Exploring Ethnoracial Minority Clients' Experiences of Oppression During Counselling with White Counsellors

Abstract

Multicultural counselling and psychotherapy theory and research that focuses on ethnicity and race in cross-cultural counselling have pointed to concerns of oppression within counselling processes; however, an open exploration of oppression that may occur in session is not readily available from the perspective of clients. As such, this thesis research explores the lived experiences of oppression for ethnoracial minority clients who have engaged in counselling with white counsellors, with the aim of gaining a deeper understanding of oppression and power in counselling, and possible resulting harm. This research is positioned within feminist and multicultural lenses, influencing the interviews themselves and the interpretations of participant experiences of oppression in counselling. Philosophical hermeneutics was used as the methodology to inform data collection and analysis. Five participants were interviewed using a semi-structured protocol to explore their counselling experiences for the following domains of interest: oppression, power, and harm. Through the analysis process, four major themes emerged for oppression (i.e., Whiteness of Therapy, Therapist Cultural Positioning in Sessions, Microinvalidations by Therapist, Disconnection Between Therapist and Client), four for power (i.e., Relational Power Differences in Therapy, Power Over by Therapist, Client Disempowerment, Client Empowerment Through Resistance), and three for harm (i.e., Hindered Counselling Process, Impeded Psychological Wellbeing, Generalized Negative Beliefs). Implications are discussed with the hope of informing multicultural research and training to improve competencies of professionals working within cross-cultural contexts.