Racial Microaggressions, Whiteness, and Feminist Therapy

Over the last decade, several authors have described the role of racial microaggressions in the lives of historically marginalized populations. However, the exact mechanisms in which racial microaggressions manifest in psychotherapy remain an area in need of further exploration. Drawing from researc...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inWomen & therapy Vol. 38; no. 3-4; pp. 308 - 326
Main Authors Mazzula, Silvia L., Nadal, Kevin L.
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published London Routledge 02.10.2015
Taylor & Francis Ltd
Subjects
African Americans
Aggressiveness
discrimination
ethnicity
microaggressions
Psychotherapy
racism
Therapists
therapy
White people
Women
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Summary:Over the last decade, several authors have described the role of racial microaggressions in the lives of historically marginalized populations. However, the exact mechanisms in which racial microaggressions manifest in psychotherapy remain an area in need of further exploration. Drawing from research and scholarship on Feminist therapy and microaggressions, we use a case vignette of a 40-year-old African-American woman in treatment for depression with a White female therapist to demonstrate how microaggressions may unwittingly occur in a clinician-client dyad. We underscore the challenges that White therapists may encounter and provide suggestions and recommendations for culturally responsive therapy.
ISSN:0270-3149
1541-0315
DOI:10.1080/02703149.2015.1059214