two racial identity statuses in advance of their White clients. In addition, results showed that there was a significant association with eye contact and White clients across all racial identity statuses in therapy, and that the therapist’s age was significantly associated with therapeutic experiences, length of therapeutic practice and the belief in working with unintentional racism in therapy. The outcome of this study will have policy implications in terms of clinical practice and supervision.

Citation

Carberry, K. and Brooks-Gordon, B. (2020), "Black Therapists – White Families, Therapists’ Perceptions of Cultural Competence in Clinical Practice", Majors, R., Carberry, K. and Ransaw, T.S. (Ed.) The International Handbook of Black Community Mental Health, Emerald Publishing Limited, Leeds, pp. 379-404. https://doi.org/10.1108/978-1-83909-964-920201025