Navigating Clinical Racial Dynamics as a Multiracial Therapist
A vital aspect of clinical social work education and professional development is engaging with literature that explores the clinical experiences of therapists that hold similar social identities to oneself. The therapist’s experiences of clinical process, including as it relates to their social identities, has been the subject of clinical literature. There is empirical research and case studies examining the clinical experiences of white therapists and, to a lesser extent, therapists of color; however, there is limited literature focused on the clinical experiences of multiracial therapists. Having oneself reflected in clinical literature is vital to the professional development of multiracial therapists as they grapple with how their multiracialness emerges and contributes to racial dynamics within the clinical dyad. Careful exploration of countertransference reactions and clinical processes benefit from accessing research on the experiences of other multiracial therapists. For monoracial supervisors supervising multiracial therapists, knowledge of common experiences of multiracial therapists can improve the quality of supervision they provide.
This course draws from empirical research to address common racial dynamics within the multiracial therapist and client dyad. It will explore how multiracial therapists experience, understand, and navigate racial dynamics in psychotherapy with diverse clients. It will provide information on common racial clinical experiences multiracial therapists have including racial coding, countertransference, therapists use of own race and disclosure. The exploration of these themes is not isolated to the clinical room and acknowledges the impact of broader socio-political context. A composite case study drawn from the instructor’s clinical work will be used to deepen exploration and understanding of these themes. Applying this information to clinical supervision will also be addressed.
CEs: 1.5 CEs available