Counseling the Culturally Diverse. Laura Smith L.

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СКАЧАТЬ or done, and (c) facilitate a possible more enlightened conversation and exploration of biases. Some examples are the following. Those people all look alike. “Ouch!” He only got the job because he is Black. “Ouch!” I am putting you on the finance committee, because you people (Asian Americans) are good at that. “Ouch!”Another tactic found to be useful is to interrupt the communication and redirect it. During the course of a conversation when a biased and misinformed statement is made, simply interrupt it by directly or indirectly stopping the monologue, and communicating your disagreement or displeasure. Examples of verbal microinterventions are these: Whoa, let's not go there. Danger, quick sand ahead! I don't want to hear the punchline, or that type of talk.

      3 Educate the Perpetrator. Most microinterventions are not meant to be punitive, but rather educational. The ultimate goal is to reach and educate people by engaging them in a dialogue about what they have done that has proven offensive. One of the most powerful educational tactics is to help microaggressors differentiate between good intent and harmful impact. People often claim that I did not intend it that way. To overcome the blockage, it is often helpful to refocus the discussion on impact instead of intent. Some common statements may be the following. I know you meant well, but that really hurts. I know you meant it as a joke, but it really offended Aisha (or me). I know you want the Latinas on this team to succeed, but always putting them on hospitality committees will only prevent them from developing leadership skills. I know you kid around a lot, but think how your words affect others.

      4 Seek External Reinforcement or Support. There are times when individual efforts to respond to microaggressions might be unwise or dangerous. Seeking help from institutional authorities is often dictated when (a) a strong power differential exists between perpetrator and target, (b) the microaggression is blatant and immediately harmful, (c) it would be risky to respond personally, or (d) institutional changes must be implemented. For example, a discriminatory act by a manager may best be handled by reporting to a higher authority or seeking an advocate with the same social/employment standing as the perpetrator within the company. Using external sources are meant to allow targets, allies, and bystanders to express their emotions in ways that are safe, to connect with others who validate and affirm their being, and to offer advice and suggestions.

      In conclusion, microinterventions have three major beneficial impact. First, they serve to enhance psychological well‐being, and provide targets, allies, and bystanders with a sense of control and self‐efficacy. Second, they counteract, change or stop microaggressions by subtly or overtly confronting and educating the perpetrator. Third, they have been found to create an inclusive and welcoming environment, discourage negative behavior, challenge false consensus, and reinforce norms that value respectful interactions.

      IMPLICATIONS FOR CLINICAL PRACTICE

      1 Be aware that racial, gender, and sexual orientation microaggressions are a constant reality in the lives of culturally diverse groups and take a major psychological toll.

      2 Be aware that everyone has engaged in and continues to engage in unintentional microaggressions. For helping professionals, these microaggressions may serve as impediments to effective multicultural counseling and therapy (MCT).

      3 Entertain the notion that culturally diverse groups may have a more accurate perception of reality than you do, especially when it comes to issues of racism, sexism, or heterosexism. Try to understand worldviews and sociocultural realities, and don't be quick to dismiss or negate racial, gender, and sexual orientation issues.

      4 If your culturally different client implies that you have engaged in a microaggressive remark or behavior, engage in a nondefensive discussion and try to clarify the situation by showing you are open and receptive to conversations on race, gender, and sexual orientation. Remember, it's how the therapist “recovers,” not how he or she “covers up” that is important.

      5 Familiarize yourself with the literature on microinterventions and the anti‐bias actions that targets, allies, and bystanders can take to disarm them and to contribute to a sense of empowerment and self‐efficacy.

       Microtraining Series Video: Overcoming Personal Racism: What Can I Do?

       Microtraining Series Video: The Psychology of Racism: Where Have We Gone Wrong?

SUMMARY

      Microaggressions represent daily stressors in the lives of marginalized groups in the United States. There is now ample research to support the idea that microaggressions are frustrating, psychologically taxing, and emotionally harmful to those who experience them.

      Clients trust mental health professionals to take an intimate and deeply personal journey of self‐ exploration with them through the process of therapy. They grant these professionals the opportunity to look into their inner world and invite them to walk with them in their everyday lives. Therapists and counselors have an obligation to their clients, especially when their clients differ from them in terms of race, gender, ability, religion, or sexual orientation, to work to understand their experiential reality. Research suggests that when therapist and client are able to successfully discuss microaggressions, the therapeutic alliance can be restored. Therefore, therapists must be open to the idea that they can commit microaggressions against their clients and be willing to examine their role in this process.

      Therapists and counselors are in a position to learn from their clients about microaggressions and their relationship to their presenting concerns and developmental issues. It is imperative to encourage clients to explore their feelings about incidents that involve their race, gender, and sexual orientation so that the status quo of silence and invisibility can be destroyed. Equally important is for counselors to familiarize themselves with the literature on microinterventions. One of the most promising avenues of proactive therapy for culturally diverse clients is to arm them with a repertoire of anti‐bias strategies, to provide them with a sense of control, and to enhance psychological well‐being.

      Full Counseling Session Analysis video (Part II) for “Microaggressions in Counseling”

GLOSSARY TERMS

Ableism

Aversive racism

Covert sexism

Heterosexism

Homonegativity

Microaggression

Microassault

Microinsult

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